Director of Talent Development

Position:  Director of Talent Development

Department:  Finance & Operations

Office Location: The ideal candidate is located in any of the following states or major metropolitan areas where Lambda Legal has an office: New York, NY (Headquarters); Atlanta, GA (Southern); Dallas, TX (South Central); Chicago, IL (Midwest); Los Angeles, CA (Western); or Washington, D.C.

Work Type Designation:  Hybrid

Reports to:  Chief of People & Culture

Union Status: This is not a union position.


Annual Salary Range: $130,000-$150,000. The salary for this role will be determined by a candidate's years of relevant experience related to the position as well as the geographic region

Travel:  Up to 15% travel for conferences, team retreats, and in-person meetings.

FLSA Status:   Exempt/Full-time

Supervisory Responsibilities:  Talent Acquisition Manager

Who We Are  

Lambda Legal is a national advocacy organization committed to achieving full recognition of the civil rights for the LGBTQ+ community and everyone living with HIV through impact litigation, education, and public policy work. Since 1973, Lambda Legal has used impact litigation and other advocacy tools to decriminalize same-sex relationships; challenge discrimination against LGBTQ+ people and people living with HIV in the workplace, in the home, in schools, in health care, and in the military; and protect LGBTQ+ families, including by winning and defending marriage equality. Our clients are not charged for legal representation or advocacy and Lambda Legal receives no government funding. Headquartered in New York City, Lambda Legal also has regional offices in Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, Dallas, and Washington, DC.   

We believe that serving the full breadth of the LGBTQ+ and HIV communities requires cultural competency and enthusiasm for diversity of all kinds. To be successful, we must approach our work with an understanding that discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, or HIV status is not the only obstacle to achieving full formal and lived equality for LGBTQ+ people and everyone living with HIV; rather, we recognize the intersectional nature of discrimination, specifically including biases based on race, religion, national origin, gender, disability, education, and class. Considering this reality, we prioritize a proactive commitment to counteracting these biases and their compounding effects in the work we do, but also in how we work together as an organization. 

Director of Talent Development:

The Director of Talent Development (Director) is a key leadership role responsible for developing and implementing strategies that attract, develop, engage, and retain talented employees at Lambda Legal. Reporting to the Chief of People & Culture (CPC), the Director leads the organization's learning and development, career development, talent management, performance management, and talent acquisition strategies. 

The Director serves as a strategic advisor and thought partner to organizational leaders and managers, helping Lambda Legal build the capabilities, leadership pipeline, and talent practices needed to achieve its mission and strategic priorities. The Director brings expertise in talent development, adult learning, organizational effectiveness, performance management, and recruitment to create meaningful opportunities for employees to grow and succeed. 

The Director also owns the organization's performance management framework and annual performance review cycle, including goal setting, performance conversations, reviews, calibration, and continuous improvement of the performance management system. The Director oversees talent acquisition strategy and supervises the Talent Acquisition Manager, who owns the day-to-day execution and ongoing development of Lambda Legal's talent acquisition function. Together, they ensure recruitment and selection practices are effective, equitable and aligned with Lambda Legal's workforce needs, while supporting the Talent Acquisition Manager's continued growth and leadership within the function. The Director provides strategic guidance, removes barriers, supports cross-functional alignment, and helps connect talent acquisition priorities to broader workforce planning and talent strategy. 

The Director partners closely with the Director of Human Resources and the CPC on workforce planning, succession planning, employee engagement and retention, and other cross-functional People & Culture priorities. While the two Directors have distinct areas of functional ownership, they are expected to operate as close partners in advancing the organization’s People and Culture strategy.

What you'll do:

Learning & Talent Development 

• Develop and implement an org-wide talent development strategy that supports employee growth, organizational capability, leadership development, and strategic priorities. 

• Conduct learning and development needs assessments and translate organizational and employee needs into effective development programs. 

• Design and oversee learning experiences across formats, including workshops, facilitated sessions, online learning, peer learning, coaching, mentoring, and other development opportunities. 

• Lead leadership, manager, professional skills, and emerging talent development initiatives. 

• Partner with managers and leaders to identify development needs and strengthen team and individual effectiveness. 

• Develop career development and internal mobility strategies that help employees understand and pursue opportunities for growth within Lambda Legal. 

• Support succession planning and development of emerging and high-potential talent in partnership with the CPC and Director of Human Resources. 

• Manage external learning vendors, facilitators, coaches, and other development partners as appropriate. 

