Director of Employee Experience & Development

Tompkins Community Bank•City of Ithaca, NY

10d

About The Position

The Director of Employee Experience & Development is a member of the HR Leadership team and reports directly to the Chief Human Resources Officer. The role is responsible for designing, scaling, and managing the end-to-end team member journey, uniting organizational culture and workplace engagement with learning, leadership development, and career mobility. It connects business strategy with people enablement so that employee lifecycle milestones reinforce a high-performance, inclusive, and agile culture. The Director leads the employee experience and development teams, collaborates with talent acquisition, HR operations, and total rewards, and manages the functional budget. The role partners with HR and senior leadership on organizational development, workforce planning, and strategic people initiatives; uses employee feedback, surveys, and key performance indicators to assess effectiveness and guide improvements; and ensures practices align with employment laws, organizational policies, and risk-management requirements. Success calls for candid and reliable communication, collaborative leadership, cultural alignment, and investment in team member development and engagement. Travel of up to 20% across the Tompkins footprint is required.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in HR, Business, or a related field.
Ten or more years of human resource management experience.
Experience leading organizational development, change management, employee development, and employee engagement.
Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills.
Ability to build relationships, manage expectations, and influence at all levels in a collaborative environment.
Ability to adapt to changes in the work environment and manage competing demands.
Strong leadership, communication, emotional intelligence, and interpersonal skills.
Strategic thinking, problem-solving abilities, and a passion for driving positive change.
Exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail in a fast-paced environment.
General knowledge of federal and state laws and regulations affecting the Human Resources function.
Proficiency in learning and working with various software and tools.
Ability to travel up to 20% of the time across the Tompkins footprint.

Nice To Haves

SHRM or HRCI certification is highly preferred.

Responsibilities

Design, assess, map, and continuously refine key moments in the employee lifecycle, including onboarding, performance check-ins, internal mobility, life events, and offboarding, to reduce operational friction and support retention.
Develop and lead continuous listening mechanisms, including pulse and engagement surveys, exit and stay interviews, and focus groups, to understand and champion team member voice.
Partner with internal communications and executive leadership to reinforce cultural values, promote transparency, engagement, and psychological safety, celebrate organizational milestones, and sustain connection across distributed and hybrid teams.
Collaborate with total rewards, HR operations, and talent acquisition on initiatives to improve satisfaction, engagement, retention, culture, and employee well-being.
Develop a learning and development strategy aligned with business goals and future workforce needs.
Lead development of career pathways, internal mobility, and succession planning.
Oversee onboarding, mentoring, coaching, and professional development programs.
Maintain modern performance management strategies and ensure consistent accountability across the organization.
Partner with Talent Acquisition to align recruiting and development strategies.
Collaborate with senior management to identify high-potential talent and create targeted development plans that enhance capabilities and readiness.
Establish and track human capital metrics; use data to identify trends, inform decisions, recommend improvements, and establish business objectives.
Partner with leaders to strengthen team effectiveness, engagement, and performance outcomes.
Drive initiatives that support employee belonging and inclusion.
Develop and execute retention strategies that support growth and expansion and preserve institutional knowledge during career transitions.
Lead organizational effectiveness and change initiatives that support strategic priorities.
Lead the employee experience and development teams, collaborate with talent acquisition, HR operations, and total rewards to deliver reliable, efficient, high-quality service, and manage the functional budget.
Partner with HR and senior leadership on organizational development, workforce planning, and strategic people initiatives.
Use employee feedback, surveys, and key performance indicators to assess program effectiveness and adjust strategies.
Ensure practices comply with employment laws, organizational policies, and risk-management requirements.
Build strategic alliances, foster collaboration, eliminate silos, and advance organizational success.
Uphold organizational values and shape and evolve company culture through leadership by example.
Coach, recognize, and develop people while supporting engagement, retention, shared leadership, and succession planning.
Set strategic goals, manage resources and budgets, mitigate risks, and drive continuous improvement.