Senior Director of Talent Initiatives

Request for applicants | May 2023

About Global Detroit

Global Detroit is a regional economic and community development organization. We develop and implement immigrant-inclusive strategies to drive the growth, revitalization and broadly shared prosperity of Detroit and Southeast Michigan.

Cities and regions that are welcoming to immigrants are vibrant. They have strong neighborhoods, competitive companies, successful small businesses, and a rich and diverse cultural life. By intentionally including immigrants in our economic development strategies, we aim to spark growth, revitalization and sustained prosperity in Detroit and throughout Southeast Michigan. We work as trusted connectors, architects of ideas and change agents to build a high-growth, prosperous and inclusive regional economy.

Joining the Global Detroit Team

Global Detroit is a nationally recognized leader in building inclusive economic development strategies that begin with immigrant families and entrepreneurs, as well as international students and global talent, and lead to lasting change for our region. We are a group of thinkers and doers from Detroit and all over the world. We work strategically to build an equitable economy where immigrants are valued and meaningfully included. As a member of the Global Detroit team, you will have a chance to flex your creative muscles, step outside of what is expected and find new solutions to old problems. We welcome energetic and innovative thought leaders to apply!

Position Overview

The Senior Director of Talent Initiatives leads a dynamic team of individuals developing and implementing innovative strategies and programs to leverage the contributions of global talent into Michigan’s economy. Primarily these initiatives include the Global Talent Retention Initiative to connect international student graduates with unmet talent needs among Michigan’s employers and the Global Entrepreneurs in Residence (Global EIR) program to assist international students who are interested in pursuing their own startup in Michigan. The Senior Director of Talent Initiatives reports to the Executive and Managing Directors.

Responsibilities
  1. Lead the strategic direction of inclusive economic development strategies for Global Detroit’s Global Talent Initiatives, working closely with the executive team to ensure that goals within this program are producing mission critical outcomes.
    1. Help the organization to communicate the value proposition of our Global Talent Initiatives, including collecting and reporting data and stories to document impacts and outcomes.
    2. Coordinate with the executive team to improve the work, strengthen the team, and fill gaps.
  2. Supervise program managers for Global Detroit’s Global Talent Retention Initiative (GTRI) and Global EIR program by co-creating annual personal and performance goals and developing accountability measures that are tailored to the working style of each person. Establish feedback loops to ensure that the team and the organization are adapting in response to what we learn through anecdotal feedback, data and reporting. Current staffing plans include two team members working on Global EIR programs and five team members working on GTRI.
  3. Develop and manage relationships with external partners critical to the success of Global Detroit’s Global Talent Initiatives, including employers, industry groups, chambers, economic development agencies, human resources organizations, public sector agencies, as well as leaders in the state’s startup community.
  4. Work to ensure that Global Detroit’s Global Talent Initiatives are responsive, racially equitable, culturally competent and results driven, as well as structured to drive regional systems change.
  5. Identify and work with the executive team to pursue earned revenue opportunities, government contracts and grants, and philanthropic resources to support Global Talent efforts.
  6. Work with both the executive team and program staff to identify research opportunities for this work arena, as well opportunities to demonstrate thought leadership (e.g., speaking engagements, webinar presentations, white papers, blogs, etc.) and collaborate with peer organizations in other states and cities to further develop global talent initiatives within the emerging field of inclusive economic development work.
Required Skills and Experience

To fulfill this role successfully, we are looking for candidates with the following:

  • Minimum bachelor’s degree from an accredited university or college
  • Minimum five years of experience in nonprofit management, project management, international education, talent acquisition, corporate engagement or related field
  • Demonstrated success in navigating human resource departments, talent recruitment processes, hiring policies – examples might include recruitment, employer engagement, management and/or sales
  • Strong team management skills and experience with ability to motivate, coordinate and support a team of 6 or more individuals working on innovative programs
  • Strong planning, organizational and project management skills with the ability to set priorities, plan, prioritize and coordinate activities
  • Strong ability to build relationships; outgoing and engaging with great interpersonal communication skills
  • Ability to attend after hours events and travel, as needed
  • Able to make decisions, while remaining adaptable in a fast-paced and evolving workplace
  • Flexibility and openness to adjust to a fast-paced and evolving workplace
  • Self-starter, ability to multitask, and manage demands on time
  • Demonstrated commitment to diversity and able to perform in multicultural settings; exhibits cultural competency with a range of diverse stakeholders including international students, corporations, immigrants and other minorities
Desired Skills and Experience
  • Masters degree and/or experience in business environments
  • Experience with contact management software, as well as other project management software tools
  • Comfortable giving presentations and adapting messages based on the audience
  • Knowledge of Michigan corporate, business, economic development and HR communities
  • Knowledge of U.S. Immigration policy, especially employment-based visas
  • Foreign language abilities are a plus
Salary and Benefits

The Senior Director of Talent Initiatives position is a full- time (40 hours/week) salaried position. Salary will range between $75,000 and $94,000 per year, depending on experience, and will include benefits.

The Global Detroit team is currently working remotely, but this position will ultimately be based in Detroit, with the option for hybrid hours (partial office time, partial remote).

To Apply

Click here to apply. Submit a resume and cover letter explaining your interest in the position and unique qualifications. In your cover letter please indicate your earliest potential start date.

Applications will be considered on a rolling basis.

You can learn more about the Global Talent Retention Initiative at www.globaldetroitmi.org/gtri and more about Global Detroit’s Global EIR program at www.globaldetroitmi.org/geir. You also may learn more about Global EIR programs by visiting our national collaborator Global EIR’s website at www.globaleir.org.

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