Director, Talent - Talent Management

About the role

As the Director, Talent‑Talent Management at MERGE, you will own the execution and continuous improvement of the company’s core Talent Management programs while overseeing the operating discipline behind the broader Talent roadmap. This hands‑on role requires creating structure, anticipating risks, establishing accountability, and driving work to completion.

Responsibilities

• Own the end‑to‑end execution of performance management cycles, including planning, goal setting, talent reviews, assessments, systems, communications, training and follow‑through.
• Develop clear project plans, establish ownership and proactively manage timelines, dependencies and risks.
• Ensure leaders and employees understand Talent processes, expectations and required actions.
• Maintain and continuously improve Talent Management toolkits, workflows, templates and process documentation.
• Monitor completion, exceptions and recurring challenges, providing Talent leadership with concise reporting and recommendations.
• Own offboarding processes, including exit interviews, documentation, reporting and identification of recurring themes.
• Partner with Talent leadership to operationalize new or updated programs across the agency.
• Serve as a primary resource to managers and employees on employee relations and performance matters.
• Independently manage routine and moderately complex matters, escalating sensitive or high‑risk issues appropriately.
• Guide managers through employee concerns, documentation, coaching and performance development plans.
• Ensure matters are addressed promptly, consistently and in accordance with company practices and applicable employment requirements.
• Support workforce changes, organizational restructurings and other employee actions by coordinating required processes, documentation, communications and follow‑through.
• Maintain complete, accurate and appropriately confidential employee relations records.
• Identify recurring themes, organizational risks and gaps in manager practice, and recommend appropriate action.
• Own the integrated Talent roadmap, operating calendar and portfolio‑management cadence across Talent functions.
• Translate priorities into clear project plans with defined owners, milestones, dependencies, decisions and deadlines.
• Hold initiative owners accountable for timely execution while ensuring functional leaders retain ownership of their deliverables and outcomes.
• Proactively identify risks, resource constraints and competing priorities, escalating issues that require leadership decisions.
• Directly project‑manage priority cross‑functional initiatives as assigned.
• Provide Talent leadership with concise, regular reporting on progress, risks, decisions and next steps.
• Ensure completed initiatives are documented and effectively transitioned into ongoing operations.
• Cross‑train on payroll processes and serve as designated continuity support during planned or unexpected gaps in primary payroll coverage.
• Maintain sufficient working knowledge of payroll timelines, controls and ADP processes to provide hands‑on support when needed.
• Partner with the primary payroll owner and other internal stakeholders to ensure payroll remains accurate and on schedule during coverage periods.
• Create and maintain SOPs, controls and cross‑training plans that reduce key‑person dependency across critical Talent processes.
• Mentor junior Talent team members and reinforce a culture of accountability, accuracy, responsiveness and open communication.
• Support recurring compliance requirements, audits and reporting by maintaining documentation, tracking deadlines and driving follow‑through.
• Partner effectively across Talent, Finance, Legal, Operations and agency leadership to resolve issues and move work forward.

Requirements

• 10+ years of progressive HR experience, ideally within an agency, technology company or fast‑paced professional services environment.
• Significant hands‑on