Associate Experience Manager

Job Title: Associate Experience Manager

Department: Human Resources (HR)

Reports to: Director of Talent Management

FLSA Status: Exempt

Mission Support

Goodwill Houston (GWH) is transforming lives by connecting people to opportunities that advance the future of work. Through education, training, and employment, we create pathways to success for individuals facing employment barriers. We empower people, strengthen families, and impact communities by addressing both immediate and future workforce needs. With the generous support of our donors and retail customers, we are changing lives through the power of work.

Position Summary

Accountable for developing and executing strategies that enhance the associate experience for GWH associates across the associate lifecycle by aligning organizational culture objectives, engagement strategies, onboarding experiences, associate development programs, and retention initiatives. Provide leadership, guidance, and accountability for Talent Coaches to ensure effective case management, high-quality service delivery, and positive associate outcomes. Requires strategic use of confidential organizational data in alignment with business priorities, including forecasting programmatic needs, identifying and mitigating risk, and improving associate engagement and experience.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Talent Coach Leadership and Associate Experience

• Lead, coach, and develop Talent Coaches to ensure consistent, high-quality delivery of associate experience throughout the associate lifecycle.
• Establish clear standards, processes, and performance expectations for Talent Coach interactions, onboarding support, engagement metrics, associate feedback, internal mobility, and program participation.
• Monitor Talent Coach effectiveness through key metrics including onboarding completion, new hire retention, engagement indicators, associate feedback, internal mobility, and program participation.
• Partner with HR Business Partners (HRBP), operational leaders, and talent acquisition to ensure seamless transitions across recruiting, onboarding, integration, development, and retention.
• Utilize feedback and workforce analytics to identify opportunities for proactive intervention and support for associates and leaders.
• Ensure Talent Coaches champion organizational culture, values, engagement initiatives, and associate success.
• Drive consistency in the associate experience across locations through regular audits, coaching, training, and best-practice sharing.
• Develop and maintain programs that strengthen associate connection, career growth, belonging, recognition, and organizational commitment.
• Oversee associate lifecycle touchpoints delivered by Talent Coaches, including onboarding follow-ups, stay interviews, development conversations, engagement activities, and transition support.
• Ensure Talent Coaches timely
• escalate associate concerns, engagement risks, and retention challenges while partnering with leadership to implement solutions.
• Create accountability measures and reporting to evaluate the impact of Talent Coach interventions on retention, engagement, performance, and workforce stability.

Program Management and Administration

• Own the end-to-end strategic improvement and execution of associate experience programs.
• Manage survey platforms/tools and coaching to enable effective listening, trust-building, and feedback capture.
• Coordinate timelines, communications, and logistics for program rollouts.

Culture Program Management

• Create comprehensive program and event plans that include defined objectives, value alignment, inclusion impact, and success measures.
• Align program efforts with organizational priorities, cultural objectives, and business strategy.
• Provide training, tools, and coaching to enable effective listening, trust-building, and a feedback culture.
• Ensure the culture remains adaptive, inclusive, and aligned with expectations.
• Ensure closed-loop feedback so associates see visible action and impact.

Data Analysis and Insight Generation

• Analyze quantitative and qualitative data to identify trends, risks, and opportunities.
• Integrate insights across multiple channels to provide a holistic view of associate sentiment.
• Partner with vendors and internal HR Operations to develop dashboards, reports, and executive summaries tailored to various stakeholder groups.
• Apply storytelling techniques to translate data into actionable recommendations.

Stakeholder Engagement and Communication

• Partner with senior leadership, HRBPs, and functional stakeholders to interpret insights and co-create action plans.
• Deliver compelling presentations and communications that effectively convey insights, strategies, and program outcomes.
• Develop an internal communications strategy that strengthens the associate experience and positions GWH as the Employer of Choice.
• Facilitate discussions, workshops, and readouts to drive understanding and accountability.
• Build strong relationships across teams to ensure alignment and adoption of associate experience initiatives.

Governance and Continuous Improvement

• Establish governance frameworks for associate experience initiatives, ensuring consistency and best practices.
• Monitor external trends and benchmark practices to enhance associate experience strategies.
• Drive continuous improvement through experimentation and feedback loops.
• Ensure compliance with data privacy regulations and ethical handling of associate feedback.
• Perform other duties as directed by management to support evolving organizational needs.

Additional Responsibilities

• Demonstrate professionalism, good judgment, and present a friendly, cooperative attitude.
• Ability to multitask, make quick decisions, adapt to change, and collaborate effectively in a fast-paced, team-oriented environment.
• Adhere to all GWH Policies & Procedures, Loss Prevention & Safety Regulations, and GWH Guiding Principles.
• Must be punctual, maintain a professional appearance, and perform expected duties.
• Maintain a high level of confidentiality.
• Must perform all duties according to GWH safety procedures, maintain good housekeeping standards, and ensure all walkways are clear and free of clutter.
• Adhere to local, state, and federal laws and regulations.

Minimum Qualifications

• A bachelor’s degree is preferred; equivalent professional experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.
• A minimum of four (4) years of experience in coordinating programs or a similar field is preferred.
• Excellent computer skills (proficient in Microsoft Office).
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with a working knowledge of grammar usage, letter writing skills, and proofreading.
• Must be able to demonstrate proven problem-solving and critical thinking skills with the ability to get multi-sector stakeholders to work together.
• Must maintain a high level of confidentiality.
• Ability to communicate and interact well with a variety of personality types.
• Ability to analyze opportunities and problems, identify and evaluate alternatives, and develop effective approaches to address any issues.
• Travel between locations as required to support associates, staff, programs, and organizational initiatives.
• Must be legally authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship for current or future employment. GWH does not offer visa sponsorship for employment purposes.

Key Performance Indicators (KPI)

• Ensure 85% of all GWH new hires obtain a 30-day retention milestone.
• Ensure data utilization and accuracy of 90% or higher by conducting regular audits of CaseWorthy reporting.
• Ensure case notes and documents are updated within 24 hours of services or information received.
• Support associates in creating and adhering to effective personal budgets.
• Facilitate co-enrollments in GWH programs for eligible associates.
• Track and evaluate Success Coaches’ activities and performance through the GoodPaths tracker.
• Execute WFD Programs as assigned.

Physical Requirements/Work Environment

• Ability to sit, stand, bend, and reach.
• Ability to lift, push, and pull up to 25 lbs.
• Able to spend most working hours at a computer.