• Oversee the organization's learning management system (LMS), where applicable, and ensure effective administration, utilization, and tracking of learning programs. 

• Establish measures of learning effectiveness and use data to assess impact and improve programs. 

• Develop and maintain accessible learning and development resources for employees and managers. 

• Manage the talent development budget and prioritize resources based on organizational needs and impact. 

• Promote awareness and effective use of professional development opportunities and resources. 

• Build a culture of continuous learning, feedback, reflection, and professional growth across the organization. 

Talent Strategy & Workforce Planning 

• Partner with the CPC and Director of Human Resources to develop and implement talent strategies aligned with Lambda Legal's mission, strategic priorities, and evolving workforce needs. 

• Lead assessment of current and future staffing needs, identify talent gaps and develop strategies to attract, develop, and retain talent pipelines needed to support organizational priorities. 

• Use talent data, workforce trends, and organizational insights to inform talent strategy and recommendations. 

• Serve as a thought partner to leaders and managers on talent strategy, organizational effectiveness, and the development of high-performing teams. 

Performance Management 

• Own and manage the organization's performance management framework and annual performance review cycle. 

• Lead organization-wide processes for goal setting, performance reviews, ongoing feedback, and performance conversations, ensuring alignment with organizational priorities. 

• Own and manage the performance management system, including configuration, workflows, communications, reporting, maintenance, and continuous improvement. 

• Develop resources, tools, templates, and guidance to support effective performance management. 

• Establish and communicate annual performance management timelines and expectations and provide resources for managers and employees throughout the cycle. 

• Monitor completion and effectiveness of key performance processes, including introductory/30-day reviews, 90-day reviews, goal-setting and check-in processes, and annual reviews. 

• Advise and train supervisors and managers on goal setting, feedback, coaching, performance conversations, documentation, and addressing performance concerns. 

• Support employees and managers in developing clear, measurable, and meaningful performance goals. 

• Facilitate performance calibration processes to promote consistency, fairness, and transparency in performance assessment. 

• Participate in the annual labor-management performance review committee and collaborate with the Director of Human Resources on changes to performance management practices affecting bargaining-unit employees. 

• Analyze performance management data and trends and use findings to strengthen organizational performance and employee development. 

• Continuously evaluate and improve the performance management framework and employee/manager experience. 

Talent Acquisition & Employee Experience

• Partner with the Talent Acquisition Manager to align recruitment priorities, workforce planning, talent pipelines, and hiring strategies aligned with Lambda Legal's organizational goals. 

• Support the Talent Acquisition Manager's continued professional growth, leadership development, and increasing ownership of the talent acquisition function. 

• Serve as a strategic advisor and escalation partner on complex, high-priority, or organization-wide recruitment matters. 

• Support the development and maintenance of equitable, consistent, and inclusive recruitment and selection practices. 

• Partner with the Talent Acquisition Manager, Director of Human Resources, and organizational leaders on position design, job descriptions, classification, and staffing structures. 

• Partner with the Talent Acquisition Manager and organizational leaders to strengthen onboarding practices and ensure new employees are equipped for success. 

• Evaluate onboarding feedback and outcomes and recommend improvements to strengthen the new employee experience and time to effectiveness. 

• Partner with the Talent Acquisition Manager and other P&C team members on employee lifecycle initiatives that cross talent development and HR operations. 

Engagement, Retention & Organizational Effectiveness 

• Partner with the CPC and Director of Human Resources on strategies to strengthen employee engagement, retention, and the overall employee experience. 

• Lead employee listening strategies, including engagement surveys, pulse surveys, and other feedback mechanisms. 

• Analyze employee feedback and engagement data and translate findings into actionable organizational and talent strategies. 

• Advise leaders and managers on practices that support engagement, retention, team effectiveness, and employee development. 

• Support organizational effectiveness initiatives, including team effectiveness, organizational design, talent structures, and leadership effectiveness. 

• Partner with the CPC and Director of Human Resources on succession planning and talent reviews. 

• Identify trends and opportunities to strengthen the employee experience, organizational capability, and talent outcomes. 

People & Culture Leadership 

• Partner with the CPC and other leaders to ensure coordinated delivery of Talent programs and services across the organization. 

• Serve as a trusted subject-matter expert and advisor to organizational leaders on matters within the Director's portfolio. 

• Contribute to broader People & Culture strategy and organizational initiatives where the Director's functional expertise is relevant. 

