Director of Talent Development and Culture

Director Of Talent Development & Culture

The Henry Ford is a nonprofit organization, an internationally recognized cultural destination, and a one-of-a-kind workplace. The Henry Ford provides unique educational experiences based on authentic objects, stories, and lives from America's traditions of ingenuity, resourcefulness and innovation. Our purpose is to inspire people to learn from these traditions to help shape a better future. Our team is inspired daily by one another as well as the authentic stories of innovation that we share across our four venues.

We want you to be part of this legacy and take it forward and that aligns with our core values of being Welcoming, Curious, Authentic, and Passionate.

The Director of Talent Development & Culture provides strategic leadership for enterprise learning, employee communications, and engagement initiatives that strengthen culture, support leadership capacity, and enhance organizational performance. Using data interpretation, AI fluency, judgment and organizational diagnosis, this role develops and executes talent development and culture strategies, learning programs and measurement practices that create consistent employee experience that align with institutional priorities.

Reporting to the Vice President of Talent & Culture/Chief Talent Officer and serving as a member of the Senior Management Team, the Director is a strategic partner on employee experience, leadership effectiveness, and workforce trends. The role proactively identifies and elevates organizational themes, risks, and opportunities to support informed decision-making, organizational alignment, and a high-performing culture.

Essential Responsibilities

Engagement & Culture

• Leads engagement programs that support employee development and create a sense of belonging across the organization.
• Directs the content, execution, communications, planning and logistics of the annual employee conference in collaboration with the President, Vice President of Talent & Culture, and Senior Director of Media to design the theme and experience of the "Connections" conference.
• Leads, plans and hosts quarterly All-Staff and Leadership Management Team meetings in collaboration with senior leaders to ensure alignment of institutional goals and priorities.
• Leads formal recognition programs that celebrate employee contributions and milestones, including Service Award Recognition and other internal and external award programs.
• Leads the design, planning, execution, and communication of employee activities such as team-building, celebratory gatherings, and community volunteerism.
• Works closely with the Vice President of Talent & Culture and Director of Human Resources to analyze employee survey and feedback data and recommends and implements programs and practices that improve the employee experience.

• Leads and collaborates with senior leaders and key partners to align staff messaging, communication channels, cadence, and culture-focused content that informs, engages and connects employees to institutional priorities.
• Serves as Editor of "THF Connections," the staff newsletter, setting editorial standards and ensuring timely collection, review, and publication of content for the weekly newsletter.

Talent Development

• Establishes and oversees the organization's professional development framework, ensuring development plans, manager support, and learning resources align with workforce and organizational priorities by leveraging emerging technologies to scale high-quality learning experiences and development opportunities.
• Uses learning technologies, analytics and AI-enabled tools to evaluate learning effectiveness, identify capability gaps and inform talent development priorities.
• Facilitates, sponsors, or oversees learning experiences for all levels of the organization, advancing leadership capability, inclusion, and a culture of continuous learning.
• Uses data, metrics, and feedback to evaluate learning effectiveness, identify trends, measure organizational impact, and drive continuous improvement.

Team Leadership & Operations

• Manages and develops a team of professionals; sets clear goals, establishes priorities, coaches…