Officer of Talent, Cleveland Metropolitan School District

About Cleveland Metropolitan School District

The Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) is Ohio's third-largest public school system, serving more than 35,000 students.

CMSD strives to ensure that every child receives a high-quality education, regardless of the provider. To that end, CMSD lets families choose which District schools their children attend, with options that include STEM, the arts, single-gender education, International Baccalaureate, Montessori, and early college.

Our schools have autonomy over human and financial resources in exchange for accountability for performance. The principal has primary responsibility and accountability for establishing their school as a high-quality, high-expectation academic center focusing on personalized instruction, professional support for teachers, and school-wide practices that lead to measurable results.

CMSD ensures that students have access to technology and training to prepare them for the future. The District provides a free laptop or tablet for every student and connects every family that needs internet access. Graduating seniors leave commencement with not only a diploma but also a laptop.

In our pursuit of a more fair, just, and good system of education, we strive to ensure that all of our learners, both scholars and educators, to be challenged with academically and intellectually complex tasks that are worthy of their efforts and provide them opportunities to demonstrate their best work.

Building Brighter Futures

The Cleveland Board of Education adopted the Building Brighter Futures (BBF) initiative on December 9, 2025. Building Brighter Futures is a strategic and data-driven plan shaped by more than a year of community engagement, information analysis, and thoughtful deliberation. The goal of this plan is to strengthen enrollment and ensure scholars attend a newer school building that offers more educational opportunities, including algebra in the eighth grade, more sports and extracurricular activities, and college credits and college and career pathways in high school. BBF is ensuring academic excellence so every CMSD scholar can thrive. BBF will be implemented by the beginning of the 2026-27 school year.

About the Officer of Talent

The Talent Officer leads the district’s department of Talent and Human Resources, with full accountability for the execution, consistency, and results of all people systems across Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD). Reporting to the CEO’s Chief of Staff, the Talent Officer advises the CEO and CEO’s cabinet, manages a team of 20 dedicated professionals, and oversees the strategy and execution required to attract, engage, develop, and retain an effective and diverse workforce for CMSD.

This role requires strong operational leadership, sound judgment, and the ability to manage complex systems in a large, unionized public sector environment. The Talent Officer ensures that CMSD’s people systems operate reliably, equitably, and in alignment with district priorities while supporting school leaders and central office teams to effectively lead their staff. This leader ensures that the department remains grounded in the district’s Core Values: Equity & Inclusion, Student & Community Focused, Growth & Learning, Care & Well-Being, Excellence & Achievement.

Your Key Responsibilities - “What You’ll Do”

The Talent Officer leads the strategy, execution, and continuous improvement of CMSD’s people systems across key areas in partnership with the Talent Team.

Attracting Talent - Lead the district’s recruitment and staffing strategy to ensure schools and central office are staffed with strong and diverse talent.

• Drive the districtwide talent acquisition strategy that builds diverse, high-quality pipelines for critical roles across schools and central office.
• Oversee workforce planning and staffing projections to ensure the district is positioned ahead of hiring needs.
• Strengthen selection systems and the school leaders/hiring managers capability to ensure equitable, consistent, and mission-aligned hiring decisions.

Engaging Talent - Strengthen employee experience and engagement across the district by ensuring effective systems, clear communication, and responsive support for staff and managers.

• Lead the strategy and continuous improvement of employee onboarding, with a specific focus on the experience and early retention of teachers.
• Oversee the district’s engagement survey (Spark), ensuring results drive meaningful action planning at the school and system level.
• Ensure HR systems and people processes operate with the reliability, equity, and responsiveness that staff and leaders depend on.

Developing Talent - Strengthen manager effectiveness and performance systems across schools and central office.

• Own the district’s performance management systems, ensuring consistent application of evaluations, expectations, and accountability across union and non-union environments.
• Build managers and school leaders capacity to coach, develop, and retain strong staff — and to address performance concerns with clarity and fairness.
• Support high-stakes employment decisions, including non-renewals, disciplinary actions, and performance improvement, in partnership with district leadership.
• Develop and steward career pathway opportunities that recognize and advance strong performers across the district.

Retaining Talent - Use data and strong operational practices to support workforce stability and retention.

• Use workforce data to identify retention risks, anticipate vacancies, and inform proactive planning across schools, operations and central office.
• Lead the district’s total rewards strategy — including compensation, benefits, and recognition — to ensure CMSD remains equitable and a competitive employer.
• Partner with district leaders to identify and address systemic conditions that drive attrition and undermine workforce stability.

Maintaining legal and regulatory compliance - In partnership with the Legal Team, ensure strong labor relations and legal compliance across a unionized, civil service environment.

• Oversee the administration and implementation of collective bargaining agreements, ensuring consistent and equitable application across the district.
• Maintain sound labor relations practices and trust-based relationships with union leadership throughout contract administration and negotiations.
• Advise the CEO and cabinet on labor relations strategy, including during sensitive negotiations or disputes.
• Ensure district-wide compliance with licensure requirements, civil service rules, and employment regulations including Rapback, EEOC, and ADA.

Leading and managing a strong team - Serve as the district’s senior operator for Talent and Human Resources, leading a team responsible for key people systems.

• Lead and develop a team of 20 professionals across total rewards, performance management, talent pipeline, employee relations, licensure, and data strategy.
• Serve as the primary Talent advisor to the CEO and executive leadership, driving alignment between people systems and organizational priorities.
• Partner closely with the Chief of Staff to ensure Talent strategy, culture, and operations are integrated with the district’s broader direction.
• Ensure that the Office of Talent serves as a valued partner to schools and to the leadership of the District.
• Manage the performance and effectiveness of the Office of Talent, including the successful monitoring and achievement of the team’s shared goals, and the creation and management of the department’s budget.
• Promote and model a positive and collaborative culture and brand for the Talent Office and district by ensuring efficient systems, timely customer service, and accurate, transparent information for all stakeholders.
• Champion a people function that school leaders and staff experience as credible, responsive, and consistently fair.

Requirements:
Key Skills and Competencies - “What You Need to Be Successful”

Successful candidates will demonstrate

Executive Influence and Strategic Communication

• Earns credibility at the executive level by consistently bringing clarity, sound judgment, and a point of view to the most consequential decisions the district faces.
• Comfortable challenging assumptions and holding firm on recommendations even in high-pressure environments.
• Understands the political, community, and operational dynamics that shape leadership decisions and accounts for them proactively.
• Communicates with clarity, respect, and awareness in conversations and interactions with others.
• Listens intently and actively to stakeholders; Influences others, understands nuance, and skillfully interprets motivations and perceptions.
• Pushes back thoughtfully and navigates challenging conversations to enable better decisions.

Cross-Cabinet Partnership and Team Alignment

• Fosters a culture of high expectations with shared strategic goals around measurable outcomes and continuous improvement in Talent operations and Talent leadership capacity-building in key stakeholders.
• Prepares the Office of Talent and leadership team for effective decision-making conversations, anticipating and organizing key questions and data that support productive discussions about Talent priorities.
• Builds coalitions and works collaboratively with diverse stakeholders at all levels, including district personnel, students, families, community and political leaders, and advocacy groups.
• Ensures targeted, differentiated professional development is delivered to members of the Talent team.

Talent Expertise & Systems Leadership

• Maintains a focus on goals and results; establishes clear metrics for success for how Talent plays an essential role in the district meeting its defined student outcome goals
• Demonstrates excellent execution, attention to detail, and leadership skills; the ability to balance overarching district goals with de