Director, Talent - Talent Management

At MERGE, we are Built Different . We are a marketing and technology agency purpose-built for the intersection of health and wellness—where human impact matters most. By weaving storytelling through technology, we move beyond traditional engagement to Whole Human Marketing. This approach recognizes that humans are multidimensional and complex, and uses AI to ensure every brand interaction feels natural, contextual, and relevant. This commitment to human-first innovation is what brings us together and propels us forward. We are united by our North Star: to unite people and brands to empower healthier, happier lives. Emerge to the Top of Your Career At MERGE, we strive to create a superior work experience where talented and ambitious people grow. An experience that encourages people to think higher and feel deeper. An experience where people engage their minds and hearts to do the best work of their careers. As our Director, Talent- Talent Management, you will… Own the execution and continuous improvement of MERGE’s core Talent Management programs while overseeing the operating discipline behind the broader Talent roadmap. This is a hands-on role for an experienced operator who creates structure, anticipates risks, establishes accountability and drives work through completion. You will lead the day-to-day delivery of performance management, talent reviews, employee relations and employee programs, while ensuring broader Talent initiatives have clear owners, milestones and visibility. You will also develop sufficient familiarity with payroll to provide continuity support during planned leaves, unexpected absences and other coverage periods. What You’ll Do Talent Management & Employee Experience Own the end-to-end execution of performance management cycles, including planning, goal setting, talent reviews, assessments, systems, communications, training and follow-through. Develop clear project plans, establish ownership and proactively manage timelines, dependencies and risks. Ensure leaders and employees understand Talent processes, expectations and required actions. Maintain and continuously improve Talent Management toolkits, workflows, templates and process documentation. Monitor completion, exceptions and recurring challenges, providing Talent leadership with concise reporting and recommendations. Own offboarding processes, including exit interviews, documentation, reporting and identification of recurring themes. Partner with Talent leadership to operationalize new or updated programs across the agency. Employee Relations & Risk Management Serve as a primary resource to managers and employees on employee relations and performance matters. Independently manage routine and moderately complex matters, escalating sensitive or high-risk issues appropriately. Guide managers through employee concerns, documentation, coaching and performance development plans. Ensure matters are addressed promptly, consistently and in accordance with company practices and applicable employment requirements. Support workforce changes, organizational restructurings and other employee actions by coordinating required processes, documentation, communications and follow-through. Maintain complete, accurate and appropriately confidential employee relations records. Identify recurring themes, organizational risks and gaps in manager practice, and recommend appropriate action. Talent Roadmap & Program Management Own the integrated Talent roadmap, operating calendar and portfolio-management cadence across Talent functions. Translate priorities into clear project plans with defined owners, milestones, dependencies, decisions and deadlines. Hold initiative owners accountable for timely execution while ensuring functional leaders retain ownership of their deliverables and outcomes. Proactively identify risks, resource constraints and competing priorities, escalating issues that require leadership decisions. Directly project-manage priority cross-functional initiatives as assigned. Provide Talent leadership with concise, regular reporting on progress, risks, decisions and next steps. Ensure completed initiatives are documented and effectively transitioned into ongoing operations. Operational Continuity & Team Leadership Cross-train on payroll processes and serve as designated continuity support during planned or unexpected gaps in primary payroll coverage. Maintain sufficient working knowledge of payroll timelines, controls and ADP processes to provide hands-on support when needed. Partner with the primary payroll owner and other internal stakeholders to ensure payroll remains accurate and on schedule during coverage periods. Create and maintain SOPs, controls and cross-training plans that reduce key-person dependency across critical Talent processes. Mentor junior Talent team members and reinforce a culture of accountability, accuracy, responsiveness and open communication. Support recurring compliance requirements, audits and reporting by maintaining documentation, tracking deadlines and driving follow-through. Partner effectively across Talent, Finance, Legal, Operations and agency leadership to resolve issues and move work forward. What Success Looks Like Talent programs are completed accurately, consistently and on schedule, with minimal last-minute escalation. The Talent roadmap has clear priorities, owners, milestones and visibility. Initiative owners are held accountable, and risks or stalled decisions are surfaced early. Leaders receive timely, practical guidance and understand their responsibilities. Employee relations and performance matters are addressed early, documented appropriately and brought to resolution. Critical processes have current documentation, cross-training and dependable continuity coverage. Payroll continues accurately and on schedule during planned or unexpecte