Principal Director, Talent Development and Performance Management (Director III) - Internal Vacancy

MISSION: The Texas Education Agency (TEA) will improve outcomes for all public-school students in the state by providing leadership, guidance, and support to school systems.

Core Values: 
•  We are Determined: We are committed and intentional in the pursuit of our main purpose, to improve outcomes for students. 
•  We are People-Centered: We strive to attract, develop, and retain the most committed talent, representing the diversity of Texas, each contributing to our common vision for students.
•  We are Learners: We seek evidence, reflect on success and failure, and try new approaches in the pursuit of excellence for our students.
•  We are Servant Leaders: Above all else, we are public servants working to improve opportunities for students and provide support to those who serve them.

New hires, re-hires, and internal hires will typically receive a starting salary between the posted minimum and the average pay of employees in their same classification. Offers will be commensurate with the candidate’s experience and qualifications and will thoughtfully consider internal pay equity for agency staff who perform similar duties and have similar qualifications. The top half of the posted salary range is generally reserved for candidates who exceed the requirements and qualifications for the role. The maximum salary range is reserved for candidates that far exceed the required and preferred qualifications for the role.

This is a 5-business day internal posting.  We are only accepting applications from current Texas Education Agency (TEA) employees. External applicants will not be considered. 

Position Overview

We know that for students to achieve at high levels and be successful in college, career, or the military, TEA must cultivate a high-performing workforce equipped to lead, guide, and support school systems across Texas. With this in mind, the Principal Director, Talent Development and Performance Management plays a critical leadership role in advancing TEA’s people strategy as a core driver of the agency’s bold vision for education.

The Principal Director is responsible for setting the vision, strategy, and execution of multiple high-impact workstreams within TEA’s Strategic Plan under the Organizational Development Key Action, ensuring alignment between talent systems and agency priorities. This role operates with significant autonomy and cross-agency influence to design and implement integrated approaches to performance management, talent development, and supervisor effectiveness that strengthen workforce performance at scale.

In partnership with the Executive Director, Human Resources, the Principal Director leads the evolution of TEA’s performance management and development systems to reflect the needs of the workforce and advance the agency’s core values and strategic priorities. This includes oversight of key systems, programs, and change management efforts that directly impact employee performance, retention, and organizational effectiveness across the agency.

The Principal Director supervises HR staff and works in close collaboration with senior leaders, division stakeholders, cross-functional partners, and external partners to drive coherence, adoption, and continuous improvement of talent systems and practices.

This role is part of the Human Resources Division, which is dedicated to attracting, supporting, and retaining a workforce of high-performing professionals who are committed to the agency’s broader mission. Our team works to achieve this by creating the structures and systems that support talent across the agency – this ranges from administering our performance management system, supporting hiring efforts, providing talent development support, coordinating benefits and leave in partnership with state-administered programs, and implementing HR-related policies and procedures that are critical to supporting agency staff and leaders.

Flexible work location within the state of Texas may be considered for qualified candidates.  

Please note that a resume, tailored cover letter, and short answer responses are required attachments for applying to this position. Incomplete applications will not be considered. 

Essential Functions 
Job duties are not limited to the essential functions mentioned below. You may perform other functions as assigned.

1. Performance Management Strategy: Leads the vision, strategy, and continuous improvement of TEA’s enterprise Performance Management system, a core component of the agency’s Organizational Development strategic priorities.  Serves as the agency-wide owner of performance management design, implementation, and evolution, ensuring alignment with TEA’s Strategic Plan and workforce outcomes. Drives cross-functional alignment and adoption in partnership with Alignment and Delivery and other stakeholders to ensure coherence in messaging, tools, and expectations. Uses data, stakeholder feedback, and system insights to continuously refine processes and improve organizational performance outcomes at scale. Oversees the agency’s Performance Management Platform and related systems as a critical infrastructure supporting agency-wide performance practices.