• Promote fair, equitable, inclusive, and consistent employment practices across the organization. 

• Participate in organizational leadership meetings and committees as appropriate to the scope of the role. 
  
  

Who you are:

With the understanding that no one person will offer every desired skill and characteristic outlined below, compelling candidates will offer much of the following:

Minimum competencies and qualifications:

• 8+ years of progressively responsible experience across talent development, learning and development, organizational development, performance management, talent acquisition, and/or related areas. 

• Demonstrated experience developing and implementing organization-wide learning, talent development, and talent management strategies. 

• Significant experience designing and leading leadership, manager, and professional development programs. 

• Experience with workforce planning, succession planning, talent reviews, organizational design, or organizational effectiveness. 

• Significant experience leading performance management programs and annual performance review cycles. 

• Experience developing and implementing recruitment and talent acquisition strategies. 

• Strong knowledge of adult learning, talent development, career development, performance management, and organizational effectiveness practices. 

• Demonstrated ability to advise, influence, and build trusted relationships with senior leaders, managers, and employees. 

• Strong ability to use talent data, metrics, and organizational insights to inform strategy and decision-making. 

• Strong project management, organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills. 

• Ability to balance strategic thinking with hands-on execution in a dynamic, mission-driven environment. 

• Excellent facilitation, presentation, written, and verbal communication skills. 

• Demonstrated ability to build collaborative relationships across functions and levels of an organization. 

• Experience supervising, coaching, or developing staff. 

Preferred competencies and qualifications: 

• SHRM-CP, PHR, or equivalent HR certification. 

• Training or certification in coaching, talent assessment, instructional design, or related disciplines. 

• Experience working in a nonprofit, advocacy, legal, or other mission-driven organization. 

• Experience working with geographically distributed or multi-state workforces. 

• Experience advancing DEIB through learning and development, talent acquisition, performance management, and talent development practices. 
  
  

Our Values & DEIB Philosophy 

Successful candidates will embrace and champion our Organizational Values and DEIB Philosophy Statement, bringing a commitment to fostering an inclusive, equitable, and supportive workplace. They will thrive in a diverse environment, actively contributing to a culture that respects and uplifts the full spectrum of communities Lambda Legal serves. 

Candidates can review our Organizational Values and DEIB Philosophy Statement on our Careers Page. 

Why Work at Lambda Legal? 

You get to do meaningful, life-changing work at a national level for LGBTQ+ people and everyone living with HIV. Lambda Legal also proudly offers competitive benefits for our team. We understand that our staff’s dedication and effort are instrumental in achieving our mission. A highlight of the benefits we offer include: 

• Medical benefits that begin on your start date 
• Dental, Vision, and Life insurance (effective 30 days from your start date) 
• Short & Long-Term Disability plans (effective 30 days from your start date) 
• 403(b) Retirement Plan (employer contribution and matching program begins after 90 days of employment) 
• Paid Time Off: 
  • Paid Vacation (15 Days) 
  • Sick Leave (12 Days) 
  • Personal Leave (3 Days) 
  • Religious Observance Leave (3 Days) 
  • Bereavement and Bereavement Anniversary Leave 
  • Floating Holiday (1 Day) 
• 12 paid holidays and 5 early office closures 
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA/DC FSA) and Commuter Benefits 
• Health Reimbursement Account 
• Annual professional development funds 
• $50 monthly mobile phone reimbursement 
• Summer Fridays from Memorial Day to Labor Day 
• Premium subscription to the Calm App 
• Paid sabbatical after 7 years of service at Lambda Legal (4 weeks for non-exempt positions and 8 weeks for exempt positions) 

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Read more about Lambda Legal's work on our blog and Instagram.

Lambda Legal believes in creating a more equitable playing field for applicants and values the depth of relevant skills built through successful education, work, and life experiences. If your background and skills are a close match for this position, you are strongly encouraged to apply.

Lambda Legal is committed to further building and maintaining a staff that reflects the full range of LGBTQ+, HIV-affected and allied communities, and is an equal opportunity employer. We value a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture. Lambda Legal encourages applications from all qualified individuals without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship or immigration status, disability, veteran status, record of arrest or conviction, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. Black people, Indigenous people, people of color, lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, transgender and gender-diverse people, women, people with abilities in multiple languages, immigrants, people living with disabilities, protected veterans, and formerly incarcerated individuals and individuals living with HIV are all encouraged to apply.