Operations / Administration Director of Talent
Job Description
OVERVIEW OF THE POSITION
SCORE is seeking a Director of Talent to develop and implement best-practice human resource systems, policies, and initiatives to ensure SCORE attracts, develops, and retains top talent, and operates effectively and efficiently to deliver on our mission. The ideal candidate will bring deep experience and capacity in strategic thinking, human-capital thought-leadership, organizational development, change management, operational excellence, and experience deploying effective diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies.
The Director of Talent engages regularly with SCORE’s leadership team to inform, monitor, and reflect on the organization’s talent management strategy, goals, and priorities.
The Director of Talent will plan, develop, collaboratively direct, and coordinate the policies and activities related to talent management at SCORE. These efforts will include (i) ensuring SCORE is an “employer of choice” that attracts, develops, and retains highly effective staff across all levels and functions; (ii) ensuring staff develop the necessary abilities to excel in their roles and advance professionally; (iii) attracting, hiring, and onboarding high-quality talent; (iv) managing the necessary infrastructure and processes in service of the organization’s talent strategy and priorities, (v) managing SCORE culture and DEI initiatives, and (vi) managing overall human resource responsibilities at SCORE.
The ideal candidate will be passionate about people operations and talent management, not only through a process lens but also from a culture and DEI perspective. The candidate must be creative and positive with a can-do attitude. The candidate should be an excellent listener and strong, respectful communicator. This person should be team-oriented and self-motivated, with a drive to achieve results and to support others with trust and collaboration. Experience working with diverse populations, cultures, and socioeconomic backgrounds is important to us.
The Director of Talent will be flexible, open to new ideas and approaches, self-aware, and empathetic, consistently demonstrating a growth mindset and approaching their work with passion, humor, and humility. The candidate will operate from a place of gratitude with a desire to serve the SCORE team and its mission. The Director of Talent must be a relationship-builder, fostering positive working relationships with internal and external stakeholders while maintaining discretion, professionalism, and confidentiality.
The Director of Talent reports to the Chief Financial Officer and works closely with SCORE‘s leadership team and the Director of Operations. This position is part of the finance and operations team and does not have any direct reports.
ABOUT SCORE
“The progress that our students have made in recent years is inspiring — there is no doubt that they are capable of achieving at high levels and leading Tennessee into a bright future. While education stakeholders are already working together in exciting ways in Tennessee, it is our responsibility to redouble our innovative efforts to ensure that we are supporting our students to truly excel and thrive. The future of our state depends on it.”
– Senator Bill Frist, Chairman and Founder, SCORE
Tennessee has been making significant progress in advancing a bold education reform plan over the last decade and is now a leader in the nation in dramatically improving student achievement. Tennessee is among the fastest improving states for student achievement according to the Nation’s Report Card.
While Tennessee has made significant gains, there is much still to do — in public K-12 education, in college and career readiness, and in postsecondary completion. The State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE) plays a critical role in advancing student achievement, aligning K-12 and postsecondary, and ensuring that all students can achieve career and life success. We work to monitor statewide progress in support of a prioritized agenda that drives collaboration across the state on policy while generating proof points and providing targeted support for implementation across the state.
SCORE is an independent, nonprofit, and nonpartisan organization founded by former US Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist and is dedicated to the goal that all students can achieve success in college, career, and life. SCORE supports student success in public schools across Tennessee by ensuring all schools and systems meet high expectations; preparing, recruiting, supporting, and retaining excellent teachers and leaders; and aligning K-12 and college with career and life success.
SCORE is based at Vanderbilt University’s John Seigenthaler Center. This role is eligible for hybrid work with the expectation of 15-20 hours per week in the office and the balance remote. For more information on SCORE, please visit www.tnscore.org.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Charged with leading talent management operations and championing SCORE’s culture and DEI efforts, the Director of Talent:
Talent Recruitment
- Leads all aspects of new talent recruiting and sets goals and priorities for candidate sourcing while proactively seeking a diverse pool of candidates for full- and part-time positions
- Collaborates with hiring managers to develop the appropriate job description and selection criteria aligned with the organization’s core values
- Coaches and supports hiring managers to select excellent candidates
- Leads onboarding plan for new team members in collaboration with the hiring manager and SCORE’s payroll partner Oasis HR
- Ensures talent strategy is supportive of SCORE’s diversity, equity, and inclusion goals
- Supports SCORE’s CFO and leadership team to champion talent as an organizational key priority
Talent Development
- Manages SCORE’s performance evaluation system and determines areas for improvement
- Works collaboratively with supervisors and leadership team to identify opportunities for team member professional development
- Plans activities to celebrate employee contributions in collaboration with the operations team
- Supports leadership team to improve employee engagement and satisfaction over time
Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion
- In collaboration with the leadership team and the DEI Working Group, supports the development of SCORE’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion strategy
- Leads and develops programs in support of advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion
- Serves as a mentor, coach, and consultant to team members, department leaders and colleagues, and other partners in support of advancing DEI
Talent Operations And Systems
- Supports the Director of Operations and Chief Financial Officer in managing HR compliance with federal, state, and local employment laws and regulations, and recommended best practices; reviews and modifies policies and practices to maintain compliance
- Works closely with Oasis HR (payroll and HR vendor)
- Manages and evaluates staff benefits programs
- Manages staff exit interviews and makes recommendations based on feedback
- Carries out special projects at the direction of the Chief Financial Officer
CANDIDATE REQUIREMENTS
- A bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional and life experience
- At least seven to ten years of experience in talent management, recruiting, and/or managing DEI programs
- Demonstrated success in strengthening organizations through culture
- Adept at implementing talent management operational needs and requirements
- Experience successfully developing, motivating, and coaching professional staff
- Strategic thinker and effective implementor in the areas of project management and change management
- A proven track record of leading in a highly collaborative work environment
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
- Ability to adapt to the needs of the organization and employees
- Proficiency with, or the ability to quickly learn, the organization’s human resources information systems and talent management systems
- Experience working in the nonprofit or philanthropic sectors is preferred
SCORE is committed to providing opportunities for professional growth by providing team members with feedback and opportunities to grow in their work.
COMPENSATION
SCORE offers a competitive salary commensurate with experience.
BENEFITS
SCORE deeply values team members and their well-being and is proud to offer a comprehensive benefits plan. All full-time SCORE employees are eligible for benefits, including:
- Medical insurance, including access to a high-quality network with SCORE paying for most medical coverage costs; dental insurance options; vision insurance options; employer-paid disability, life insurance, and EAP benefits; access to Flexible Savings Account (FSA) and Health Savings Account (HSA) benefits.
- Eligibility for participation in a 401K program with employer match after one year of service.
- Paid parental leave time, including paternity, maternity, and adoption leave, available after six months of service.
- Paid time off, holiday office closures, and paid floating holidays.
- Free on-site parking.
COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY & INCLUSION
At SCORE, we are committed to creating a workplace where all team members bring their whole selves to work and thrive both personally and professionally. We deeply value collaboration, optimism, excellence, and innovation in our student-centered work and in how we work together and support each other as a team. We also believe that it is important for our team to reflect the rich diversity of students in Tennessee, and that we intentionally create space for diverse viewpoints to meaningfully contribute to our work.
SCORE is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants are considered for all roles without regard to race, color, religion, gender, pregnancy, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, genetic information, or any other legally protected characteristic or status.
