Executive Director, Leadership, Talent & Organizational Development (Hybrid) - Human Resources

Washington University

United States

On-site

USD 150,000 - 230,000

Full time

5 days ago

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Job summary

Washington University in St. Louis seeks an Executive Director of Leadership, Talent and Organizational Development to lead organizational development, leadership development, and talent strategies across the university.

This senior role partners with Cabinet and deans to diagnose needs, design solutions, and drive performance improvements. The Executive Director will integrate OD and leadership development functions, manage budgets, mentor teams, and shape culture across a complex university

Qualifications

Requires Master’s degree in Organization Development, HR, Leadership, Business, Psychology, Education or related field.
Ten years in organization development, leadership development, talent management, succession planning, change management or HR.
Seven years in leadership development, facilitation, coaching or related work.
Experience leading large-scale change in complex, decentralized environments.
Experience with leadership, team, and organizational assessments.
Experience consulting with senior leaders to diagnose needs and propose solutions.

Responsibilities

Provide strategic leadership for OD, leadership development, talent management and change initiatives.
Consult with senior leaders to diagnose needs and design targeted solutions.
Lead assessment design and interpretation to guide change and performance improvement.
Develop leadership pipelines, succession planning and new leader assimilation processes.
Deliver confidential coaching and customized interventions for senior and mid-level leaders.
Oversee organizational design, operating model effectiveness and culture change initiatives.
Track success metrics and drive continuous improvement across OD programs.

Skills

Organization Development

Leadership Development

Talent Management

Succession Planning

Change Management

Executive Coaching

Education

Master’s degree in Organization Development or related field

Tools

Qualtrics

Microsoft Office

Assessment Tools

Job description

Location

Location SAINT LOUIS, MO 63130 Scheduled Hours 40

Position Summary

Washington University in St. Louis (WashU), a global leader in research, teaching, patient care, and innovation, seeks an accomplished and strategic leader to serve as Executive Director, Leadership, Talent and Organizational Development (Executive Director). This newly expanded role reports to the Associate Vice Chancellor for Development and Organizational Effectiveness within Human Resources and serves as the university's senior-most expert responsible for organizational development, leadership development, talent management, succession planning, organizational design, executive coaching, and enterprise change initiatives. The Executive Director leads the integration of the university's Organizational Development and Leadership & Management Development functions, working to provide integrated and proven solutions. The Executive Director serves as a strategic partner to senior leaders across the institution, including Cabinet members, University Council, Deans, Chairs, and other key stakeholders to identify organizational opportunities and design customized solutions that optimize team and leadership effectiveness, strengthen talent, and accelerate organizational performance.

Primary Duties & Responsibilities

Provides strategic leadership for the university’s organization development, leadership development, talent management, succession planning, organizational design, and change management strategies. Consults independently with senior leaders, including Cabinet, Council, Deans, Chairs, school leaders, department leaders, and managers, to assess, diagnose, design, and implement individual, group, team, and organization-wide solutions that improve performance. Applies existing assessments or designs custom qualitative and quantitative assessments to analyze individual, team, leadership, and organizational behavior. Interprets results and recommends practical strategies for change, improvement, and sustained effectiveness. Leads talent management and succession planning strategies that identify organizational talent needs, strengthen leadership pipelines, support readiness planning, and align talent decisions with institutional priorities. Defines and deploys processes such as performance management, succession planning, leadership development planning, talent review support, and new leader assimilation. Provides confidential one-on-one leadership and managerial coaching, with or without assessment, to department, division, school, and institutional leaders to strengthen leadership effectiveness and performance. Leads advanced leadership and manager development strategies, including senior leader development, leadership coaching, assessment-based development, and customized interventions that strengthen leadership effectiveness. Leads the design and delivery of large-scale organization development, talent management, leadership development, manager effectiveness, succession planning, and change management solutions. Provides senior-level consultation on organizational design, operating model effectiveness, leadership transitions, team effectiveness, culture interventions, and complex organizational challenges. Provides customized team and leadership interventions for complex team dynamics, senior team effectiveness, organizational performance challenges, and change-related team issues. Leads targeted culture assessments and interventions when culture is a barrier to leadership effectiveness, organizational performance, change adoption, or team effectiveness. Works closely with institutional leaders, HR leadership, HR Business Partners, Learning and Development, Employee Relations, and other HR Centers of Excellence to integrate organization development, talent management, leadership development, succession planning, and change strategies into broader workforce and organizational plans. Tracks success metrics and uses data, evaluation, and continuous improvement to expand the reach, effectiveness, and impact of OD and leadership development offerings. Manages budgets, resources, external consultant relationships, vendor partnerships, and priorities for the Organization Development and Leadership and Management Development portfolios. Performs leadership and managerial duties for the Leadership, Talent & Organizational Development team, including performance management, hiring, selection, prioritization, workload management, development, and resource alignment. Determines focus areas for consultants and aligns resources to support the university’s most critical organizational, leadership, talent, succession, and change priorities. Partners with the Assistant Vice Chancellor, Learning, Culture & Team Development to ensure leadership development, organization development, talent management, succession planning, and change initiatives are supported by scalable learning solutions, staff development resources, culture tools, and consistent development practices.

