Senior Manager, Talent Development

Environmental Defense Fund, Inc.; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 130,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Environmental Defense Fund, Inc. seeks a Senior Manager, Talent Development to lead enterprise-wide talent and engagement strategies in a hybrid NYC-area role.

This strategic leader partners with senior executives to drive talent planning, performance management, and succession processes that support long-term goals and workforce sustainability. Responsibilities include modernizing performance practices, developing leadership pipelines, and delivering data-informed insights through dashboards

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree preferred (MBA/HR-OD).
• 8+ years in Talent Management, Organizational Development, or HR strategy.
• Experience leading enterprise-level talent and performance programs.

Responsibilities

• Design and manage performance management philosophy, processes and tools.
• Own enterprise succession planning and readiness pipelines.
• Diagnose organizational effectiveness issues and implement solutions.
• Develop leadership and team effectiveness programs.
• Lead analytics, dashboards, and reporting on talent metrics.
• Influence senior leaders and align talent strategies with business priorities.

Skills

Performance management

Organizational development

Succession planning

Leadership development

Data analysis

Stakeholder management

Facilitation

Change management

Strategic thinking

Communication

Cultural competency

Education

Bachelor's degree

MBA or Master’s in HR/OD

Tools

Workday

HR Technology

Job description

Job Title: Senior Manager, Talent Development

Department: Human Resources

Reports to: Head of Organizational Development

Location: Hybrid (great NYC area)

This position is a 2-year fixed term role

Overall Function

The Senior Manager, Talent Development is a strategic leader responsible for designing, implementing, and continuously improving enterprise-wide talent and engagement strategies. This role drives aligned, data-informed talent practices that enable business performance, leadership effectiveness, and organizational capability. Reporting to the Head of Organizational Development, this leader partners closely with senior executives, HR Business Partners, and functional leaders to ensure talent planning, performance management, and succession strategies support long-term organizational goals and workforce sustainability.

Key Responsibilities

Performance Management

• Design and manage the performance management philosophy, processes, and tools to drive a high-performance culture.
• Ensure alignment between individual goals, organizational priorities, and measurable outcomes.
• Lead modernization of performance practices (e.g., continuous feedback, goal-setting frameworks, manager capability building).

Talent Management & Succession Planning

• Own and evolve the enterprise succession planning framework, including identification of critical roles and readiness pipelines.
• Facilitate enterprise talent reviews and calibrations to ensure consistency, equity, and rigor.
• Develop strategies to strengthen leadership pipelines and accelerate high-potential talent development.

Organizational Development & Effectiveness

• Partner with HR and business leaders to diagnose organizational effectiveness issues and implement solutions.
• Design and implement leadership development and team effectiveness programs to enhance leadership capabilities.
• Serve as a key member of the employee engagement survey team.
• Lead change management efforts related to talent programs and workforce transformation initiatives.
• Drive initiatives that enhance employee engagement, accountability, and productivity.

Analytics & Insights

• Leverage engagement data to enhance organizational culture and promote employee wellbeing.
• Develop dashboards and reporting frameworks to provide leadership visibility into talent metrics (e.g., performance distribution, succession readiness, mobility).
• Use data insights to continuously refine talent strategies and programs.

Leadership

• Lead the design and execution of enterprise talent and performance management strategies aligned with business priorities.
• Build organizational capability through training, tools, and coaching for HRBPs and leaders.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to senior leaders on talent risks, bench strength, and workforce planning.

Cross-functional Influence

• Foster a culture of inclusion, accountability, and continuous improvement within the team.
• Collaborate across HR functions to ensure integrated talent solutions.
• Influence senior stakeholders and drive alignment across functions and business units.
• Participates in advancing EDF Organizational Effectiveness and Culture (OEC) Goals in which people from all backgrounds and experiences feel connected, included, and empowered to address the environmental and organizational challenges in alignment with EDF values.

Skills & Capabilities

• Deep expertise in performance management, organizational assessments, succession planning, and leadership development.
• Ability to analyze complex data and translate it into actionable insights.
• Exceptional stakeholder management and influencing skills across multiple workstreams.
• Strong facilitation and presentation skills to all levels of staff required; effective virtual facilitation strongly preferred.
• Strong change management and communication skills.
• Strong strategic thinking and business acumen.
• Ability to design and deliver pragmatic, results-oriented solutions in a fast-paced environment.
• Demonstrates self-awareness, cultural competency, and inclusivity, with a commitment to continued learning and growth to produce effective interactions with people across diverse cultures and backgrounds, including the ability to adapt to cultural change.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree (MBA or Master’s in HR/OD) preferred.
• 8+ years of progressive experience in Talent Management, Organizational Development, or HR Strategy.
• Demonstrates self-awareness, cultural competency and inclusivity, and ability to work with colleagues and stakeholders across all cultures and backgrounds.
• Proven experience leading enterprise-level talent and performance management programs.
• Proficiency with HR Technology; Workday experience a plus.
• Demonstrated ability to use reporting and data to inform decision-making.
• Experience working with and influencing senior executives.
• Interest in environmental and health advocacy.

We offer a strong total rewards package encompassing competitive salary, robust benefits, and professional development opportunities consistent with a modern global organization. We take into account factors such as candidate experience, skills, training, internal team equity and local norms. Please note that pay ranges are country specific. As a result, the stated currency is not meant be converted into any other currency.

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