Director of Leadership and Talent Development

Lutheran Social Services of Illinois (LSSI), is a leading not-for-profit organization providing healing, justice and wholeness to people and communities. For over 150 years, LSSI has made a difference in the lives of children and families, and we're still a strong, viable presence in the State of Illinois, continuing that commitment to making a difference.

LSSI is hiring a full-time Director of Leadership and Talent Development, Monday through Friday from 9:00am to 5:00pm. Responsible for providing strategic direction and thought leadership to cultivate a high-performing, values-aligned workforce across all levels of the organization. Also responsible for designing, building, integrating, and executing developmental strategies that empower employees to live their best lives while delivering impact to those we serve.

Benefits And Perks

LSSI is growing! Come be a part of this rewarding environment, and enjoy the knowledge that you’re helping make a positive difference in the lives of others, as well as these career advantages:

• On Demand Flexible Paydays for earned wages through an app called Dayforce Wallet.
• Competitive salary based upon relevant education, experience, and licensure.
• Salary $85,000-$110,000/Annually.
• Opportunity for advancement.
• Comprehensive benefits package for Full-time employees includes healthcare insurance, up to 26 days of paid time off per calendar year, 11 paid holidays, sick time, 403(b) plan, Employee Assistance Program, and flexible hours.
• The paid training you need to learn, grow, and succeed!
  
  

Essential Functions

• Design and implement an integrated leadership and talent development strategy aligned with the organization's mission of healing, justice, and wholeness, and rooted in the GenCare philosophy.
• Establish a cohesive development architecture grounded in core leader expectations and competencies, including Clifton Strengths and Q12 engagement methodologies.
• Drive talent initiatives that reflect LSSI core values of Compassion, Respect, Integrity, Excellence, and Service, and advance a culture of engagement, dignity, and belonging (EDB).
• Provide direct supervision, training, support, review, and evaluation for assigned staff.
• Provide strategic oversight, direction, and integration across leadership and talent development portfolios to ensure alignment and excellence.
• Lead the design, implementation, and evaluation of leadership programming at all levels (emerging, mid-level, senior, and executive).
• Promote inclusive leadership practices that foster engagement, voice, psychological safety, and strengths-based team dynamics.
• Implement tools such as 360 assessments, Clifton Strengths, peer coaching, and leadership circles to support growth and accountability.
• Oversee organizational learning initiatives that support career pathways, onboarding, role mastery, and ongoing capability development.
• Ensure that training content and delivery reflect adult learning principles, digital accessibility, and EDB best practices.
• Advance a learning ecosystem that supports the personal and professional flourishing of team members in alignment with GenCare.
• Embed Gallup Q12 engagement principles into leader development and team-level improvement strategies.
• Align learning and leadership development with performance expectations and feedback loops that are strengths-based, developmental, and compassionate.
• Lead annual talent reviews to identify and support high-potential talent across all functions.
• Establish succession planning frameworks that ensure readiness and continuity for mission-critical roles.
• Develop individualized growth plans and experiential opportunities to accelerate leadership capacity and equity in advancement.
• Establish learning and leadership KPIs; monitor progress through dashboards and Gallup tools.
• Use data and feedback to inform strategy, assess program efficacy, and identify gaps or opportunities.
• Stay current on trends, research, and innovations in learning, leadership, cultural responsiveness, and engagement.
• Demonstrate professional, positive behavior and carry out responsibilities with integrity, treating clients, families, other LSSI workforce members, and collaborative organizations and/or individual in a dignified, respectful, honest and fair manner.
  
  

Position Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in organizational development, Human Resources, Education, Psychology, or related field required.
• Master’s degree preferred.
• Minimum of ten (10) years of progressive experience in leadership development, learning & development, or talent management roles required.
• Minimum of three (3) years of managerial/supervisory experience required with demonstrated ability to inspire, coach, and mentor others.
• Demonstrated experience applying the Gallup Clifton Strengths framework, Q12 employee engagement tools, and succession planning strategies required.
• Experience with adult learning, leadership theory, instructional design, and team coaching required.
• Demonstrated experience building trust, delivering meaningful recognition, and fostering development required.
• Culturally responsive and inclusive mindset, with a demonstrated ability to build belonging and advance inclusive learning environments required.
• Experience making data-driven decisions, organizational consulting, and systems thinking required.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate in a clear, comprehensible manner, both verbally and in writing.
• Excellent organization, presentation and pc/computer skills, including experience using Microsoft Office (Outlook, Teams, Word, Excel, PowerPoint) along with other related software.
• Background check clearance required.
• Valid driver’s license, in good standing for the state of residency preferred.
• Access to reliable transportation preferred.
• Valid IL statutory minimum liability insurance coverage, bodily injury and property damage preferred.
  
  

We are an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, sexual orientation, protected veteran status, pregnancy, any other characteristic protected by law.