Senior Director, Global Talent Management and Equity, Diversity & Inclusion

SSENSE (pronounced [es-uhns]) is a global technology platform operating at the intersection of culture, community, and commerce. Headquartered in Montreal, it features a mix of established and emerging luxury brands across womenswear, menswear, kidswear, and Everything Else™.

SSENSE has garnered critical acclaim as both an e-commerce engine and a producer of cultural content, generating an average of 100 million monthly page views. Approximately 80% of its audience is between the ages of 18 to 40. It is privately held and has achieved high double digit annual growth and profitability since its inception.

Reporting to the Chief People Officer (CPO), the Senior Director, Global Talent Management and Equity, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) is responsible for developing and executing a comprehensive talent management and Diversity & Inclusion strategy, with actionable goals and long term targets, aligned to the SSENSE key people pillar of attracting, developing and retaining world class talent that will enable us to meet our ambitious growth plans both domestically and internationally. 

This individual serves as a thought leader on everything related to Talent Management and EDI. Working closely with key stakeholders (HR Business Partners, Senior Leadership, Co-Founders and Internal Communications) the incumbent will develop an integrated talent management strategy linked to the SSENSE strategic roadmap for growth. Critical elements of the road map will focus on Learning and Development, Organizational Effectiveness, Career Management, Onboarding, Performance Management, Succession Planning and EDI. 

RESPONSIBILITIES

Global Talent Management

• Establish the vision for the Talent Management function, in collaboration with the teams, and key areas of focus to support the expansion of the Company

• Design and execute innovative strategies to increase organization, team, and individual performance to improve the business’ capabilities to deliver against its goals in the areas of career development, succession planning, performance management, employee engagement, onboarding and learning and development

• Utilize metrics and reporting regarding HR programs (Employee Engagement, NPS, Participation and Adoption Rates, Turnover, Career Progression, etc.) to drive an understanding of factors that contribute to the organizational health 

• Analyze trends and metrics in partnership with the HRBP team to develop solutions, programs, and policies that contribute to increased engagement and retention

• Establish succession plans or management/executive development programs designed to identify and prepare high potential employees for key leadership roles

• Build strong partnerships across the organization to ensure alignment with existing HR programs

• Benchmark talent management approaches and build strong internal and external peer networks to develop programs that address business needs and are ahead of the curve and market

• Collaborate with HR Business Partners and Talent Attraction team to develop training materials customized to user groups 

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

• Lead the EDI task force, sponsored by our CEO and CGO, and comprised of over twenty change-agents across the business and oversee the development of our long term EDI strategy and action plan

• Work in conjunction with HR and the Communications teams to ensure that diversity and inclusion is considered and integrated into all aspects of the organization

• Develop metrics for measuring and tracking the effectiveness of EDI initiatives 

• Mobilize enterprise-wide commitment to drive talent and marketplace strategies

• Ensure our internal policies are known and guide our behaviors to create and maintain a discrimination-free workplace

• Develop, manage, and integrate all SSENSE Employee Resource Groups into the overall EDI strategy 

• Serve as subject matter expert and liaison to the HR team to develop strategic actions to attract/develop/retain diverse talent by analyzing and presenting talent demographics, monitoring data trends and developing diversity initiatives

• Provide targeted expertise in diversity and inclusion matters

• Support departments in their diversity and inclusion initiatives by introducing innovative approaches

• In partnership with the HR team, help achieve diversity recruitment and promotion targets

• Represent SSENSE within the community and industry as well as at external inclusion and diversity events

• Identify, develop and leverage diverse contact networks and third parties

People Leadership & Development

• Oversee a successful and cohesive team of Subject Matter Experts in Talent Management and ED&I

• Hold weekly one-on-ones, conduct performance reviews, analyze individual KPIs and assess promotion readiness to help each contributor evolve in their roles

• Ensure team mobilization by regularly gauging team engagement and implementing appropriate means to create a transparent, collaborative and productive work environment

• Identify current and future gaps within the team/department structure and work with Senior Leadership on resourcing plans

• Establish the short and mid term objectives for the department and ensure team's are engaged towards achieving the department's missions

• Establish team structure to ensure the scalability of the team

• Master’s degree and work-related experience in the field Human Resources/Organizational Design and/or Organizational Behaviour. Coaching certification, an asset

• Minimum 10 years of relevant experience in a senior level position

• Proven ability to coach HR community as well as senior management

• Deep experience developing, influencing and implementing measurable and scalable Talent Management and EDI strategies and action plans

• Familiarity with the Talent Management ecosystem as well as certifications in the area of of EDI 

• Demonstrated knowledge, skills, awareness of and commitment to contemporary issues of inclusion, social justice, diversity, access, and equity

• Proven track record of innovative thought leadership, creative problem solving, mobilizing and influencing as well as building effective cross-functional partnerships and innovative and cutting edge programs

• Proven ability to connect across the organization to influence and lead change in partnership with multiple senior stakeholders

• Strong track record of facilitating company-wide initiatives with multiple stakeholders, from employees to C-Level executives

• A strong and expansive network of external partners and third parties

• Strong change management capabilities, evolving current practices, policies and processes while garnering buy-in and addressing organizational readiness

• Strong French and English written and verbal communication skills

SKILLS

• Strong program management and design skills

• Data driven and analytical mindset 

• A penchant for challenging convention of how the industry typically approaches Talent Management and EDI, bringing thought-leadership and future-forward practices to elevate our business

• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously with speed and accuracy while being highly organized

• Experience in leading development programs globally or at large scale

• Experience with virtual learning platforms and crafting with eLearning

• Excellent PowerPoint, and Excel skills – ability to interpret large data sets

• Ability to manage stakeholders and build followership with strong executive presence

• A high level of discretion and ability to maintain confidentiality

• Excellent communication, facilitation, listening and presentation skills

• Bias towards action with the ability to balance the strategic and tactical elements of the role in addition to risk and reputation

• Ability to drive and achieve business objective and possesses broad business acumen

• Ability to deal directly with conflict in an unbiased and mature manner

• Demonstrated track record of proactive problem solving

• Ability to work in a fast paced environment dealing with change and continuously shifting requirements