Company:

Cox Enterprises

Job Family Group:

People Solutions

Job Profile:

Director, HR Solutions

Management Level:

Director

Travel %:

Yes, 15% of the time

Work Shift:

Day (United States of America)

Job Description:

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC) is seeking a Director of People Strategy & Operations to build and drive our talent strategy that enables us to meet our ambitious growth goals as one team. This is a new role, and we are looking for an eager builder steeped in experience with digital transformations, who is ready to jump in and meet the organization where it is; to establish excellent strategies and lead the People Solutions team in executing operational efficiencies. Leveraging connections and best practices within the CEI People Org, The Director of People Strategy & Operations will lead the People Solutions team in bringing best-in-class practices and innovative & tested ideas, to deliver quick, effective, and relevant solutions. In addition, the team will identify and address the unique needs of the AJC, working with CEI People Solutions leadership to create flexible and value-additive solutions.

This is a senior role that enables leadership to establish and evolve our workforce in line with the ambitious strategic direction for the AJC. This role lives at the intersection of all teams and is responsible for understanding how the work of teams affects other teams. This role establishes the processes and mechanisms to unlock the full potential of each employee and every team to maximum effect. This is a highly visible role that will interface with leadership across the AJC and CEI and must constantly represent the excellence of The AJC to the company.

The Work

• Talent Strategy. This position will guide the AJC leadership team to establish a shared vision and multi-year talent strategy with consideration for the full employee experience, organizational design, operating models, leadership, development, and more. This role will need to bring a great degree of thought and nuance to this effort as they consider the unique process of digital transformation. In addition, they will guide the AJC leadership team to establish 6-month talent goals to enable organizational OKRs and drive efforts to achieve incremental goals.
• Employee Engagement Strategy. This role will lead the creation of a culture and engagement strategy, in support of our talent strategy, leveraging industry best practices. The strategy should include critical components of Inclusion, Diversity and Equity as well as recognition, engagement, information sharing and development. This role will establish a team of formal and informal reports to execute, evaluate and iterate the culture and engagement strategy with excellence.
• Workforce Planning. This role will set a framework for workforce planning that is iterative and flexible, guiding leaders to evaluate work, identify needs and staff with agility while maximizing resources. Resources include FTEs, contractors, vendors, and freelancers. This leader will establish the framework, process, discipline, and mentality across the organization. This effort is at the heart of our ability to transform and thrive as a digital subscription business.
• Operating Model and Workflows. This role will partner with our external consultant on iterative operating models and workflows for both functional and cross functional teams. This work is constant as the organization moves through a rapid digital transformation that requires agility from every aspect of the business. Establishing this work requires deep partnership and trust of teams and leaders at all levels. This role will support and coach teams as they transform.
• Leadership & Employee Development . This role will set a vision for leadership & employee development that includes skills needed by all leaders as well as a framework for IDPs for L1 and L2 leaders. This role will support the planning and execution of monthly forums for leaders, designed to grow knowledge of the business and transformation as well as to establish and develop a thriving leadership team. This role will set a vision for employee development that includes skills needed by all employees with an emphasis on skillsets critical to digital transformation. This role will leverage AJC resources, Cox resources and external resources to address development needs.
• Employee Communications and Information Sharing. This position will be responsible for employee communications and will advise on when and how we share information as a critical component of an overall people and engagement strategy. This role will take the lead in telling the story of the employee journey and share details about engagement-based activities. In addition, the role will guide how we share business information, company updates and more to keep employees updated and engaged.
• Team and People Solutions Operations: Reporting into the Sr. Director of People Solutions for Growth Businesses at CEI, this role will lead a team of 1-2 HRBP’s and Manager of Employee Engagement. This role will guide the People Solutions team on day-to-day work and leverage internal CEI People Solution’s partnerships to continually enhance the operational vigor of The AJC while maintaining a laser focus on the long-term vision and strategy.

Skillset Needed

• Strategic thinking
• Empathy and EQ
• Influence
• Mature operator
• Project management
• Proven ability to effectively balance short term and long term needs
• Excels in strategy and execution
• Agility
• Flexible thinking
• Resourceful
• Impeccable written and verbal communications
• Proactively identifies problems and poses solutions
• Evaluation of multiple solutions to any challenge
• Ability to lead without authority
• The ability to establish partnerships with business leaders and colleagues, as well as credibility with executive leaders as a trusted advisor and confidante.
• The ability to leverage HR expertise and operations knowledge to bring relevant solutions to business challenges
  

Required Experience

• A bachelor’s degree in HR, OD, or related discipline
• 10 + years progressive experience in HR disciplines with a strategic focus. The right candidate could also have a different combination, such as a master's degree and 8 years’ experience; a Ph.D. and 5 years’ experience in a related field; or 14 years’ experience in a related field
• At least 5 years of experience in a management or leadership role
• Experience leading and implementing a talent strategy
• Experience working with, coaching, and influencing senior leaders to drive significant change
• Experience leading workforce planning in a transforming environment
• Experience iterating operating models
• Experience building development plans
• Experience leading culture and engagement efforts with inclusion, diversity, and equity at the heart of those efforts
• Competence in making timely, effective, and principles-based decisions
• Demonstrated ability to operate with agility and to implement ways of working that allow the organization to operate with agility
• Demonstrated advanced client focus, judgment, analytical skills, critical thinking, and communication skills (verbal, written, presentation and interpersonal)
• Project Management or Program Management
• Success working within a matrixed organization
  

Ideal Experience

• Working knowledge of all functions in a digital organization: namely, product development, content, revenue, growth marketing, brand marketing, communications, and data & analytics
• Working knowledge of the news industry
• Working knowledge of digital subscription products

About Us:

As our primary divisions Cox Automotive and Cox Communications drive new waves of innovation, Cox Enterprises is entering spaces like cleantech, healthcare, esports and more. We're a family business guided by a legacy of bold innovation that’s driven by those who want to make their mark. Benefits of working at Cox may include health care insurance (medical, dental, vision), retirement planning (401(k)), and paid days off (sick leave, parental leave, flexible vacation/wellness days, and/or PTO). For more details on what benefits you may be offered, visit our benefits page. Cox is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer – All qualified applicants/employees will receive consideration for employment without regard to that individual’s age, race, color, religion or creed, national origin or ancestry, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, physical or mental disability, veteran status, genetic information, ethnicity, citizenship, or any other characteristic protected by law. Cox provides reasonable accommodations when requested by a qualified applicant or employee with disability, unless such accommodations would cause an undue hardship.