Director of Employee Engagement

Director Of Employee Engagement & Retention

The Director of Employee Engagement & Retention serves as the senior leader responsible for the organization's employee experience, culture, engagement, retention strategies, performance management, professional development, and people operations infrastructure. This role owns the employee lifecycle following hire, ensuring team members receive the support, development, recognition, and resources necessary to thrive and remain engaged throughout their employment.

The Director partners closely with executive leadership, operations leaders, and clinical leadership to create a high-performing culture that drives employee satisfaction, retention, performance, and organizational success. This is both a strategic leadership role and an execution-oriented role, requiring strong operational engagement, data fluency, and the ability to build scalable systems that improve employee outcomes.

Core Responsibilities

• Develop and execute a comprehensive employee engagement and retention strategy aligned with company vision, growth plans, and organizational objectives.

• Serve as a strategic advisor to the CEO and executive team regarding employee experience, culture, workforce stability, leadership development, and retention initiatives.

• Translate business goals into measurable engagement, retention, and culture-building initiatives.

• Participate in executive planning, EOS processes, and leadership decision-making.

• Champion programs that strengthen employee connection, recognition, belonging, and organizational commitment.

• Design and implement retention strategies focused on reducing turnover and improving workforce stability across all departments.

• Analyze employee feedback, turnover trends, exit interview data, engagement surveys, and retention metrics to identify opportunities for improvement.

• Develop proactive retention initiatives for critical positions, including RBTs, BCBAs, leadership, and administrative staff.

• Partner with department leaders to create action plans that improve employee satisfaction and long-term retention.

• Establish reporting and dashboards to monitor engagement, retention, turnover trends, and workforce health.

• Lead stay interview initiatives and employee listening programs to identify concerns before turnover occurs.

• Design and maintain structured onboarding programs that create a positive employee experience and accelerate integration into the organization.

• Build internal training and professional development frameworks, including leadership development pathways.

• Partner with Operations and Clinical leadership to ensure training supports quality of care, compliance, and performance excellence.

• Implement succession planning strategies and internal career growth opportunities.

• Create developmental pathways that encourage long-term employee growth and advancement within the organization.

• Own performance management systems, including goal setting, evaluations, feedback cycles, coaching, and accountability processes.

• Partner with Division Leaders to establish clear role expectations, KPIs, and accountability structures across departments.

• Drive employee engagement initiatives that support team morale, recognition, communication, and workplace culture.

• Develop strategies to reduce burnout and support employee well-being, particularly in demanding clinical environments.

• Oversee employee recognition programs that celebrate performance, tenure, and contributions.

• Promote a culture of continuous feedback, growth, and professional development.

• Partner with executive leadership and Finance to ensure compensation and rewards programs support retention and employee satisfaction.

• Evaluate compensation structures and incentive programs to maintain market competitiveness and internal equity.

• Oversee benefits strategy, enrollment, renewals, and vendor relationships.

• Regularly assess employee benefit offerings and recommend enhancements that support retention and well-being.

• Develop non-monetary recognition and reward programs that increase employee engagement.

• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws across all operating states.

• Oversee HR policies, procedures, employee relations, investigations, and documentation.

• Manage employee lifecycle compliance, credential tracking coordination, licensing support, and workforce documentation processes.

• Partner with