Director of Employee Onboarding, Integration and Development

ACU is affiliated with the fellowship of the Church of Christ. This position requires the employee to be a professing Christian and to be willing to support the Christian mission of ACU.

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The Director of Employee Onboarding, Integration and Development serves a central leadership role in ACU Dallas’s integrated employee flourishing model. This position is responsible for designing and leading a coherent employee lifecycle strategy that supports employees from onboarding through long-term growth and leadership development.

This role ensures that every employee experiences clear pathways for integration, development, formation, and advancement while fostering deep alignment with the mission, values, and culture of the university. The Director collaborates across divisions to build systems, processes, and learning experiences that strengthen employee engagement, belonging, retention, leadership capacity, job readiness, and organizational flourishing.

This role works in close partnership with the Director of Digital Experience and Innovation to translate employee lifecycle strategy into accessible, scalable, and engaging digital experiences. Together, these roles ensure that employee onboarding, learning, formation, leadership development, and belonging are not fragmented initiatives, but integrated experiences intentionally designed across physical, relational, and digital environments.

This position approaches onboarding and development not merely as administrative functions, but as formative experiences that help employees understand their vocation, contribution, and place within the ACU Dallas community.

Key Responsibilities

A. Employee Onboarding and Integration

• Design and lead a comprehensive employee onboarding and integration strategy for all new employees across the ACU Online campus. 

• Create centralized onboarding systems that maintain role-specific personalization and divisional relevance. 

• Ensure onboarding experiences cultivate clarity, connection, mission alignment, and role readiness. 

• Partner with hiring managers and institutional leaders to improve onboarding consistency and reduce fragmentation across departments. 

• Develop onboarding pathways that integrate institutional culture, spiritual and vocational formation, community connection, and professional expectations. 

• Build systems that support employees through critical transition moments during their first year of employment. 

• Lead initiatives that improve employee readiness, engagement, and retention during the onboarding lifecycle. 

• Serve as a key collaborative partner with the Director of Digital Experience and Innovation in designing and implementing the institution’s centralized employee onboarding and development ecosystem.

B. Employee Development and Learning Pathways 

• Develop and oversee employee learning and development pathways that support professional growth and institutional effectiveness. 

• Design scalable leadership development initiatives for emerging, mid-level, and senior leaders. 

• Collaborate with institutional leaders to identify competency development needs across divisions. 

• Support the implementation and ongoing refinement of core, functional, and leadership competencies. 

• Create development experiences that strengthen leadership capacity, collaboration, communication, and mission alignment. 

• Help employees identify opportunities for growth, advancement, and vocational development within the institution. 

• Support the development of content strategy, learning pathways, manager resources, and employee growth experiences within the centralized platform infrastructure.

C. Leadership Pipeline and Organizational Development 

• Lead the design of leadership pipeline strategies that identify and develop future institutional leaders. 

• Partner with supervisors and divisional leaders to strengthen coaching, mentorship, and succession planning practices. 

• Support organizational development initiatives that improve employee experience, communication, collaboration, and institutional health. 

• Utilize employee feedback, survey data, and organizational insights to inform development priorities and systems improvements. 

D. Cross-Functional Collaboration and Campus Alignment 

• Collaborate closely with Academic Leadership, Staff Leadership, and divisional stakeholders to ensure alignment across the employee lifecycle. 

• Partner with the Director of Digital Experience and Innovation to develop engaging digital onboarding and development experiences. 

• Work collaboratively within the Vocational Formation and Flourishing division to integrate formation, belonging, leadership development, and employee flourishing strategies. 

• Support alignment between onboarding, performance management, competencies, employee flourishing initiatives, and institutional mission. 

• Contribute to the ongoing design and strengthening of the ACU Dallas integrated employee flourishing model. 

E. Assessment and Continuous Improvement

• Establish metrics and assessment strategies related to onboarding effectiveness, employee engagement, development participation, leadership readiness, and retention. 

• Analyze employee feedback and organizational health data to identify trends and recommend strategic improvements. 

• Lead continuous improvement efforts that strengthen employee experience and organizational culture. 

• Prepare reports and strategic recommendations for senior leadership related to onboarding, development, and employee flourishing outcomes. 

Qualifications

A. Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; master’s degree preferred in organizational leadership, higher education, human resources, organizational development, leadership development, or related field. 

• Demonstrated experience leading employee onboarding, organizational development, leadership development, talent development, or employee experience initiatives. 

• Strong systems thinking and organizational leadership capacity. 

• Ability to lead complex cross-functional initiatives and influence across divisions. 

• Excellent communication, facilitation, and relationship-building skills. 

• Experience designing learning experiences, development pathways, or leadership programs. 

• Strong project management and strategic planning abilities. 

• Commitment to the mission and values of ACU Dallas. 

B. Preferred Qualifications 

• Experience in higher education or mission-driven organizations. 

• Familiarity with employee lifecycle strategy, performance management systems, or competency frameworks. 

• Experience working within digital learning environments or learning management systems. 

• Experience utilizing organizational health, engagement, or belonging data to inform strategy. 

• Demonstrated ability to cultivate collaborative and flourishing organizational cultures. 

Core Competencies

• Strategic Leadership 

• Systems Thinking 

• Organizational Development 

• Employee Experience Design 

• Collaboration and Influence 

• Leadership Development 

• Communication and Facilitation 

• Mission Alignment 

• Project and Change Management 

• Relational Intelligence 

Reporting Structure

This position reports to the Vice President of Vocational Formation and Flourishing and works in close partnership with all ACU Dallas divisions. 

Physical Demands

• The majority of work is performed in front of a computer and on the telephone; must have the ability to use the computer and remain stationary for long periods of time.

• Manage conversations in person, online, and by telephone. 

• Limited travel – locations vary, and some overnight travel may be necessary.

• Work well under pressure and effectively manage stress.

• Communicate clearly – speak, read, write, and hear clearly to perform essential functions.

Position Philosophy

At ACU Dallas, onboarding and employee development are understood as formative and relational work. Employees are not merely oriented into a role; they are welcomed into a community, equipped for meaningful contribution, and supported in their ongoing growth as leaders, professionals, and whole persons. 

This role exists to help cultivate a thriving institutional culture where employees experience clarity, belonging, development, and flourishing throughout their journey at ACU Dallas.

ACU does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of race, color, age, sex, disability, genetic information, national or ethnic origin in employment opportunities, in keeping with applicable state and federal law.

ACU is committed to maintaining a safe and secure campus environment and protecting the university's financial and physical assets. Therefore, Abilene Christian University conducts background checks on all candidates for employment in security sensitive positions. As a current employee, it will be determined if you need an additional background check upon your hire.