Director, Employee Experience

Harvard Business School Publishing Corporation; Town of Brighton (NY); On-site; USD 150,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Harvard Business Publishing seeks a strategic, people-centered Director, Employee Experience to elevate the employee journey across the organization. You will lead the HR COE focused on internal communications, culture and talent strategies, reporting to the CHRO.

In this global role, you’ll shape onboarding, learning, succession planning, and performance practices, collaborating with senior leaders to align people initiatives with business goals and foster an engaging, inclusive workplace.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of broad, progressive Human Resources experience with success in internal communications, engagement, culture, talent development and performance.
• 5+ years of people leadership experience.
• Experience developing enterprise internal communications strategies and employee engagement programs.
• Proven ability to advise and influence senior executives on people, organizational, communication, and culture matters.

Responsibilities

• Oversee HR’s communications strategy and execution to strengthen transparency, alignment, trust, and employee engagement.
• Lead employee experience strategy across onboarding, development, recognition, engagement, and culture initiatives.
• Partner with leaders to define and activate cultural attributes that support HBP’s mission and priorities.
• Lead talent philosophy and management strategy fostering learning, growth, and leadership development.
• Collaborate with HR COEs to maintain competency frameworks and drive performance management improvements.

Skills

Employee engagement

Internal communications

Culture development

Talent development

Learning & training

Leadership

Strategic thinking

Stakeholder management

People analytics

Change management

Job description

Harvard Business Publishing (HBP) – the leading destination for innovative management thinking. We reach lifelong learners to improve the practice of management in a changing world. This mission inspires each of us to unlock the leader in everyone – including you! The opportunity: We are seeking a strategic, innovative, and people-centered leader to shape and elevate the employee experience across the organization. Reporting to the CHRO, the Director, Employee Experience will lead the HR Center of Excellence (COE) focused on 1) internal communications, 2) culture, community and inclusion initiatives, and 3) talent strategies and organization development. This role shapes the experiences that define what it feels like to work at HBP globally. By integrating employee experience, culture, communications, and talent strategies, this leader will strengthen employee engagement, organizational capability, and business performance while helping employees feel informed, connected, valued, and empowered to do their best work. As a member of the HR Leadership Team, this role will partner closely with the other HR COE leads (i.e., Talent Acquisition, Total Rewards, HR Business Partners, and Facilities), along with other senior leaders, to translate business priorities into people strategies that build organizational health, leadership effectiveness, and a thriving workplace culture.

What You’ll Do

Internal Communications

Oversee HR’s communications strategy and execution to strengthen transparency, alignment, trust, and employee engagement.

Strengthen HBP's employee value proposition and employer brand through authentic and impactful employee-facing communications.

Partner with leaders to integrate and reinforce organizational priorities, business strategies, and change initiatives withing HR communications to ensure clear, compelling employee communications and engagement plans.

Develop and execute an enterprise-wide internal communications strategy and approach to strengthen transparency, alignment, trust, and employee engagement.

Employee Experience, Community & Culture

Lead HBP's employee experience strategy across key employee lifecycle moments, including onboarding, development, recognition, engagement, community participation, and career growth.

Provide strategic leadership for employee community programs, events, and experiences that foster connection, belonging, collaboration, and inclusion across the organization.

Partner with leaders to define, evolve, and activate cultural attributes that support HBP's mission, values, and strategic priorities.

Lead HBP’s employee engagement efforts, including tracking key indicators and translate insights into action plans that improve the employee experience.

Learning, Growth, & Talent Development

Lead the design and execution of HBP's talent philosophy and talent management strategy that fosters continuous learning, growth, and development.

Partner with leaders to identify capability gaps and develop scalable learning solutions that address organizational needs and strengthen employee, manager, and leadership capabilities.

Oversee enterprise talent review processes, succession planning, and development planning.

Collaborate with HR COEs to develop and maintain enterprise competency frameworks that support employee growth, performance, and leadership expectations.

Performance Management & Goal Setting

Partner with senior leaders on developing and tracking group/department goals to align with business needs and corporate goals each fiscal year.

Establish and maintain goal-setting frameworks that align individual goals with group/department and organizational priorities.

Provide strategic leadership for HBP's performance management processes; leading the evolution of practices, tools, and manager capability-building efforts.

Ensure performance and development processes are fair, consistent, and aligned with organizational values and business objectives.

What You’ll Bring

10+ years of broad, progressive Human Resources experience, with demonstrated success in overseeing internal communications, employee engagement, culture-building initiatives, talent development, learning, and performance management.

5+ years of people leadership experience, including responsibility for developing and leading high-performing teams.

Experience developing enterprise internal communications strategies and employee engagement programs.

Demonstrated success strengthening organizational culture, leadership capability, and employee engagement during periods of change and transformation.

Experience modernizing performance management, learning, and employee experience practices.

Proven ability to advise and influence senior executives on people, organizational, communication, and culture-related matters.

Strong business acumen with the ability to connect people strategies to organizational outcomes and business performance.

Demonstrated ability to lead complex, cross-functional enterprise initiatives and drive organizational adoption and influence others.

Experience leveraging workforce data, employee feedback, and organizational metrics to inform decisions and measure impact.

Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to communicate complex organizational topics with clarity, authenticity, and influence.

What we offer

As a mission‑driven global company, Harvard Business Publishing is committed to fostering a culture of inclusion, trust, and engagement where everyone is welcome, valued, respected, and feels they belong. In addition to a competitive compensation and benefits package, we offer meaningful programs focused on career development and employee wellness, such as education reimbursement and early‑release Summer Fridays! HBP 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, gender identity, sexual orientation, pregnancy and pregnancy‑related conditions, or any other characteristic protected by law.

$150,000-170,000 Above is the annualized pay range for this position. In addition, this position includes the opportunity to earn our annual Performance Based Variable Pay Program. Actual salary will be set based upon a range of factors, including external benchmark market data, individual knowledge, skills, experience, location and internal equity.

We connect striving leaders with innovative ideas, practical tools, and plenty of inspiration. Our team puts new practices and ideas in the hands of leaders so they can be better every day. People engage with us through our books, articles, case studies, learning programs, leadership development, digital tools, podcasts, videos, and more. Every day, we reach thousands of organizations and millions of professionals, educators, students, and followers across the globe. Get to Know Us Three businesses. One team. Enterprise or market group role, you’ll collaborate on a broad scale. Harvard Business Publishing Corporate Learning Harvard Business Publishing Education Harvard Business Review Group We are a global, dynamic organization with a culture that is anchored in high standards, integrity, and respect for all. Our vision is a future where everyone recognizes, values, and leverages diversity and inclusivity— in all forms—to create and nourish work environments where all employees can thrive, and we benefit from the power of difference. We are constantly discovering—new markets, new technologies, and media platforms, new groundbreaking ideas. At Harvard Business Publishing, our people are intellectually curious and excited about their work. Explore our benefits and more.