Senior Vice President of Talent Management and Development (American Dental Education Association) - Nonprofit HR

Seeking a vibrant and skillful HR leader committed to excellence in talent management and strategy.

As The Voice of Oral Health Education®, the American Dental Education Association (ADEA) plays a critical role in shaping the future of oral health education and research.  As such, ADEA works closely with its constituents to develop a well-prepared and an inclusive oral health workforce with the aim of improving the health of all persons and communities. Our members include the 80 U.S. and Canadian dental schools, 800 plus allied/advanced dental education and residency programs, and more than 60 corporate partners. 

Representing 65,000 students, faculty, staff, residents, fellows, and administrators throughout the academic oral health professions, ADEA also advances innovation, academic and clinical research, leadership development (faculty, staff, and student), and enhances oral health through programming, advocacy, and by driving policy. With a staff of approximately 80 talented individuals, ADEA’s work encompasses a wide range of activities that focus on knowledge, research, and instructional expansion. The Association also leads efforts to foster clinical inquiry and transformative, agile change to meet the current and future needs of a rapidly changing oral health education community and the health care professions.

Through its eLearning series, conferences, meetings, collaborations, and publications such as the peer-reviewed Journal of Dental Education, ADEA further fosters linkages and connections among a diverse group of international and national partners. The linkages and connections further allow ADEA and its stakeholders to leverage their collective strength to impact and improve not only the public health of communities but the overall health of individuals. We also offer the oral health education application services ADEA AADSAS^®, ADEA PASS^®, ADEA DHCAS^® and ADEA CAAPID^®. 

Learn more about ADEA at adea.org.

ABOUT THE ROLE AND POSITION

The Senior Vice President of Talent Management and Development  (SVP TMD) at ADEA is a dynamic, solutions-focused, and strategic leader responsible for shaping and guiding the human resource and talent management/development  function. This key position also  assists ADEA staff and leadership in supporting an inclusive, mission-driven, and humanistic culture so that the Association can enhance the employee experience and fulfill its strategic goals.

ADEA seeks an experienced human resource and talent management/development leader who has high emotional and cultural intelligence and understands the importance of fostering a culture that values people and innovation. This leader is highly skilled at navigating nuanced areas with sound judgment and ensuring a compliant and safe environment for all employees and members. The SVP TMD directs and guides ADEA’s full employment lifecycle, including recruiting and sourcing the best talent, exiting the Association such as retirement, as well as maintaining effective programs for onboarding, retention, and promotion. This position currently supervises one direct report, a Senior Director, reports to the Chief Operating Officer and Chief of Staff (COO/COS) and serves as a trusted advisor and strategic partner to ADEA’s senior leadership, including the ADEA President and CEO (P&CEO).

The successful SVP TMD is adept in leading with empathy, maintains an open-door policy for employees and supervisors, champions professionalism and an inclusive workplace that supports employees feeling valued and fosters employee belonging. The SVP TMD is also comfortable being hands-on as needed, exercising compassionate-firmness, and engaging in difficult but respectful conversations with a wide-range of constituencies to ensure compliance and foster employee well-being.

This role requires a forward-thinking professional that can advise on data-driven decisions. The SVP TMD must also be adaptable and able to lead high-tech human resource operations will also developing high-touch relationships with a diverse group of leaders and constituents. The ADEA SVP TMD is a strong big-picture strategic thinker and advises senior leadership on opportunities, while also advising on talent management issues to drive positive Association business results. Additionally, the SVP TMD takes a posture of listening but is also solutions-focused and uses best practices to advance quality improvement and a culture that enhances staff accountability and continuous innovation to meet member needs. This position contributes significantly to the growth and retention of ADEA staff and in ensuring that ADEA remains a top destination for talented professionals who want to make a difference in oral education, health care, postsecondary education, and/or the academic health professions.

Key Responsibilities:

• Strategic Leadership & Talent Management: Collaborates with the ADEA senior  leadership team to support its long-term mission and strategic objectives through effective talent management and development. Keeps abreast of Association employment, human resources best practices, and trends to advise leadership and staff.  Provides strategic direction and guidance related to current and evolving human resources functions. Works collaboratively with senior leaders and staff to implement impactful solutions in such areas as employee wellness and enhancing employee management/leadership development and upskilling. Oversees talent strategies related to recruitment, performance management, and employee engagement.  Develops appropriate marketing strategies, defines roles and responsibilities of hiring team, and develops service-level agreements to ensure an effective and efficient recruitment lifecycle. Advises the ADEA senior leadership team, including the COO/COS and P&CEO, on issues such as succession planning, organizational structure, compensation, promotions, benefits, and wellness programming to build and retain a high-performing, inclusive workforce.
• Compensation, Benefits, & Employee Value Proposition: Designs analyses, manages external consultants, and collaborates with the ADEA Senior Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and COO/COS to ensure that ADEA’s compensation, benefits, and incentive programs remain competitive and equitable to retain and attract top talent. Regularly benchmarks compensation levels in conjunction with external consultants against market trends to ensure ADEA remains competitive. Leads initiatives that foster a positive employee experience, ensuring alignment between strategic goals, and team/individual skills and professional development, while also  promoting personal and career growth.
• Employee Relations & Performance Management: Provides direction and serves as a coach and resource to staff and supervisors on all employee relations and performance issues. Develops and reviews employee performance policies and processes in conjunction with ADEA senior leaders. Manages complex employee issues with a goal of fostering individual and collective professional growth, inter/intra departmental and staff solutions,  and effective inter/intra departmental communications.  Advises staff, supervisors, and senior leadership regarding the employee-related informal and formal ADEA complaint policies and processes. Consistent with ADEA policies and applicable DC, federal, and other laws, conducts objective and thorough employment and/or other  investigations as needed and directed by the COO/COS or P&CEO. Seeks employee feedback through surveys, focus groups, and exit interviews, and uses data to drive continuous improvement initiatives, and advise senior leadership on employee programming and policies.
• Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) Initiatives: Partners with ADEA’s Senior Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusive Learning,  the ADEA Access, Diversity, and Inclusion (ADI) team, and COO/COS to promote an inclusive, mission-driven, culturally-responsive, and humanistic work environment. Drives DEIB initiatives that align with ADEA’s values and strategic priorities. Supports wellness and an equitable, diverse, and welcoming workplace that fosters positive cross-staff and cross-departmental/divisional collaboration and engagement.
• Compliance & Risk Management:  Collaborates with business partners, ADEA staff overseeing areas which intersect with human resources, and external legal counsel to ensure compliance with legal standards and employment-related matters. Updates ADEA policies and practices to ensure compliance with all applicable DC, federal, and other employment, regulatory, and labor laws. Implements related best practices as needed and provides recommendations to ensure ADEA’s compliance. Leads initiatives regarding workplace safety, workers’ compensation, employment-related insurance, employee regulatory requirements, and ensures training for ADEA staff, supervisors, and other applicable ADEA stakeholders on these topics as needed. Manages immigration processes such as H1B visas and other employee-related compliance  matters. Keeps ADEA senior leadership abreast of best practices and changes to applicable employment laws and regulations and advises on recommendation and impact.
• Executive Compensation & Retirement Plan Administration: Administers the 403(b) retirement plan in collaboration with the Senior CFO, ensuring compliance with all regulations, audits, and filings. Serves as a liaison and engages with designated external compensation consultants to advise and provide recommendations on executive compensation and salary benchmarking studies to the ADEA Board of Directors Finance Committee, Senior CFO, COO/COS, and P&CEO. Collaborates with the ADEA Immediate Past-Chair of the Board of Directors, COO/COS, Senior CFO, and designated external consultants regarding the annual P&CEO evaluation survey, self-evaluation, and compensation review to ensure that the evaluation is conducted consistent with ADEA policy.
• HR Operations & Technology Integration: Directs and evaluates ADEA human resources processes and policies and partners with the ADEA Information Technology team to assess technology needs and provide recommendations to improve operational efficiency and ensure compliance with applicable employment and related laws, regulations, and support best practices. Oversees human resources operations and works closely with the ADEA facilities team, IT, Senior CFO, COO/COS, and P&CEO in developing, designing, and managing employee spaces to support efficient operations, communication, workflow, and interactions.
• Leadership & Team Development: Provides direct leadership to the ADEA Senior Director of Human Resources, offering constructive feedback, coaching, and fostering the individual’s professional growth. Supervises temporary employees and/or consultants assigned by the COO/COS to work with human resources. Leads and implements professional development and training to enhance leadership and teammate interactions, improve staff communication and innovation, advance employee wellness, promote ongoing organizational efficiency, and help achieve ADEA’s strategic and functional goals while mitigating risk for the Association. Builds strong human resources and talent management and development operations that are agile, responsive, data-driven, and that align with the Association’s strategic priorities and policies. Partners with the ADEA senior leadership and staff to develop, assess, and plan programs which foster an inclusive, mission-driven, accountable culture, while also promoting individual and team upskilling, collaborations, and effective communication to ensure ADEA meets its goals.

The SVP TMD is a compelling opportunity for a human resources professional who thrives working in a mission-driven environment with dedicated Association staff and members, seeking to make a tangible impact by assisting and positioning schools and programs in their efforts to produce an inclusive future-ready oral health workforce. The SVP TMD will play a major role in supporting ADEA staff engagement, inclusion, development, and growth. The individual in this position will also serve as a trusted advisor in ensuring ADEA is a great place to work and lead the future of oral health education.