2. Talent Development Strategy: Sets and advances the long-term vision for talent development as a key lever within TEA’s Strategic Plan Organizational Development workstreams. Oversees the design and scaling of agency-wide development systems and programs that improve employee performance, engagement, and retention. Drives adoption of the 70/20/10 learning philosophy and embeds continuous learning practices across the agency. Leads the development of career growth infrastructure (e.g., Career Development Plans, learning pathways) to support workforce mobility and readiness. Provides strategic oversight for learning systems, e-learning platforms, and compliance training, ensuring quality, consistency, and alignment to agency priorities.

3. Supervisor Supports Strategy: Owns the enterprise strategy for supervisor effectiveness, recognizing supervisors as a critical lever in achieving agency performance goals. Designs and implements systemic approaches to supervisor development, including onboarding, ongoing learning, and leadership pipelines. Partners with HR teammates and senior leaders to identify and address organizational capability gaps and build supervisor capacity at scale. Establishes and maintains data-informed systems (including succession planning) to strengthen leadership pipelines and organizational readiness.

4. Team Management and Modernization: Leads and develops a high-performing team aligned to TEA’s mission, modeling Supervisor Performance Competencies and a culture of continuous improvement. Drives modernization of HR systems and workflows, leveraging AI, automation, digitization, and data analytics to increase agency capacity and effectiveness. Oversees budget and resources – including contractors – to ensure strategic investment in tools, systems, and innovations that enhance service delivery and impact. 

Minimum Qualifications

• Education: Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university. Degree field(s): human resources, business management, public administration, education, data analytics, or related field
• Experience: At least seven (7) years of progressively responsible experience in human resources, talent management, organizational development, data analytics, or related fields, or other roles involving program leadership, performance improvement, or workforce development.
• Substitutions: An advanced degree may substitute for two years of required experience.

Other Qualifications

• Share the belief that all Texas students can achieve at high levels and are able to succeed in college, career, or the military
• Experience setting strategy and leading the design, implementation, and continuous improvement of enterprise talent systems (e.g., performance management, talent development, or leadership development)
• Experience partnering with senior leaders and cross-functional stakeholders to drive alignment, adoption, and impact of strategic initiatives
• Experience leveraging or implementing modern tools, systems, or technologies (e.g., data systems, automation, AI-enabled tools) to improve efficiency and impact of HR or organizational processes preferred
• General knowledge of other HR functions is a plus
• An exemplary track record of team management
• Strong verbal and written communication skills with the ability to present across various forums and to diverse audiences
• Strength in developing and maintaining effective working relationships with a variety of individuals and groups
• Ability to leverage data and insights to inform strategy, drive decision-making, and improve organizational outcomes at scale
• Strong project management and change management, including experience leading complex, multi-phase initiatives that require cross-functional coordination and sustained adoption
• Ability to influence and drive outcomes through others, including in highly matrixed environments without direct authority
• Ability to self-reflect and continuously improve; adapt to unexpected tasks 

As an equal opportunity employer, we hire without consideration to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, disability, age or veteran status, unless an applicant is entitled to the military employment preference.

To review the Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) codes from each branch of the U.S. Armed Forces to each job classification series in the State’s Position Classification Plan (provided by the State Auditor's Office), please access the Military Crosswalk (occupational specialty code) Guide and click on the military “occupational category” that corresponds with the state classification in this job posting title.

This position requires the applicant to meet Agency standards and criteria which may include passing a pre-employment criminal background check, prior to being offered employment by the Agency.

To learn more about working at TEA, including hiring timelines, process details, and candidate resources, please visit the Employment at TEA page.

No phone calls or emails, please. Due to the high volume of applications, we do not accept telephone calls and cannot reply to all email inquiries. Only candidates selected for interview will be contacted. Please add "[email protected]" and "@tea.texas.gov" to your safe senders list to ensure you receive email notifications from our talent acquisition team and/or hiring division regarding your candidacy.