Senior Director, Employee Engagement & Recognition

IMDiversity; New York (NY); On-site; USD 180,000 - 250,000; Full time

Job summary

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) is seeking a Senior Director, Employee Engagement & Recognition to lead the LEaD team and elevate the employee experience from onboarding through separation. You will design enterprise engagement frameworks and partner with HR leaders to ensure a unified approach across over 70,000 employees.

As a strategic advisor to senior leadership, you will shape culture, drive recognition programs, and integrate orientation, feedback, and lifecycle

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Arts/Sciences (BA/BS) in HR, Business Administration, Organizational Development, or related field.
• Minimum 10 years of progressive work experience in employee engagement, organizational development, or related HR leadership roles in large, complex, multi-agency or unionized environments (government or transportation sector experience strongly preferred).
• Demonstrated experience designing and executing large-scale engagement, onboarding, recognition programs and digital tools and innovative approaches to increase leader capacity to drive engagement across their teams.
• Experience supervising teams and managing enterprise level initiatives with competing priorities, consistent with challenges outlined for similar roles.

Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and develop a high performing Employee Engagement & Recognition team, set departmental goals, drive programmatic operational excellence, and manage cross agency relationships to ensure consistent service delivery while creating a professional environment
• Oversee the design, delivery, analysis and refinement of employee engagement initiatives, programs and external partnerships, day-one, 30, 60, 90 and year-one onboarding program, leadership and management toolkits, engagement and pulse check surveys, exit interview data, and recognition programs, working with People Analytics to interpret trends and drive strategic recommendations.
• Partner with leaders to design recognition programs including spot and peer-to-peer recognition, years of service recognition, performance recognition, and major annual events such as all agency appreciation programs, that are meaningful, inclusive, and aligned with ongoing development of recognition initiatives.
• Collaborate with senior leadership, HR Business Partners, and Communications to ensure employee engagement narrative and messaging resonates with both operations and non-operations staff by facilitating engagement task forces, cross functional committees, and working groups to standardize best practices across agencies.

Skills

Employee engagement strategy

Program / project design

Engagement toolkit development

Survey design & analysis

Strategic planning

Team leadership

Equity & inclusion

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

BA/BS in HR / Business / Organizational Development

10+ years in engagement leadership

Supervisory/management experience

Job description

Senior Director, Employee Engagement & Recognition

Job ID: 15612
Business Unit: MTA Headquarters
Location: New York, NY, United States
Regular/Temporary: Regular
Department: Employee Engagement& Retention

Description

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority is North America's largest transportation network, serving a population of 15.3 million people across a 5,000-square-mile travel area surrounding New York City, Long Island, southeastern New York State, and Connecticut. The MTA network comprises the nation’s largest bus fleet and more subway and commuter rail cars than all other U.S. transit systems combined. MTA strives to provide a safe and reliable commute, excellent customer service, and rewarding opportunities.

Job Summary

The Senior Director, Employee Engagement & Recognition is part of the Learning, Engagement and Development (LEaD) team as part of the People department and leads MTA‑wide efforts to elevate the employee experience throughout the full lifecycle—from onboarding through separation—by driving initiatives that foster engagement, belonging, purpose, and organizational pride. This role oversees the design and execution of enterprise engagement frameworks, including Day 1/30/60/90 onboarding, continuous feedback mechanisms, and robust engagement and recognition programs. It partners closely with HR leaders across operating and administrative divisions to ensure a consistent, unified approach to engagement.

Serving as a strategic advisor to senior leadership, the Senior Director plays a key role in shaping organizational culture and steering enterprise‑wide engagement and recognition strategies that celebrate employee contributions. The position integrates core functions—including orientation, recognition, employee feedback, and lifecycle experience—into a cohesive engagement model that enables leadership's ability to drive engagement across their teams, and fosters connection, clarity, and organizational alignment.

Working in close partnership with the People Department, senior leadership, and executive staff, this role designs and implements impactful strategies and tools that champion a workplace culture where employees feel valued, supported in their growth, and recognized for their achievements. With a focus on strengthening retention and enhancing the experience of more than 70,000 employees, the Senior Director ensures a seamless, engaging, and meaningful journey for employees at every stage of their MTA career.

Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and develop a high performing Employee Engagement & Recognition team, set departmental goals, drive programmatic operational excellence, and manage cross agency relationships to ensure consistent service delivery while creating a professional environment
• Oversee the design, delivery, analysis and refinement of employee engagement initiatives, programs and external partnerships, day-one, 30, 60, 90 and year-one onboarding program, leadership and management toolkits, engagement and pulse check surveys, exit interview data, and recognition programs, working with People Analytics to interpret trends and drive strategic recommendations.
• Partner with leaders to design recognition programs including spot and peer-to-peer recognition, years of service recognition, performance recognition, and major annual events such as all agency appreciation programs, that are meaningful, inclusive, and aligned with ongoing development of recognition initiatives.
• Collaborate with senior leadership, HR Business Partners, and Communications to ensure employee engagement narrative and messaging resonates with both operations and non-operations staff by facilitating engagement task forces, cross functional committees, and working groups to standardize best practices across agencies.

Required for All Jobs

• Performs other duties as assigned
• Complies with all policies and standards
• May be required to work hours outside regular work hours, as applicable
• Observes the work performed by contractors, as applicable
• Reviews invoices and approves them if the work has contractual standards, as applicable
• Addresses performance issues with the contractor when possible, as applicable
• Escalates issues to other parties when needed, as applicable

Required Knowledge/Skills/Abilities

• Employee engagement strategy, program / project design and management
• Oversight or development of engagement toolkits and supports
• Survey design, feedback analysis, and data-driven insight generation
• Strategic planning and organizational change
• Team leadership and influence across a multifaceted organization
• Cultural competency and commitment to equity and inclusion
• Effective communication across diverse employee groups

Required Education and Experience

A Bachelor’s Degree in Arts/Sciences (BA/BS) in Human Resources, Business Administration, Organizational Development, or related field
Minimum 10 years of progressive work experience in employee engagement, organizational development, or related HR leadership roles in large, complex, multi-agency or unionized environments (government or transportation sector experience strongly preferred). Demonstrated experience designing and executing large-scale engagement, onboarding, recognition programs and digital tools and innovative approaches to increase leader capacity to drive engagement across their teams. Experience supervising teams and managing enterprise level initiatives with competing priorities, consistent with challenges outlined for similar roles.
Minimum 5 years of supervisory / management experience

The Following is/are preferred

• Master’s degree in Arts/Sciences (MA/MS) in Organizational Development, Industrial/Organizational Psychology, Public Administration or related field
• Professional HR Certification (SHRM SCP, SHRM CP, SPHR, PHR)
• Certification in Coaching or Organizational Development

Other Information

May need to work outside of normal work hours (i.e., evenings and weekends)

Travel may be required to other MTA locations or other external sites.

According to the New York State Public Officers Law & the MTA Code of Ethics, all employees who hold a policymaking position must file an Annual Statement of Financial Disclosure (FDS) with the NYS Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government (the “Commission”).

Equal Employment Opportunity

MTA and its subsidiary and affiliated agencies are Equal Opportunity Employers, including those concerning veteran status and individuals with disabilities.

The MTA encourages qualified applicants from diverse backgrounds, experiences, and abilities, including military service members, to apply.