Regional Director of Talent - Permian Basin (Immediate Opening)

Regional Director of Talent

Role Mission: The Regional Director of Talent (RDT) will work closely with the regional Executive Director and regional leadership team to attract, engage, select and retain high quality leader, teacher, regional team, and campus support staff candidates for all openings. They will also build and manage a team of recruiters who expertly engineer the hiring, onboarding, and employee experience at IDEA. The RDT is responsible for overseeing the development of the regional recruitment strategy and managing the selection, hiring, and matriculation process for all campus & regional headquarter positions to ensure that our region has the talent IDEA requires in order to meet its yearly student achievement goals and, ultimately, 100% college matriculation. The RDT also partners with the Executive Director to articulate, define, and communicate a regional point of view regarding employee retention and organizational health.  

Location: This is a full-time on-site position based in Permian Basin (Midland/Odessa), TX, with preference given to candidates who live in the region or who are willing to relocate. 

Supervisory Responsibilities: 

• 1+ Talent Recruiters

What You’ll Do – Accountabilities:
 

Workforce Strategy

• Collaborate with senior leadership to create a comprehensive workforce strategy aligned with the organization’s goals.
• Analyze current staffing trends, turnover rates, and growth projections to inform strategic decisions.
• Work closely with finance and HR teams to understand budget allocations for staffing and talent initiatives.
• Develop and maintain accurate staffing budgets, considering salary costs, benefits, and recruitment expenses. Regularly review budget performance and adjust strategies as needed.
• Partner with regional and campus leaders to assess staffing needs based on student enrollment, program expansion, and organizational changes.
• Conduct workforce gap analyses to identify areas requiring additional talent. Collaborate with regional and national leadership to create hiring plans that align with projected needs.
• Anticipate seasonal fluctuations and plan for peak hiring periods (e.g., summer or start of the academic year).
• Identify critical roles and develop succession plans to ensure continuity.
• Assess leadership pipelines and talent development programs to address succession gaps.
• Utilize workforce analytics to track key metrics (e.g., time-to-fill, retention rates, diversity metrics).
• Regularly review data to adjust hiring strategies and address any talent gaps.
• Engage with regional and campus leaders to understand their staffing needs and challenges.
• Provide guidance on workforce planning best practices and ensure alignment with organizational goals.

Sourcing and Recruitment

• Craft a comprehensive recruitment strategy to address workforce planning analysis
• Establish and maintain strategic community partnerships with relevant organizations, colleges and universities, teacher certification programs, and other sources of prospective talent.
• Identify new pipelines for high quality talent, with a focus on hard to fill positions such as K-12 Special Education teachers, bus drivers, licensed vocational nurses (LVNs), and registered nurses (RNs).
• Coach staffing team members in field to build the capacity to attract, compel, and persuade high quality candidates to apply to IDEA  
• Schedule and plan early and ongoing hiring events, referral campaigns, and recruitment engagements
• Evaluate the health of our applicant pools based on our projected hiring need and adjust course accordingly.
• Ensure candidates receive communication from IDEA within the appropriate timelines in order to provide the best candidate experience
• Post all necessary requisitions in our Applicant Tracking System (ATS/Jobvite)

Selection and Hiring

• Effectively screen candidates for regional headquarters and all campus-based positions including verifying required credentials, determining eligibility in line with district and state policies, and assessing quality and fit
• Oversee regional operating procedures in accordance with regional, state, or federal compliance requirements (including, but not limited to Reading Academies, Dibels certification, etc.)
• Ensure the quality of candidates being sent to hiring managers meet the bar through monitoring the volume and evaluation of candidates against regional and campus non-negotiables.
• Determine regional hiring projections and weekly benchmark goals to manage hiring throughout the year.
• Engage in monthly check-ins with principals to review hiring progress. Communicate progress with senior district and regional leadership.
• Set vision and expectation for quickly filling mid-year vacancies to achieve and maintain a week over week average teacher occupancy rate of 95% or higher.
• Develop systems that enable the team to respond rapidly when vacancies arise 
• Design and implement strategies to achieve an average time-to-fil rate of 45 days or less across all full-time campus-based annual vacancies.
• Conduct annual Hiring Manager Training to ensure campus and regional leaders have the skills to select high quality talent, create positive candidate experience, and communicate job previews efficiently and effectively

Employee Experience

• Design, execute, and monitor a comprehensive staff retention strategy for the region 
• Ensure safeguards are in place so that staff are treated equitably and in alignment with our core values through the performance management process     
• Collaborate with regional leadership team to design and execute a professional development sequence for leaders at all levels to become stronger people managers 
• Execute interim surveys to gauge employee organizational health and engagement  
• Identify managers and teams who need a “health reboot” and design strategic plans to help those teams improve 
• Coach the team to execute strong check-ins aligned to ensuring optimum manager effectiveness 
• Collaborate with Executive Director on strategies to engage the regional staff and build strong regional culture
• Conduct empathy interviews, pulse checks, and retention conversations to understand the needs and career plans of regional staff members and debrief with the Executive Director
• Educate talent managers on hiring and onboarding processes including facilitating training and cascading best practices.

Team Development

• Oversee a team of one or more talent recruiters, providing clear direction, setting performance expectations, and ensuring alignment with organizational goals.
• Train, coach, and develop team members on all aspects of sourcing, recruitment, selection, hiring, onboarding, and retention.
• Regularly assess team members’ performance, provide constructive feedback, and address any performance gaps. Allocate resources effectively within the team, considering workload, priorities, and individual strengths.
• Identify growth opportunities for team members and support their professional development through training, workshops, and mentorship.
• Inspire and motivate the team to achieve recruitment targets and implement operating mechanisms to hold team accountable to high standards.
• Gather feedback from stakeholders to improve recruiter performance and adjust strategies.

 Qualifications: 

• Bachelor’s degree required; SHRM/PHR/SPHR certification preferred
• Master’s degree preferred
• At least 5 years’ experience in staffing or education required
• At least 1 years’ of experience managing 1+ direct reports to achieve results required; 2+ years’ experience managing a team and/or department preferred.
• Knowledge of basic principles and practices of talent acquisition (recruitment, selection, hiring, onboarding)
• Experience using an ATS to track recruitment metrics and progress; familiarity with Jobvite preferred
• Strong understanding of management principles and personnel supervision  
• Ability to analyze and interpret data and statistics; familiarity with PowerBi and Excel preferred
• Strong communication, public relations, and interpersonal skills  
• Ability to operate under immense pressure
• Must be willing to work some nights and weekends as required

Physical Requirements:

• Must be able to sit for extended periods of time without being able to leave the work area.
• Must be able to lift and carry or otherwise move 20 pounds (regularly/occasionally)
• Physical ability to work around small children including sitting, standing, running and climbing stairs.

 What We Offer:

 Compensation & Benefits:

Salaries for people entering this role typically fall between $94,700 and $111,300, commensurate with relevant experience and qualifications and in alignment with internal equity. This role is also eligible for performance pay based on organizational performance and goal attainment.

Additionally, we offer medical, dental, and vision plans, disability, life insurance, parenting benefits, flexible spending account options, generous vacation time, referral bonuses, professional development, and a 403(b) plan. You can find more information about our benefits at https://ideapublicschools.org/careers/benefits/.

Learn more about IDEA 

At IDEA the Staff Culture and Belonging Team uses our Core Values to promote human connection and a culture of integrity, respect, and belonging for all Team and Family members.  Learn more about our Commitment to Core Values here: https://ideapublicschools.org/our-story/#core-values