Senior Director Talent Culture and Change

Senior Director Talent Culture and Change

Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance (DZCA) is a leader in animal care, wildlife conservation, and education. We are passionate about our commitment to excellence in support of our mission of Inspiring Communities to Save Wildlife for Future Generations.

DZCA honors our animals, staff, and guests by conducting ourselves at the highest level of integrity through our Core Actions -- Inspire Awe: Safety, Care, Connect and by embracing our Core Values of: Welcoming, Curious, United, Courageous, and Transformative in all that we do.

The Senior Director, Talent, Culture & Change is a strategic enterprise leader who advances DZCA's mission by advancing DZCA's talent strategy, culture work, leadership capability, organizational effectiveness, and change management practices. This role helps translate DZCA's organizational priorities into people strategies that strengthen leadership alignment, performance, succession, employee experience, and the organization's ability to successfully navigate change. The Senior Director partners closely with the Chief Human Resource Officer, Senior Directors, HR Operations, and cross-functional leaders to build scalable practices that support both current organizational needs and future growth. The ideal candidate is a strategic, pragmatic, and highly trusted leader who can operate in ambiguity, build structure, influence across levels, and respect DZCA's institutional knowledge while helping the organization evolve for its next chapter.

Our staff is a dedicated and diverse group of individuals committed to providing quality care to our animals while creating moments of awe for guests. If you are a like-minded individual and thrive in a dynamic, fast paced and innovative culture, Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance is the place for you!

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Lead enterprise talent strategy aligned to DZCA's mission, organizational priorities, leadership needs, and future capability requirements.
• Design and implement talent calibration, succession planning, leadership pipeline, and internal mobility practices.
• Partner with HR Operations and hiring leaders to connect workforce planning, recruiting insights, selection standards, and long-term talent needs.
• Build tools and practices that strengthen hiring manager capability, talent assessment, and new employee success.
• Create structure, data, and follow-through for executive and senior leader talent discussions, including bench strength, role readiness, and development planning.
• Identify talent risks, capability gaps, and organizational needs that may impact DZCA's ability to execute its strategy.

Culture, Change, and Organizational Effectiveness

• Lead enterprise culture initiatives that reinforce accountability, trust, belonging, psychological safety, leadership alignment, and organizational clarity.
• Build practical change management practices that support adoption, behavior change, and sustained execution.
• Support enterprise architecture, organizational design, operating model, and leadership alignment work in partnership with the Chief People Officer, CEO, and Executive Team.
• Translate employee feedback, engagement insights, leadership commitments, and organizational health data into focused action plans.
• Facilitate leadership sessions, alignment conversations, manager forums, and cross-functional working sessions that strengthen clarity and accountability.
• Define and embed the leadership behaviors, norms, and routines needed for DZCA's next chapter.

Leadership Development, Manager Capability, and Performance

• Design and implement leadership development strategies that strengthen people leadership at all levels of the organization.
• Build manager capability in feedback, accountability, communication, coaching, inclusion, performance, change leadership, and employee engagement.
• Support the evolution of performance management practices, including goal alignment, feedback rhythms, performance expectations, and accountability routines.
• Partner with leaders to improve team effectiveness, decision-making, communication norms, and role clarity.
• Develop scalable tools, frameworks, and resources that help managers lead consistently and effectively.

Strategic Partnership & People Function Integration

• Serve as a strategic advisor to the Chief People Officer, Senior Directors, HR Operations, and people leaders on talent, culture, change, and organizational effectiveness matters.
• Partner closely with the Director of HR / HR Operations to ensure clear ownership, aligned priorities, strong handoffs, and consistent employee experience.
• Provide strategic guidance on the people implications of organizational decisions, structural changes, leadership transitions, and major initiatives.
• Build trusted relationships across DZCA through credibility, discretion, sound judgment, and practical execution.
• Use data, listening insights, organizational context, and leadership priorities to identify patterns and recommend solutions.
• Establish people strategy routines, dashboards, reporting, and operating rhythms that support better decision-making and organizational health.

Other Duties & Responsibilities

• Partner with cross-functional teams to support effective rollout and adoption of people-related initiatives.
• Contribute to HR team planning, prioritization, and continuous improvement.
• Support special projects, executive priorities, and enterprise initiatives as assigned.
• Maintain confidentiality and exercise sound judgment in handling sensitive information.
• Represent DZCA's values and mission in all interactions with staff, leaders, partners, and stakeholders.

Technical / Professional Requirements & Qualifications

• Progressive experience in human resources, talent management, organizational development, culture, change management, or related strategy roles.
• Experience advising senior leaders and influencing across complex organizations.
• Demonstrated ability to design and implement talent, culture, leadership, performance, succession, or change initiatives from concept through execution.
• Strong understanding of organizational effectiveness, workforce planning, leadership development, employee experience, and adoption.
• Proven ability to facilitate leadership conversations, build practical tools and frameworks, and drive follow-through across multiple priorities.
• Excellent communication, judgment, discretion, executive presence, and relationship-building skills.
• Experience in a mission-driven, nonprofit, cultural, education, conservation, public-facing, or complex service organization preferred.
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience required; advanced degree or relevant certifications preferred.
• Ability to think strategically, execute pragmatically, and create structure in ambiguity.
• Ability to connect talent, culture, leadership, and change to organizational priorities.
• Ability to influence senior leaders and cross-functional partners with credibility and sound judgment.
• Ability to build trust in a long-tenured organization while supporting evolution and change.
• Ability to assess organizational dynamics, identify root causes, and recommend practical solutions.
• Ability to communicate clearly, handle sensitive information with discretion, and represent DZCA's mission and values.
• Ability to partner effectively with HR Operations while maintaining clear ownership of talent, culture, and change initiatives.

Position Conditions

• Ability to pass a background check and pre-employment drug and alcohol screen.
• Schedule Availability: Monday-Friday on campus

Compensation

The salary range for this position is $121,839 to $155,345.

A Truly Wild Workplace with Competitive Benefits:

Join our One Zoo Team and enjoy a full spectrum of competitive benefits, including:

• Comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage.
• 403(b) Retirement Account with employer match.
• Generous paid time off: vacation, sick leave, personal days, and holidays.
• A Family DZCA Membership with discounted tickets to special events.
• Concession and retail discounts, plus free parking.
• And so much more!

Application Process and Timelines:

Resumes / Completed applications must be submitted by June 17, 2026. Review of applications will begin immediately. Denver Zoo reserves the right to close the position prior to this date.

Denver Zoo Conservation Alliance is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.