Director of Talent Development

Director of Talent Development

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.

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.