Executive Director, Talent Management & Leadership

Job Description

Title: Executive Director, Talent Management of Leadership

Department: Office of Talent

Reports To: Deputy Chief, Talent Management

The School District of Philadelphia is committed to becoming the fastest improving District in the country and transforming the educational opportunities it offers to our city's more than 200,000 students. The District seeks leaders who have a passion for working with schools and communities who are committed to ensuring all students achieve. Serving a population as diverse as ours requires creativity, commitment and vision. Will you join us?

Job Summary

The District's continued improvement hinges on the capability and effectiveness of its most senior leaders. The Executive Director, Talent Management of Leadership executes and refines the comprehensive talent management operations and strategy for the District's key leadership pipeline. This role holds primary responsibility for the talent management, effectiveness evaluation, and retention strategy for the following leader groups: Principals, Assistant Principals, Climate Managers, Chiefs, Deputy Chiefs, Directors, and Executive Directors.

This includes overseeing the entire talent lifecycle for these groups, ensuring the District attracts, selects, effectively manages, and retains a diverse and highly effective corps of executive and school-based leaders. The Executive Director will operate at a strategic level, setting policy, developing innovative staffing models, and collaborating with Associate Superintendents, Chiefs, and the Superintendent's cabinet to ensure talent practices are aligned with overall District strategic goals, including effective collaboration with unions and key community stakeholders.

Essential Functions

• Leads the strategic design and implementation of the District's talent management vision specifically for senior leaders, ensuring operational alignment with the Leadership Pipeline and District strategic priorities.
• Direct the development and execution of tailored talent management programs for Principals, Chiefs, Deputy Chiefs, Directors, and Executive Directors across the full spectrum: recruitment, selection, onboarding, high-stakes evaluation, performance management, retention, and succession planning.
• Establishes and operationalizes a rigorous, equitable succession planning process for key school and central office executive roles to ensure continuity of high-quality leadership.
• Oversees the development and implementation of talent policies and complex procedures (e.g., selection protocols, high-level investigations, organizational design) specific to the executive corps, ensuring strict compliance with labor law and collective bargaining agreements. • Drives the collection, analysis, and executive-level reporting of leadership talent data (e.g., retention, diversity metrics, effectiveness ratings) to inform the Superintendent's office and cabinet on staffing trends and strategic talent investments.
• Provides regular strategic updates and comprehensive reports to the Deputy Chief, Talent Management and Recruitment as it relates to District-wide leadership staffing trends, needs, and solutions.
• Manages the budget and resources allocated for executive talent management operations, recruitment campaigns, and assessment processes.

Qualifications

Minimum Requirements

• Master's degree from an accredited college or university in human resources, business administration, organizational leadership, public administration, or a closely related field.
• Seven years of full-time, paid, professional experience in human resources in a large urban school district or governmental agency, three of which shall have been in an administrative or supervisory capacity and have included responsibility for managing and developing a team of direct reports.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Demonstrated knowledge of:
  • the principles and practices of strategic talent management in a large urban district. o the current practices, methods and techniques utilized in executive-level selection and retention.
  • the principles of collective bargaining in a public education setting.
  • complex staffing models, organizational design and succession planning within a large organization.
  • federal, state and local regulations which apply to a large public sector organization. o data analytics, interpretation and visualization tools for executive decision-making. o supervisory methods and techniques.
  • budgetary practices and procedures.
• Demonstrated ability to:
  • set and execute a high-level operational strategy while overseeing complex, day-to-day talent processes.
  • effectively consult with cabinet members and external stakeholders on sensitive personnel and policy matters.
  • represent the District's position skillfully in high-stakes conversations with unions and community organizations.
  • build census and drive operational efficiency and consistency across diverse leader groups.
  • maintain confidentiality and discretion when handling sensitive personnel matters. o plan and direct departmental operations.
  • effectively lead and manage a work team.
  • manage and interpret data.
  • operate a personal computer.
  • communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing.
  • establish and maintain effective working relationships.

Disclaimer

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified.

Nondiscrimination

The School District of Philadelphia provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, age, creed, religion, sex, sexual orientation, ancestry, national origin, disability, pregnancy, marital status, gender identity, or genetic information. Please refer to Board Policy 348 for further information regarding the District's commitment to Nondiscrimination in Employment Practices.