Director, Talent Management and HR Business Partner

ABOUT THE ROLE

Accela is seeking a dynamic and strategic Director, Talent Management & HR Business Partners who will set the strategic direction for talent management and employee engagement initiatives focused on nurturing and sustaining a collaborative, high-performing culture. This newly created role is a critical leadership position and will be responsible for key talent functions including performance management and talent mobility, employee engagement, talent assessment and development, leadership assessment and succession planning, employee onboarding experience, and employee relations management. Reporting to the VP, Human Resources, this role will ensure strategy and program alignment with Accela’s mission, strategic objectives, and fundamental values. This is an exciting opportunity to the nurture existing and future talent of Accela by crafting and leading scalable strategies to identify, develop, and mobilize employees across all levels.

Accela is a remote-first organization and prioritizes flexibility, productivity, and work-life balance for our employees. This is a remote position and may be asked to travel to and work from an office location occasionally as determined by business requirements. This may include team meetings, training sessions, special projects, or other activities that necessitate in-person collaboration.

SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES 

• Establish talent philosophy, principles, and policies to enable effective implementation of global talent management solutions.
• Lead the evaluation, design, and implementation of Accela’s talent and performance management strategies, including programs for employee assessment and performance improvement, leadership and employee learning and development, career pathing and employee mobility, high-potential talent identification and retention, and reward and recognition efforts in line with the company’s strategic initiatives and fundamental values.
• Lead a team of HR Business Partners who contribute to the development and execution of strategic people programs and serve as thought partners to the business to effectively align people and company strategy.
• Design and lead our global performance management processes to drive greater performance accountability and outcomes, including effective department, team, and individual goal setting practices.
• Establish, optimize, and lead succession planning and talent review processes necessary to build and strengthen Accela’s bench and pipeline of leaders, focusing on critical roles with the highest impact.
• Manage leadership 360 and coaching engagements, leveraging internal and external capabilities to support development of successors and high potential leaders.
• Evolve and lead talent programs that drive alignment and engagement with Accela’s fundamental values and behaviors to foster a collaborative, high-performing culture.
• Lead Accela’s non-technical learning and development efforts, keeping a strong focus on the organization’s strategy and talent needs.
• Drive a focus on performance and results using data-driven and objective frameworks.
• Lead change management initiatives to support cultural transformation within the organization.
• Provide thought partnership and consultative engagement to the VP, HR and business leaders.
• Establish and maintain strong collaborative relationships across a broad stakeholder network, including executive sponsors, senior leadership, HR team members, and employees.
• Analyze complex issues related to talent and organizational performance and develop effective solutions to address talent challenges.

KEY SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES 

• Strategic Thinking and Planning: Ability to align talent management and people engagement strategies with Accela’s long-term goals. Develop a clear understanding of business operations and how talent management contributes to organizational success.
• Data-Driven Decision Making: Proficiency in using data analytics to inform talent strategies and measure effectiveness. Ability to use data-driven insights to inform decisions and recommendations and identify and track key performance indicators to measure progress and impact of talent and engagement programs.
• Change Management: Ability to manage and lead through organizational changes. Maintain focus and effectiveness under pressure and during transitions. Capability to gain buy-in and support for change initiatives from stakeholders at all levels.
• People Management: Focus on employee success, accountability, and development. Foster a high degree of trust, integrity, and psychological safety. Provide guidance and support to develop leadership capabilities within HR team and across