Job Purpose:
The Sr. Director, Leadership & Career Development is part of the Org Effectiveness and Talent Management COE, reporting to VP and will be responsible for driving leadership and career development initiatives across the organization. This role will initially focus on establishing Retail programs with priority focus on a multi-unit leadership activity, implementing coaching and mentoring programs, reviewing and designing career paths for retail roles, enhancing onboarding content for new leaders. Establish strong relationships with key stakeholders to ensure that the field operating model is implemented as designed.
Location: Newton, MA/Hybrid
Duties & Responsibilities:
Leadership Development Programs
- In partnership with VP Org Effectiveness and Talent Management and SVP Strategic HRBP develops the vision for leadership and career development.
- Collaborate with HR COE /HRBP and Field/Op Services colleagues to assess, co-create and innovate leadership development needs and effectiveness.
- Establish Leadership Programs (e.g., Rising Multi-Unit Leaders) aimed at cultivating and accelerating the pathway of future leaders.
- Establish metrics of success and validation.
Career Pathing & Internal Mobility Strategy
- Develops clear career pathways that outline growth opportunities across roles and functions ensuring alignment with organizational goals and team member aspirations.
- Works with Talent Acquisition, HR, and business leaders to provide transparency to internal talent pools and drive internal career mobility.
- Equip managers with career coaching resources and tools to guide team members.
- Advocates for equitable access to career development opportunities across diverse talent groups.
Coaching, Training & Development Programs
- Aligns leadership development with organizational goals and cultural values.
- Implement coaching and mentoring programs designed for leaders to enhance their capabilities and drive team performance.
- Designs custom coaching and training programs for leaders at different career stages.
- Facilitates leadership workshops, coaching sessions, and career development forums.
- Leverages technology (LMS, talent development platforms) to scale leadership and career programs.
Succession Planning & Leadership Readiness
- Partners with COE/HRBPs and stakeholders to build a succession pipeline for critical roles.
- Uses HR analytics and talent assessments to track leadership readiness and inform talent actions/decisions.
- Develops experiential learning opportunities, such as stretch assignments and cross-functional projects, to prepare future leaders.
Cross-Functional Collaboration, Stakeholder Management & Influence
- Inspire and motivate teams to navigate challenges and ambiguity, reinforcing the vision for leadership development and maintaining focus on objectives.
- Partners with HR COE, HRBPs and other stakeholders to ensure leadership and career development efforts align with business needs.
- Works with field training and deployment teams to adopt and embed leadership and career development.
Industry and Peer Insights
- Foster a culture of continuous learning, improvement, and innovation within the organization.
- Serves as a thought leader on leadership trends, career management strategies, and workforce development.
- Establish leadership and learning peer network and understand industry trends and innovations.
Qualifications (Education & Experience):
- Proven and recent experience in leadership development, talent management, and workforce development in a retail multi-unit leadership role.
- Bachelor’s Degree (or higher) preferred
- Function as a player coach with the ability to both lead the vision and provide hands on expertise to guide the team.
- Strong strategic thinking and project management skills, with the ability to manage in dynamic environments.
- Excellent communication, the ability to influence and the people skills, with a talent for building strong relationships.
- Highly collaborative spirit, with dedicated team and interpersonal skills with ability to work effectively with all levels of the organization and with diverse groups of people.
- Experience and success developing processes and program from start to finish.
- Strong computer skills and experience with Microsoft Office Suite
Working Conditions:
- This position is based in our STL or Boston Support Center. Travel required as needed.
Physical Requirements:
- While performing this job, the incumbent is regularly required to stand, sit, talk, hear, & use hands and fingers to operate keyboards
Direct Reports:
- This position will have 3 direct reports.
Equal Opportunity Employer: Disabled/Veterans
Competitive Pay $177,243- $248,140 annually.
The actual pay offered will be determined by multiple factors, including but not limited to the candidate’s relevant experience, job-related knowledge, skills, and geographical location. Individual compensation decisions are dependent upon the facts and circumstances of each position and candidate.
Newton Support CenterSimilar Jobs
What We Do
Panera began in 1987 as St. Louis Bread Company, a humble community bakery founded with a sourdough starter from San Francisco and a dream of putting a loaf of bread in every arm. While our business has expanded well beyond St. Louis since then, that same sourdough starter is still used in our iconic sourdough bread and the craft of baking bread fresh each day remains at the heart of Panera Bread. Each day, our trained bakers fill our bakery shelves with delicious freshly baked cookies, pastries, bagels, and a range of breads from focaccia to classic baguettes. We believe in serving delicious, freshly prepared, clean food made with carefully selected ingredients that we are proud to serve our own families. Our menu, crafted by chefs and bakers, features classic, comforting dishes, each with an intriguing twist. We respect our planet and take measures to lessen our impacts. We believe in treating people with warmth, kindness, and respect, whether it’s a guest in our cafe or one of our associates. And we believe in helping our local communities, especially in times of need. We’re also focused on improving quality and convenience. With investments in technology and operations, we offer omni-channel access to your Panera favorites – like mobile ordering, catering, and Rapid Pick-Up® for to-go orders, Curbside pick-up and delivery – all designed to make things easier for our guests. Today, Panera operates as both Panera Bread® or Saint Louis Bread Co St. Louis Bread Company in 48 states, the District of Columbia and Canada. Panera Bread is privately held by JAB Holding Company. Panera Bread is part of Panera Brands, one of the largest fast-casual restaurant platforms in the U.S., comprised of Panera Bread®, Caribou Coffee® and Einstein Bros.® Bagels.









