Talent Development Associate Director

Google via Media Futures Group - A little about us: 

The Media Futures Group (MFG) is a bespoke team within GroupM that delivers on our commitment to Google for a more strategic, creative and integrated media approach established to drive better business results. 

The MFG team is made up of best in class digital, offline, and integrated media experts who work together to enhance media’s contribution to Google’s business. MFG is powered by Essence, MediaCom, and other constituent parts of GroupM around the world. The MFG team operates in a seamlessly integrated way across strategy, planning, investment, creative, business sciences and analytics, data and technology. The profile of people who work in MFG are world class, committed to establishing a new high water mark in the media industry. 

MFG is committed to the growth of our people as a means to unleash the potential of Google’s business. We are invested in whole-person wellbeing, values and behaviors that reflect our mission and purpose, and providing the tools and systems needed to do the best work of your career. This is a team empowered by limitless possibilities.

About the role

The Associate Director, Learning & Experience, owns the full spectrum of learning and experience needs and solutions for MFG in their region.  The position plays a key role in developing strategy and consistency across the evolution of Essence’s cultural fabric and our people; partnering with the global Talent team and Essence Community Groups to create change; and leading programs that support inclusion, diversity, and a globally connected culture at Essence. 

The Associate Director, Learning & Experience will develop and deliver key programs and initiatives to make sure Essentials feel invested in, engaged with, and cared for.  These programs include manager effectiveness, leadership development, employee engagement, change management, onboarding, team development, and technical training for their groups.

This role will have dual reporting into the SVP, People Partner of Media Futures Group and the Americas regional Learning & Experience lead.

Some of the thing's we'd like you to do:

Business partnering & consulting

• Identify and implement innovative and relevant learning & organization development solutions, ensuring we build the skills and behaviors needed to grow Essentials and the business
• Ensure all levels of leaders across the organization have the resources and programs to support their teams’ career development and talent strategy

Training design & facilitation

• Partner with SMEs to develop leadership and technical skills training
• Deliver learning & experience programs and workshops, including our management training programs, onboarding sessions, and team-based workshops
• Build a set of well-established metrics to measure effectiveness and impact of learning solutions to guide our investment in creating a learning culture

Employee experience

• Develop insight-led strategies and approaches to create moments that matter across the employee lifecycle, ensuring global consistency and local relevance to best support Essentials and set them up for success.
• Consult, support and partner with the global Talent team to create a positive and inclusive experience across specific initiatives and touchpoints, throughout the employee lifecycle.

Change management & organization development

• Partner with members of the wider Talent team on Talent initiatives like our biannual talent mapping process, and employee engagement survey
• Support client groups on team performance and development needs

A bit about yourself:

• Experience in instructional design and facilitation of live and virtual workshops and trainings
• Media agency experience a plus
• Comfortable flexing between ideation, design, delivery and coordination of employee programs
• Embraces quantitative and qualitative data as integral to developing strategy.
• Demonstrated ability to position yourself as a trusted business partner across all levels of an organization
• Proven project manager, planner and organizer who can handle several complex projects simultaneously
• Capable and confident written and verbal communication and presentation style, with an adaptable presence
• Role model of the Essence behaviors, champion of Essential values and culture.

What you can expect from Essence

Essence’s mission is to make advertising more valuable to the world. We do this by employing the world’s very best talent to solve some of the toughest challenges of today’s digital marketing landscape. It’s important that we hire people whose values reflect those of our own: genuine, results-focused, daring and insightful. As an Essence employee, we promise you a workplace that invests in your career, cares for you and is fun and engaging. We believe these factors create a workplace where you can be yourself and do amazing work.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, colour, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, or marital status.