Talent Development and Engagement Specialist

ucumberlands; Williamsburg (KY); On-site; USD 52,000 - 72,000; Full time

Job summary

University of the Cumberlands seeks a Talent Development and Engagement Specialist to guide onboarding, learning and development, performance management, and employee recognition aligned with our Serve, Elevate, and Innovate core values.

The role partners with HR leadership to design onboarding resources, supervisor training, leadership development, and succession planning while fostering a collaborative, service-focused employee experience.

Responsibilities

• Onboarding Program Development: Design, evaluate, and improve the University-wide onboarding program for new staff in partnership with HR leadership.
• Learning and Development: Develop and maintain annual training plans and supervisor development programs.
• Performance Management: Administer annual performance evaluations and train staff on goal setting and feedback.
• Employee Engagement and Recognition: Develop recognition programs and conduct engagement surveys to improve retention.
• Career Development and Internal Growth: Map career paths, promote internal mobility, and support development planning.
• Recruitment and Hiring: Coordinate full-cycle recruitment for staff positions and partner with hiring managers to optimize search processes.

Job description

Get Set for Cumberlands!

Join our team of student-focused individuals working together in order to encourage intellectual and spiritual growth, leadership and service.

The Talent Development and Engagement Specialist supports and coordinates the University's efforts to attract, welcome, develop, and retain employees. The position manages staff recruitment, coordinates employee and supervisor development, administers the performance evaluation program, and develops employee recognition, engagement, and career development initiatives. The Specialist works closely with supervisors and University leadership to strengthen the employee experience and build practical programs that reflect the University's core values of Serve, Elevate, and Innovate. This includes providing responsive and service-minded support, helping employees and supervisors contribute to an exceptional student experience, and continually looking for better ways to recruit, develop, recognize, and retain employees.

Essential Responsibilities

Onboarding Program Development and Employee Experience

Help design, evaluate, and improve the University-wide onboarding program for new staff employees in partnership with the HR Generalist and Executive Vice President for Human Resources.

Develop and maintain onboarding resources, supervisor checklists, and 30/60/90-day tools that help new employees understand the University, their role, workplace expectations, and how core values should be reflected in their work.

Partner with the HR colleagues to evaluate the onboarding experience and recommend improvements.

Develop practical follow-up tools and feedback methods for new employees and supervisors during the first several months of employment, and use the results to improve the onboarding program.

Learning and Development

Develop and maintain an annual employee and supervisor training plan based on institutional needs and feedback from leaders and employees, with particular attention to service, the employee and student experience, leadership effectiveness, and continuous improvement.

Create and coordinate supervisor development programs covering topics such as hiring, onboarding, communication, coaching, documentation, performance management, employee recognition, conflict resolution and difficult conversations.

Coordinate leadership and professional development opportunities for employees at different career stages.

Identify appropriate internal and external training resources and facilitate programs as needed.

Maintain training materials and participation records and evaluate whether programs are meeting their intended purpose.

Partner with subject matter experts to coordinate required employment-related training.

Performance Management

Administer the annual performance evaluation process, including the calendar, communications, forms or system workflow, and completion tracking.

Train supervisors and employees on goal setting, constructive feedback, effective evaluations, and development planning, including meaningful ways to connect performance expectations to core values and strategic initiatives.

Review the performance management process regularly and recommend improvements that make evaluations more useful and consistent.

Partner with the HR Generalist on situations involving significant performance concerns, corrective action, or performance improvement plans.

Employee Engagement and Recognition

Develop and coordinate employee recognition and appreciation programs, including service recognition and meaningful recognition of employees who demonstrate Serve, Elevate, and Innovate in their work.

Coordinate employee engagement surveys, pulse surveys, stay interviews, or other listening efforts as appropriate.

Analyze feedback and workforce trends and work with leaders to identify practical actions that improve engagement and retention.

Career Development and Internal Growth

Help develop career paths, job families, and career development resources that provide employees a clearer understanding of opportunities for growth and encourage continued learning, adaptability, and innovation.

Promote internal mobility and help supervisors identify development opportunities for employees.

Support individual development planning, mentoring, cross-training, and other career development efforts.

Assist HR leadership with succession planning and development strategies for critical positions and future leaders.

Recruitment and Hiring

Coordinate full-cycle recruitment for staff positions, from posting through accepted offer.

Partner with hiring managers to review position needs, develop job postings, identify recruiting sources, and establish an effective search process that reflects the University's commitment to service and a positive candidate experience.

Maintain the applicant tracking process and provide timely, professional c