About this role
Position Summary:
Targeted position start date 01/04/2027
The Director of Talent & Culture is a senior institutional leader responsible for ensuring that the Buffalo AKG has the people, culture, organizational structures, and workplace practices necessary to fulfill its mission and ambitions.
The Director of T&C leads the museum's people strategy, organizational development, talent management, employee and labor relations, compensation and benefits, professional development, human resources operations, and assists in the facilitation and c ommunication of institutional priorities and objectives, including Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Accessibility (IDEA) goals.
The Director of Talent & Culture will help cultivate a workplace characterized by high performance, transparency, accountability, curiosity, collaboration, inclusion, adaptability, and respect, while ensuring that the museum's employment practices are equitable, sustainable, legally compliant, and aligned with institutional values. The Directorof T&C serves as a strategic advisor to museum leadership and a trusted resource for employees across the organization.
The Director of Talent & Culture reports to the Executive Director, works in partnership with the Artistic Director, and is a member of the museums Leadership Team.
Core Responsibilities
- Develops and manages the museums Talent & Culture operations.
- Establishes and implements departmental accountabilities and best practices for talent acquisition, staffing, employment processing, performance management, compensation, health and welfare benefits, training and development.
- Collaborates with the Leadership Team and the Director of Strategy and Operations to implement and refine the museums strategic plan, ensuring that staff is familiar with the plan and that individual and departmental workflows are aligned with the museums strategic priorities.
- Develops and advances a museum-wide culture strategy that strengthens accountability, collaboration, adaptability, trust, and employee engagement, and ensures that institutional values are reflected in everyday management practices and workplace behaviors. Conceptualizes and leads the organization of staff-wide holidays and celebrations.
- Helps ensure that priorities set by the Board of Directors, Director, and Leadership Team are communicated, understood and implemented within the organization.
- Strengthens management and leadership capability throughout the museum by providing coaching, tools, training, and guidance to supervisors and by fostering consistent and effective approaches to feedback, performance management, conflict resolution, and employee development.
- Develops a comprehensive approach to talent development and succession planning, identifying critical capabilities and future leadership needs and creating meaningful opportunities for professional growth and advancement within the museum.
- Together with Director, members of the Board of Directors, Leadership Team members, and the Inclusive Culture Team, coordinates the museums IDEA process, programs and initiatives, ensuring the integration of IDEA in all aspects of museum operations. Evaluates progress towards the museums IDEA programs and services against goals established by the Board of Directors and Director, proposing changes and updates as needed.
- Sets a tone for positive relations with unionized departments and union representatives. Leads or coordinates collective bargaining preparation and negotiations in partnership with executive leadership and labor counsel; oversees interpretation and administration of the collective bargaining agreement; and advises managers on grievances, workplace issues, and effective management within a unionized environment.
- Pursues productive labor-management relationships between bargaining cycles by establishing effective channels for communication, identifying shared interests, and addressing emerging concerns while safeguarding the museums operational flexibility, financial sustainability, and management responsibilities.
- Develops, recommends, implements and communicates personnel policies and procedures; prepares and maintains handbook of policies and procedures.
- Evaluates and updates all employee job descriptions in collaboration with managers as necessary; makes comparative analyses of market data locally, as well as in the museums sector nationally and regionally.
- With the Finance Department, reviews compensation and benefits programs, conducts periodic salary surveys and other research as needed to assist with development of staff salary budget.
- In collaboration with the Directors and Leadership Team, coordinates recruitment, staffing and onboarding effort for all exempt and nonexempt personnel. Identifies and secures recruitment channels, conducts new employee orientations; monitors career pathing program, employee relations counseling, outplacement counseling, and exit interviewing.
- Works with Directors to plan and implement changes, when applicable, to the museums staff structures.
- Ensures compliance with applicable local, state and federal employment laws and regulations, recommending applications, modifications, and best practices for museum.
- Handles employee complaints (harassment, discrimination, etc.) and conflicts, effectively managing difficult discussions and situations in an impartial manner.
- Conducts research and analysis of industry trends and attends external seminars and conferences to maintain knowledge, trends and best practices in Human Resources.
- With the Manager of Talent & Culture, establishes and maintains personnel records and reports.
- Participates in Board, Leadership Team, and All Staff, attending other meetings as required.
- Performs other incidental and related duties as required and assigned.
Qualifications
- Bachelors degree plus a minimum of seven (7) years or progressive Human Resources experience, including senior leadership and people management OR comparable experience.
- Experience in nonprofit sector strongly preferred
- Professional HR Certification preferred
- Demonstrated ability to work with the utmost integrity and confidentiality.
- Excellent written, verbal and interpersonal communication skills with the ability to interact effectively with staff, leadership, board and professional partners.
- Strong critical thinking and problem solving skills.
- Ability to effectively adapt to, negotiate and lead change.
- Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
- Strong relationship building skills with the ability to work collaboratively with others and effectively resolve conflicts.
- Thorough knowledge of Federal and State HR laws and regulations.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite.