Lead, Leadership Programs

WestJet Group; Calgary; Hybrid; CAD 110,000 - 165,000; Full time

Job summary

WestJet Group in Calgary seeks a Lead, Leadership Programs to develop and evolve enterprise leadership talent strategies. You will act as a trusted advisor to senior leaders and HR, guiding cross-functional mobility, succession planning, and high-potential readiness to support growth and transformation.

You will design leadership development frameworks, measure program impact with dashboards, and drive continuous improvement across the leadership lifecycle.

Qualifications

• 8–10 years of progressive experience in talent management, talent strategy, leadership development, organizational effectiveness, or a related field.
• Experience designing and leading enterprise-wide talent management or leadership development initiatives.
• Experience facilitating talent reviews, succession planning discussions, and leadership assessment processes with senior leaders.
• Experience developing talent strategies informed by workforce analytics, organizational priorities, and future capability requirements.
• Professional designation such as CPHR, CHRL, PCC, or related credentials would be considered an asset.

Responsibilities

• Leads the development and implementation of leadership talent strategies that support organizational objectives and future workforce requirements.
• Provides strategic leadership for succession planning practices, frameworks, and processes.
• Designs and implements strategies that identify, develop, and accelerate high-potential talent into future leadership roles.
• Leads the strategic design, build, and delivery of leadership development frameworks, programs, and experiences.
• Utilizes leadership talent data, workforce data and market trends to assess pipeline health and capability.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Stakeholder influence

Leadership development

Succession planning

Data-driven insights

Facilitation

Partnership building

Change management

Education

Undergraduate degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Organizational Development, Psychology, or related discipline

Job description

Overview

We have an exciting opportunity for a Lead, Leadership Programs. Reporting to the Director, Talent Strategy and Programs this role is responsible for the development, implementation, and continuous evolution of enterprise leadership talent strategies and programs. This role is located in Calgary and will operate as a trusted advisor to senior leaders and the HR team. The role leads strategic initiatives related to cross-functional mobility, succession planning and development, career progression, accelerated leadership development, and high-potential talent readiness in service of delivering on our business plan.

The role is accountable for designing and advancing integrated leadership talent practices that support the organization's current and future workforce needs. Using talent insights, workforce data, and best practices, the Senior Advisor identifies opportunities to strengthen leadership readiness, mitigate talent risks, and support business continuity. The position contributes directly to organizational talent outcomes by ensuring leadership talent strategies are aligned with organizational priorities and capable of supporting long-term growth and transformation.

Accountabilities

Organizational Leadership Strategy

Leads the development and implementation of leadership talent strategies that support organizational objectives and future workforce requirements. Identifies emerging leadership capability needs, assesses organizational readiness, and develops initiatives that strengthen how we prepare our leaders to lead through change. Partners with senior leaders and HR stakeholders to align leadership talent investments with business priorities and long-term organizational goals.

Succession Planning & Leadership Governance

Provides strategic leadership for senior leadership succession planning practices, frameworks, and processes. Monitors organizational bench strength, succession readiness, and critical role coverage while identifying opportunities for cross-functional movement, key risks and recommending mitigation strategies.

Leadership Pipeline & Talent Acceleration

Designs and implements strategies that identify, develop, and accelerate high-potential talent into future leadership roles. Oversees leadership pipeline health through the evaluation of talent flow, readiness, mobility, and development outcomes. Develops approaches that strengthen leadership depth and support the organization's ability to meet its performance objectives.

Leadership Development Programs

Leads the strategic design, build, and delivery of leadership development frameworks, programs, and experiences that build organizational leadership capability. Collaborates with training, broader talent management, HR business partners, and business leaders to establish leadership competencies, development pathways, and targeted interventions that support leader growth at all levels. Facilitates leadership programs as needed and evaluates program effectiveness and recommends enhancements to maximize business impact and participant outcomes.

Leadership Insights

Utilizes leadership talent data, workforce data and market trends to assess leadership pipeline health and organizational capability. Develops meaningful metrics, dashboards, and reporting tools that support decision-making and provide visibility into succession outcomes, leadership readiness, diversity within leadership pipelines, retention of key talent, and program effectiveness. Translates data into actionable recommendations for leaders and executives.

Stakeholder Consulting & Enterprise Influence

Acts as a trusted advisor to leaders, HR Business Partners, and executive stakeholders on matters related to leadership talent strategy, succession planning, talent development, and organizational capability. Influences decision-making through expertise, credibility, and evidence-based recommendations. Builds strong partnerships across the organization to drive alignment, adoption, and successful execution of talent initiatives.

Continuous Improvement & Innovation

Research emerging trends, leading practices, and innovative approaches in talent management, leadership development, succession planning, and workforce strategy. Recommends and implements enhancements that improve organizational effectiveness, strengthen leadership capability, and position the organization for future success.

Skills & Attributes

• Demonstrated ability to think strategically, beyond immediate talent needs and develop long-term strategies that support organizational objectives and future requirements.
• Strong understanding of organizational drivers, business priorities, headwinds, and the relationship between talent decisions and business performance.
• Ability to build credibility and influence decisions at senior leadership levels through consultation, facilitation, data, and subject matter expertise.
• Deep knowledge of leadership development, succession planning, talent reviews, career management, workforce planning, high-potential programs, and organizational capability development.
• Ability to synthesize data, talent metrics, and external trends into meaningful insights that support strategic decision-making.
• Skilled at leading complex discussions, facilitation, managing diverse stakeholder perspectives, and achieving alignment across organizational groups.
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to establish trusted partnerships across all levels of the organization.
• Demonstrated ability to challenge traditional approaches, identify opportunities for improvement, and implement innovative talent solutions.

Experience & Qualifications

• Undergraduate degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Organizational Development, Psychology, or related discipline.
• Minimum 8-10 years of progressive experience in talent management, talent strategy, leadership development, organizational effectiveness, workforce planning, or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience designing and leading enterprise-wide talent management or leadership development initiatives.
• Experience facilitating talent reviews, succession planning discussions, and leadership assessment processes with senior leaders.
• Experience developing talent strategies informed by workforce analytics, organizational priorities, and future capability requirements.
• Strong understanding of leadership development methodologies, talent identification practices, career pathing frameworks, and succession management principles.
• Experience managing complex projects involving multiple stakeholders and organizational priorities.
• Proven ability to influence strategic decisions without formal authority.
• Experience working with executive leaders and providing consultation on talent-related matters.
• Professional designation such as CPHR, CHRL, PCC, or related credentials would be considered an asset.