Join our Team as Head of Talent Operations

A Start-Up Within a Legacy Movement.
For more than 160 years, Boys & Girls Clubs have transformed the lives of young people. Today, we are building something new that matches the scale of that mission: BGC Academy.  The “Academy” model will put forth a new service delivery support mechanism that will enable local organizations and the national organization to accelerate our mission to all young people while retaining our core commitment that no child will ever be turned away due to cost. Boys & Girls Club “Academy” is a key component of our Future Ready strategy, an innovative step forward to expand our reach, deepen our impact and bring the Club Experience to more young people nationwide.

We are looking for a Head of Talent Operations who thrives where vision meets execution. Someone who can take an idea from whiteboard to pilot to full-scale rollout. Someone who lives for the build, sees possibility everywhere, and understands the power of a high-quality people experience in transforming an entire ecosystem.

The Role

Under the limited direction of the Principal Executive, the Head of Talent Operations will design, launch, and operationalize the full People & Talent Development strategy for BGC Academy. You will architect the programs, systems, and learning pathways that enable local organizations to hire, onboard, and develop a high-performing workforce, quickly, consistently, and at scale.

This role is ideal for a leader who is as comfortable building strategy as they are rolling up their sleeves to develop training tools, onboarding systems, playbooks, and implementation plans. You will help shape the Academy’s culture, operational identity, and value proposition from the ground up.

Who You Are

Top Core Competencies

You will thrive here if you naturally bring:

• End-to-end talent development expertise: You deeply understand how to design, build, and deliver onboarding and continuous learning programs, ideally for a distributed workforce.
• Instructional design mastery: You can create engaging, scalable learning experiences, virtual, in-person, and blended, without relying on consultants.
• Entrepreneurial execution: You move quickly from strategy to prototype to implementation, iterating fast and with precision.
• Organizational builder mindset: You know how to build the processes, systems, and tools that bring order to ambiguity and set a new organization up for long-term success.
• Influence & collaboration: You partner exceptionally well with executives, local leaders, and field-facing teams, balancing innovation with practicality.

Must-Have Qualifications (Non-Negotiables)

• Deep experience leading large-scale talent development efforts.
• Strong background in instructional design.
• Proven ability to design and execute onboarding and learning structures without heavy administrative support.
• Experience building scalable systems that accelerate hiring, onboarding, and skill development across multiple locations.

Deal Breakers

We will not be a good match if you:

• Require heavy administrative support or consultants to build deliverables.
• Prefer maintenance over creation.
• Thrive in static or highly structured environments.

Ideal Background

• Nonprofit, education, out-of-school time, youth development, or fee-based childcare providers.
• Open to for-profit candidates who have built learning, training, or talent systems from scratch.

Years of Experience

• 8+ years of progressive leadership in talent development, HR, education, or organizational development.

What Makes This Opportunity Exciting

• Build a new enterprise from the ground up. You will shape the systems, standards, and workforce development model that BGC Academy becomes known for.
• Start-up energy, national impact. You get the agility and creativity of a start-up with the mission and reach of a national movement.
• Create visible, meaningful change quickly. Local organizations will feel the impact of your work almost immediately, your programs will help them hire, onboard, and develop a large workforce.
• High visibility. This role works closely with the Principal Executive, BGC Academy leadership, local CEOs, and BGCA field-facing teams.
• The chance to innovate boldly.

First-Year Priorities

In the first 6-12 months, your focus will be to:

• Establish the value proposition for BGC Academy’s talent development program.
• Design the onboarding, training, and workforce readiness model for pilot organizations.
• Build the tools, playbooks, learning pathways, and resources needed for consistent execution.
• Partner closely with executives to define the Academy’s talent identity and standards.
• Deliver solutions that are high-quality, scalable, and trusted by local organizations.

Success will be measured by:

• The number of local organizations participating in the pilot.
• Their satisfaction and adoption of Academy tools and programs.
• The quality, consistency, and effectiveness of the training and development programs you build.

Success in this role will depend on your ability to:

• Execute with excellence.
• Create innovative delivery methods.
• Understand and respond to the needs of local Clubs.
• Build structures that scale quickly without compromising quality.

Essential Functions

Talent Strategy, Culture & Organizational Development

• Lead the development and implementation of BGC Academy’s People & Talent Development strategy.
• Build a culture of continuous learning, growth, and professional excellence.
• Partner with executives to align talent development with mission and organizational goals.
• Ensure strong alignment with BGCA field-facing teams to maintain consistency and shared best practices.
• Champion an environment of inclusion, safety, and accountability.

Recruitment, Hiring & Onboarding

• Develop scalable hiring and onboarding systems for a multi-site, high-growth workforce.
• Create tools, processes, and resources that drive consistent and high-quality hiring practices.
• Partner with executives and local CEOs to assess talent needs in pilot and future markets.
• Build recruitment and onboarding playbooks that accelerate readiness and performance.

Learning, Training & Professional Development

• Design and deliver high-impact learning programs across leadership, safety, operational excellence, and youth development.
• Partner with National Training Initiative (NTI) on scalable training solutions.
• Conduct needs assessments and address skill gaps with targeted learning interventions.
• Develop role-specific learning pathways, modules, and toolkits.

Performance Management, Data & Continuous Improvement

• Design and operationalize the Academy’s performance management and accountability systems.
• Use data, analytics, and feedback to inform decisions and drive continuous improvement.
• Ensure compliance, governance, and fidelity to Academy standards.

Consultation & Partnership

• Serve as a strategic advisor on workforce planning, culture, and organizational design.
• Partner across BGCA departments to align systems and leverage shared resources.
• Build trusted, collaborative relationships across key stakeholders and local organizations.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Deep understanding of nonprofit management and community-based organizations.
• Experience launching new organizations or leading expansions.
• Exceptional project management and facilitation skills.
• Strong instructional design and training delivery expertise.
• Ability to analyze data, evaluate feasibility, and make strategic recommendations.
• Excellent written/verbal communication and relationship-building skills.
• Comfort operating in ambiguity and fast-paced, entrepreneurial environments.

Education & Experience

• Required: Bachelor’s degree in business, public administration, nonprofit management, education, or related field.
• Preferred: Master’s degree in business, education, public policy, or related field.
• 8+ years of progressive experience in nonprofit, education, or community-based sectors.
• Proven success in building talent systems, establishing governance, and launching new operational structures.