Director of Talent Management

Position Overview

The Director of Talent Management is a strategic leader within the People & Culture division. This role supports the Vice President of People & Culture by developing and implementing talent strategies that strengthen recruitment, onboarding, development, engagement, and organizational culture. The DTM also serves as the first-level point of contact for employee relations matters, including union grievance intake and early-stage workplace investigations.

This position plays a central role in promoting equity, accountability, and belonging across the organization while aligning People & Culture operations with ECC's mission and values. The DTM cultivates strategic partnerships with community organizations to enhance employee well-being and professional growth, and leads comprehensive succession planning efforts to ensure organizational continuity and leadership readiness.

Key Responsibilities

Talent Strategy & Workforce Development

• Lead organization-wide talent management initiatives focused on equity, capability building, and organizational effectiveness.

• Design programs that support recruitment, development, retention, engagement, and succession planning.

• Develop and implement a comprehensive succession planning framework that identifies high-potential employees, critical roles, and leadership pipelines across all levels of the organization.

• Create individual development plans and career pathways that prepare employees for advancement and leadership roles.

• Oversee performance management systems and processes, including job descriptions, evaluations, competency models, and restorative practice elements.

Community Partnerships & Employee Support

• Build and maintain strategic partnerships with community-based organizations, social service agencies, educational institutions, and workforce development programs to address employee needs.

• Connect employees with community resources for housing assistance, financial counseling, childcare, mental health services, transportation, and other support services.

• Develop a network of community partners to provide benefits navigation, wellness programs, and professional development opportunities for staff.

• Collaborate with local organizations to create pathways for employee education, certification programs, and skill-building initiatives.

• Coordinate with community partners to offer on-site or accessible services that reduce barriers to employee well-being and job performance.

Recruitment & Onboarding

• Manage full-cycle recruitment and implement innovative sourcing strategies.

• Partner with community organizations, educational institutions, and workforce development programs to build diverse talent pipelines and identify emerging talent.

• Ensure equitable, timely, and high-quality hiring practices.

• Oversee onboarding programs that promote early success and long-term engagement.

Employee & Labor Relations

• Serve as the first point of contact for employee relations issues.

• Conduct initial grievance intake and early-stage workplace investigations.

• Provide coaching to supervisors on conflict resolution, documentation, and policy application.

• Support VP-P&C in labor relations, union partnership activities, and collective bargaining preparation.

Training, Learning & Culture Building

• Assess organizational learning needs and design training programs that support performance, engagement, and inclusion.

• Facilitate agency-wide workshops, leadership development, and culture-building initiatives.

• Design and deliver succession planning workshops and leadership development programs for employees identified as potential successors.

• Create mentorship programs that pair emerging leaders with senior staff to facilitate knowledge transfer and leadership readiness.

• Partner with external training consultants and vendors as needed.

Program Evaluation & Compliance

• Track talent and training metrics and use data to drive program improvements.

• Monitor succession planning effectiveness, including readiness assessments for critical roles and leadership bench strength.

• Evaluate community partnership outcomes and measure impact on employee retention, engagement, and well-being.

• Ensure compliance with employment laws and organizational policies.

• Stay informed on emerging HR trends and incorporate best practices into ECC's People & Culture strategy.

Education & Experience

• Bachelor's degree required; Master's degree in HR, Organizational Development, Communications, or related field preferred.
• Minimum 7 years of progressive HR experience and/or recruitment including talent management and employee relations.
• Experience working in unionized environments highly preferred.

Required Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Proven experience in talent management, employee relations, performance management, and workforce development.
• Experience conducting workplace investigations and supporting early-stage grievance resolution.
• Strong understanding of DEIB principles and experience implementing equity-centered initiatives.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, coaching, and facilitation skills.
• Ability to analyze data, problem-solve, think strategically, and manage complex projects.
• Ability to build trust and work collaboratively across all levels of the organization.

Elm City Communities/Housing Authority of New Haven (ECC/HANH) is the public housing agency serving the City of New Haven.

We serve over 6,100 families and over 14,000 individuals through our public housing, housing choice voucher and low-income housing tax credit programs. Through our affordable housing programs, residents pay no more than 30% of their income toward their housing expenses. Families are supported in reaching their life goals through a full array of supportive services that lead to increased income, entrepreneurism, education attainment, homeownership and more.

Elm City Communities is committed to expanding access to affordable housing services and to ensuring that these services are available in every community.