The Opportunity

This is a foundational enterprise leadership role responsible for building and scaling OpenText's leadership development capability globally.

Reporting directly to the VP, Global Talent Acquisition & Leadership Development, this role serves as the strategic and operational connector between succession planning, leadership capability development, workforce planning, and enterprise talent governance.

This is not a traditional Learning & Development role. This leader will translate enterprise talent intelligence - succession risks, pipeline gaps, bench strength data, and build-versus-buy decisions - into actionable leadership development strategies that strengthen the future leadership pipeline across OpenText.

The ideal candidate brings a systems-thinking mindset, strong executive presence, and deep experience operating within complex, matrixed global organizations. This role requires the ability to influence across functions and regions without direct authority while building scalable frameworks, governance models, and enterprise-wide development strategies from the ground up.

What You'll Be Responsible For

Enterprise Leadership Development Strategy

• Lead the design and execution of OpenText's enterprise leadership development strategy aligned to the Integrated Talent Management (ITM) framework and broader people strategy
• Translate succession planning insights, pipeline risks, and workforce data into targeted leadership development priorities and interventions
• Drive enterprise capability-building strategies focused on strengthening bench depth and leadership readiness globally
• Partner with HR and business leaders to align leadership development investments with strategic business priorities and future workforce needs
• Establish scalable development models leveraging experiential learning, stretch assignments, coaching, mentoring, and executive development programs

Capability Mapping & Talent Intelligence

• Partner closely with Talent Management, HRBPs, and Learning teams to operationalize the OpenText leadership competency framework
• Build capability-to-pipeline mapping processes that connect leadership gaps to targeted development actions
• Identify enterprise-critical leadership capabilities and future leadership risk areas
• Develop and maintain leadership bench strength metrics and succession-readiness insights for HR senior leadership reviews
• Support build, buy, and develop talent strategies through data-driven workforce and capability analysis

Enterprise Governance & Operating Rhythm

• Establish governance processes that connect succession planning, leadership development, workforce planning, and talent analytics into an integrated operating model
• Lead cross-functional talent governance reviews and enterprise leadership development planning sessions
• Create KPI frameworks and reporting mechanisms that measure leadership pipeline health, development effectiveness, and succession readiness
• Drive alignment across HR Centers of Excellence, HR Business Partners, Talent Acquisition, and Learning functions globally
• Ensure leadership development initiatives are integrated into broader enterprise talent priorities and not managed in isolation

HRBP & Business Partnership

• Serve as a strategic advisor to HR Business Partners and senior business leaders on leadership capability and succession development priorities
• Partner with HRBPs to embed leadership development into business planning, organizational design, and succession conversations
• Equip HR teams with tools, frameworks, and guidance to support meaningful leadership and career development discussions
• Identify systemic capability gaps requiring enterprise-level solutions and influence action across the organization

Strategic Workforce Planning & Learning Partnership

• Collaborate with Strategic Workforce Planning teams to align leadership capability development with long-term workforce demand forecasts
• Partner with Learning & Development leaders to ensure programs and investments are aligned to enterprise capability priorities
• Influence future development programming based on pipeline urgency, succession risk, and evolving business needs
• Support enterprise transformation initiatives through scalable leadership capability strategies

Executive & External Partnership Management

• Oversee leadership development vendor strategy including executive coaching, assessment tools, external leadership programs, and executive education partnerships
• Evaluate and curate external partners aligned to the OpenText leadership philosophy and enterprise priorities
• Monitor industry trends and emerging leadership development practices to continuously evolve OpenText's leadership capability strategy
• Support executive leadership development initiatives for senior leaders globally

What You Bring

Experience

• 12+ years of experience in Leadership Development, Talent Management, Organizational Development, or related HR disciplines
• Significant experience operating within large, global, matrixed organizations
• Proven success building enterprise-wide leadership or talent capabilities from the ground up
• Strong experience connecting succession planning, talent intelligence, and workforce strategy to development execution
• Experience partnering closely with HR Business Partners and executive leadership teams
• Background in enterprise software, technology, or similarly complex industries strongly preferred
• Familiarity with talent frameworks and methodologies including succession planning, competency models, integrated talent management, and leadership assessment practices

Leadership Characteristics

• Enterprise mindset with the ability to connect talent strategy to business outcomes
• Strong systems thinker capable of integrating multiple talent disciplines into a cohesive operating model
• Influential leader who drives alignment and execution without direct authority
• Data-driven and comfortable translating talent analytics into executive-level insights and recommendations
• Builder mentality with comfort operating in ambiguity and creating scalable structures from scratch
• Executive presence with strong communication and stakeholder management skills
• Highly collaborative, pragmatic, and outcomes-oriented

Why This Role Matters

This role will help shape the future leadership pipeline of OpenText globally. The Senior Director, Leadership Development will play a critical role in ensuring the organization has the leadership capability, succession strength, and talent infrastructure required to support long-term growth and transformation.

This is a highly visible enterprise role with broad influence across HR, executive leadership, and the business globally.

Compensation: At OpenText, we offer a thoughtfully designed benefits package that supports your physical, emotional, and financial wellbeing. As you move through the hiring process, we're happy to provide more details about our compensation programs, including variable and commission compensation opportunities for eligible roles, vacation entitlement, and paid time off.