Director, Strategic Initiatives - Talent

LA Alliance

1d • $100,000 - $140,500 • Hybrid

About The Position

The Director, Strategic Initiatives on the Talent team provides direct support to the Chief People Officer to ensure that the day-to-day operations of all talent functions provide high value services and supports to our schools and the Home Office. As Director you will help spearhead transformational work to improve all of Alliance’s talent functions and help to shape Alliance’s overarching talent strategy – how we attract, grow and keep high-quality employees at all levels of the organization to work in service of Alliance scholars, families and communities. The Director reports to the Chief People Officer, and works closely with the Talent Leadership Team and Alliance’s Executive Cabinet, and is responsible for providing project management for cross-functional initiatives across the talent functions and other teams that work in collaboration with Talent. The ideal candidate for this position will be a strong project manager with an ability to manage myriad stakeholder relationships and an aptitude for identifying and addressing needs. This is an outstanding opportunity for an experienced talent professional to take a leadership role in helping Alliance achieve our mission of ensuring equity and excellence for scholars in Los Angeles.

Requirements

• Commitment to Alliance’s core beliefs and mission.
• Knowledge of urban school systems, school environments and school culture.
• Exceptional project management skills and experience in a context of competing priorities with limited resources and infrastructure; with the ability to efficiently manage multiple projects and deadlines, work across departments and functions, and translate strategies from plans to action.
• Proven track record of effective leadership and ability to navigate complex issues and drive strong performance results.
• Ability to work effectively in a multi-layered organization and build strong relationships with a variety of home office and school-based colleagues, as well as external stakeholders.
• Strong strategic thinking skills with an understanding of the impact that different approaches have on organizational culture and performance.
• Strong conceptual, analytic and organizational/systems thinking necessary to interpret data, develop strategy and lead implementation/execution.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to convey information to a variety of audiences (e.g., large groups, staff meetings, executive briefings, public board meetings, memos, etc.).
• Fluency with Excel, Word, PowerPoint and other office and project management software.
• Willingness to go above and beyond to contribute to the success of a dynamic team committed to a new future for urban education.
• Bachelor's Degree or higher from an accredited college or university in human resources, education, public administration or policy, or a related field
• 4+ years of progressive professional work experience in a related field with 2+ years focused on talent functions (compensation, employee relations, human resources, performance management, etc.)
• Note: We will consider candidates with only a high school diploma or equivalent if they have 6+ years of progressive professional work experience in a related field with 2+ years focused on talent functions (compensation, employee relations, human resources, performance management, etc.)

Nice To Haves

• The strongest candidates will bring a commitment to Alliance’s mission of building an anti-racist, pro-Black community that prioritizes the success and well-being of Black and Brown scholars.
• Candidates should have a passion for promoting equity through anti-racist, student-centered teaching practices that celebrate racial and cultural identities.
• This role is rooted in service to systemically underserved communities in Los Angeles, helping scholars graduate “college-ready” with pride in who they are.

Responsibilities

• Work alongside the Chief People Officer to streamline and synchronize the day-to-day operations of all teams (Human Resource Operations, Talent Acquisition, Employee Relations & Engagement, and Staff Learning, Development, and Compensation) that make up the Talent Division, key organizational talent priorities, and cross-functional initiatives that intersect with the talent teams by providing project management, logistics, and progress monitoring support.
• Manage strategic monitoring, tracking, and support of the Talent Division’s operating plan and preparation for Talent Leadership Team meetings, as well as Talent Division meetings; improve and iterate on the monitoring and tracking system as necessary; develop and facilitate meeting agendas, and manage follow-up to key actions and decisions.
• Oversee the project management function of the Talent Division, managing cross-functional initiatives (e.g. develop process-map for cross-departmental communications challenges), especially those requiring rapid-response or resolution (e.g. manage across teams to meet external and internal deadlines from key stakeholders), develop project plans, and conduct data analyses.
• Serve as a strategic advisor to the Chief People Officer on cross-departmental projects, opportunities for cross-collaboration, process improvement and problem solving.
• Lead and prepare for Talent Leadership Team meetings that support a strong team culture, an awareness of the Division’s work, cross-functional collaboration, and monitor progress against the Division’s goals.
• Provide relevant and constructive recommendations to senior leaders, colleagues, and school sites on “best in class” talent practices.
• Drive and support network-wide talent initiatives that require change management (e.g. compensation models, competency mapping and implementation for performance reviews, engagement strategies, etc.).
• Provide direct supervisory support for Associate, Talent.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Benefits

• Competitive salaries commensurate with experience
• Generous retirement and health benefits
• Relocation bonus of $5,000 for individuals and $7,500 for new staff with families/partners
• $500 per year for professional development expenses
• $400 work-from-home set-up allowance
• $100 monthly stipend

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director