Working Conditions

Job Location/Working Conditions Normal office environment Physical Effort Typically sitting at desk or table Repetitive wrist, hand or finger movement Equipment Office equipment The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by people assigned to this classification. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all job duties performed by the personnel so classified. Management reserves the right to revise or amend duties at any time.

Required Qualifications

Master’s degree in Organization Development, Human Resources, Leadership Development, Business, Psychology, Education, or a related field.
Ten (10) years of experience in organization development, leadership development, talent management, succession planning, change management, human resources, or a related field in a complex organization.
Seven (7) years of experience in leadership development, management development, facilitation, learning, coaching, or development-related work.
Experience implementing large-scale change initiatives in complex, decentralized, or matrixed environments.
Significant experience leveraging leadership, team, organizational, and personal assessment tools and instruments.
Experience consulting with senior leaders to diagnose organizational needs and recommend actionable solutions.
Experience leading complex projects, managing multiple priorities, and working across organizational boundaries.
Demonstrated ability to lead teams, manage resources, and deliver results in a complex organization.

More About This Job Required Qualifications

Master’s degree in Organization Development, Human Resources, Leadership Development, Business, Psychology, Education, or a related field.
Ten (10) years of experience in organization development, leadership development, talent management, succession planning, change management, human resources, or a related field in a complex organization.
Seven (7) years of experience in leadership development, management development, facilitation, learning, coaching, or development-related work.
Experience implementing large-scale change initiatives in complex, decentralized, or matrixed environments.
Significant experience leveraging leadership, team, organizational, and personal assessment tools and instruments.
Experience consulting with senior leaders to diagnose organizational needs and recommend actionable solutions.
Experience leading complex projects, managing multiple priorities, and working across organizational boundaries.
Demonstrated ability to lead teams, manage resources, and deliver results in a complex organization.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience in higher education, healthcare, academic medicine, or another complex mission-driven organization.
External consulting experience is highly desired.
Experience effectively interacting with, advising, and challenging leaders and managers across the leadership continuum, from senior executives to front-line managers.
Experience with survey design, administration, analysis, reporting, and results interpretation.
Experience leading organizational design, succession planning, performance management, leadership development planning, talent reviews, or executive coaching initiatives.
Experience managing budgets, external consultant relationships, contracts, and OD or leadership development vendors.
Certifications in organization design, executive coaching, facilitation, leadership development tools, change management, succession planning, or assessment instruments.
Preferred Qualifications Education: No additional education unless stated elsewhere in the job posting.
Certifications/Professional Licenses: Certified DiSC Trainer - DiSCprofiles, Hogan 360 - Hogan, MBTI Certified - Myers-Briggs Company, Professional Certified Coach (PCC) - ICF Credentials and Standards, Senior Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP) - Society for Human Resource Management.
Work Experience: No additional work experience unless stated elsewhere in the job posting.
Skills: Adult Learning Principles, Analytical Thinking, Change Management, Communication, Confidentiality, Data Analysis, Deadline Management, Facilitation, Group Presentations, Human Resources (HR), Interpersonal Communication, Leadership, Leadership Training and Development, Matrix Management, Microsoft Office, Organizational Assessment, Organizational Development (OD), Persuasion, Qualtrics Survey Software, Relationship Building, Social Influence, Sound Judgment, Talent Management Grade G00 Questions For frequently asked questions about the application process, please refer to our External Applicant FAQ.

Accommodation

If you are unable to use our online application system and would like an accommodation, please email CandidateQuestions@wustl.edu or call the dedicated accommodation inquiry number at 314-935-1149 and leave a voicemail with the nature of your request. All qualified individuals must be able to perform the essential functions of the position satisfactorily and, if requested, reasonable accommodations will be made to enable employees with disabilities to perform the essential functions of their job, absent undue hardship.

Pre-Employment Screening

All external candidates receiving an offer for employment will be required to submit to pre-employment screening for this position. The screenings will include criminal background check and, as applicable for the position, other background checks, drug screen, an employment and education or licensure/certification verification, physical examination, certain vaccinations and/or governmental registry checks. All offers are contingent upon successful completion of required screening.

Benefits Statement

Washington University in St. Louis is committed to providing a comprehensive and competitive benefits package to our employees. Benefits eligibility is subject to employment status, full-time equivalent (FTE) workload, and weekly standard hours. Please visit our website at https://hr.wustl.edu/benefits/ to view a summary of benefits.

EEO Statement

Washington University in St. Louis is committed to the principles and practices of equal employment opportunity. It is the University’s policy to provide equal opportunity and access to persons in all job titles without regard to race, ethnicity, color, national origin, citizenship (where prohibited by federal law), age, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, protected veteran status, or genetic information.

About the University

Washington University in St. Louis' collective success is significantly attributed to the passion and outstanding efforts of our community. Our staff, faculty and trainees are committed to excellence and dedicated to carrying out our missions of research, teaching and patient care. WashU prides itself on being a place where people matter, and serious work is done. Our people work together in an inclusive community that celebrates diverse perspectives, collaboration and innovation. We are a community of individuals inspired to work together to develop big ideas and tackle challenging problems. We value the well-being of our people. WashU strives to create a positive employee experience where staff, faculty and trainees thrive, both personally and professionally. Our employees find meaning, connection and vitality in their work and life with a healthy work-life balance and support to learn, grow and make an impact at WashU, the community and the world.

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