ABOUT THE IDEAL CANDIDATE

The ideal candidate for the SVP TMD role will be a seasoned human resources leader with a proven track record of strategic human resource planning, negotiating, facilitating, developing, and leading complex related functions. The incoming SVP TMD must have strong operational expertise and skill in resolving complex employee issues. Additionally, this leader will have significant experience and excel as a proactive change agent, collaborator, and coach. In working with the ADEA staff and senior leadership, the SVP TMD effectively utilizes consultative strategies to gather input and support staff training, organizational transformation, and innovation. The SVP TMD has the experience, knowledge, and skills to align talent strategies with the Association’s goals. The ideal candidate is adaptable and has demonstrated leadership and excellent communication, presentation, and people skills, as well as the ability to build and foster strong trusting relationships, influence leaders, use negotiation skills and develop solutions to achieve results. Experience and the ability to advise leaders on how to successfully lead people through change is essential. ADEA seeks an accomplished human resource leader with a knowledge of industry best practices and employment regulations to drive talent initiatives. Additionally, we are searching for a highly accomplished professional with solid business acumen, exceptional discernment, and communication skills, and preferably someone who has successfully navigated the nuanced membership association environment.

Education & Certifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field is required; Master’s or law degree is highly preferred.
• Professional certification such as SPHR or SHRM-SCP is strongly preferred.

Experience & Expertise

• A minimum of 12 years of human resources management experience or 10 years with a graduate degree.
• Experience in strategic HR management and talent management in a nonprofit association environment is highly preferred.
• Proven experience in human resources leadership roles, including managing teams, coaching supervisors, and resolving complex employee relations issues.
• Demonstrated knowledge of human resources operations, including total rewards programs, employee engagement strategies, professional development, compensation, benefits, performance management, and employee relations.
• Familiarity with HRIS systems and the ability to effectively learn new software and related employee information technology, with a preference for Paycom; experience with and proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint), Adobe Acrobat, and Zoom/Teams.

Key Skills & Attributes

• Strategic & Operational Balance: Ability to operate at both strategic and operational levels, providing short-term and long-term HR direction while managing day-to-day operational functions.
• Business Acumen: Strong understanding of the business drivers in a mid-sized association and the ability to align human resources and talent strategy to support the Association’s goals and mission.
• Leadership & Supervisory Skills: Proven track record of supporting and fostering inclusive cultures,  successfully managing, coaching, and leading diverse teams, and providing leadership regarding human resources best practices.
• Communication and Conflict Resolution Skills: Excellent written and verbal communication skills, solid conflict resolution, ability to effectively advise, give presentations, and interact with executive leadership, staff, and other stakeholders.
• Project Management: Strong organizational skills and project/program management capabilities, with experience in handling multiple initiatives concurrently in a fast-paced environment.
• Change Management: Demonstrated evidence of working successfully with senior leaders and staff to advance innovation and grow talent to support transformation and change to fulfill the organization’s mission and strategic priorities.

Compliance & Legal Expertise

• Thorough knowledge of employment-related laws and regulations, with experience handling employment-related immigration processes (H1B, Green Card).
• Demonstrated experience working effectively with applicable employment (DC, state, federal) and other legal standards related to but not limited to wages, overtime, work hours, workers’/unemployment compensation, FMLA, Paid Leave, Paid Safe & Sick Time, and disability related accommodations.
• Strong knowledge of civil rights, EEO, and other workplace compliance programs, including significant experience in managing, leading, conducting, and overseeing informal and formal complaint programs, procedures, and investigations.
• Experience with 403(b) retirement plan administration, working with internal and external stakeholders to ensure compliance and effective management.

Personal Qualities

• Analytical & Problem-Solving: Strong attention to detail with ability to analyze and present data to make evidence-based human resource decisions and recommendations; and solid ability to resolve and analyze complex employee and human resource problems, forward-thinking solutions, and decision-making skills.
• Interpersonal Skills: Diplomatic, inclusive leadership style, strong emotional and cultural intelligence with strong conflict resolution skills and the ability to work effectively with internal and external constituents such as members, business partners, affiliated associations, and government officials.
• Confidentiality: Demonstrates the ability to handle sensitive information with discretion and maintain confidentiality.
• Adaptability: Agile and willing to learn new technologies and processes as needed to improve human resource functions.

Work Requirements

• Ability to travel to member meetings and events, including some weekends and evenings.
• Ability to work at ADEA’s Washington, DC office on a hybrid basis (currently three days per week in the office on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays; and Mondays and Tuesdays working at a location within the DC Metropolitan area).

APPLICATION PROCESS

For consideration, interested candidates will submit the following: a completed application, a resume (Word or PDF), and a letter addressing your specific interest, experience, and alignment to ADEA’s mission and the qualifications of the position. Applications will be accepted through December 13, 2025.

To obtain further details or inquire about this opportunity, please reach out to Danisha Martin, Senior Consultant, Search, of Impact Search Advisors by Nonprofit HR at danisham@nonprofithr.com.

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging

Nonprofit HR is committed to fostering and maintaining a work environment where diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are fully integrated into everything we do for the benefit of our employees and the clients that we serve. To fully realize our goal, we prioritize our understanding of the complexities of DEI within our workforce to inform our approach to talent management. We believe that this guides how we do our work, advise our clients to operationalize DEI and position our content and educational opportunities help strengthen the talent management capacity of the social impact sector.

Continue reading our about our commitment at nonprofithr.com/deinow.

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