California Water Service
Job Description:
California Water Service Group (Cal Water) invites you to build a meaningful career with the third largest publicly traded water utility in the United States. Guided by our mission to be the leading provider of water and wastewater services, we are dedicated to improving the quality of life for the customers, communities, and employees we serve. Our culture is grounded in core values—integrity, quality, service, value, health and safety, respect and collaboration, and corporate citizenship—and is reflected in our recognition as a Top Workplace®, a Great Place to Work®, and a J.D. Power leader in customer satisfaction for multiple years. Join Cal Water and be part of a purpose driven organization where your work makes a lasting impact.
We are looking for a Talent Management Director to join our HR team. The Talent Management Director will be responsible to design, coordinate, align, implement, and manage a comprehensive Training Strategy across multiple organization stakeholders as part of a broader Talent Management Framework that includes Training, Succession, Performance, Career Development, and Performance Management. This hands-on position reports to the Vice President, Chief Human Resource Officer, has one direct report, and leads execution of the Talent Management strategy through influence and partnership—leveraging HR Business Partners, Safety Advocates, and other cross-functional stakeholders to align priorities, coordinate delivery, and achieve outcomes without direct reporting authority. The position is located in San Jose, CA.
Core Skills & Responsibilities
- Strategic Leadership: Develop and execute a multi-year learning and development (L&D) strategy that integrates Training into the broader Talent Management Framework (Training, Succession, Performance, and Career Development). Enhance and build future roadmap for those Talent Management Framework activities that is efficient and measurably effective.
- Stakeholder Engagement & Partnership: Work closely with cross-functional stakeholders and subject matter experts at all levels of the organization to plan, develop, and deliver training and talent management programs. Partners with HR, vendors, and stakeholders to coordinate priorities, budget, and best programs, tools, and resources.
- Program Management: Plan and manage logistics for L&D and Talent Management programs, including communications, virtual or in-person meetings, materials, technology, and speaker coordination. Partner with non-HR groups on coordination of other Training programs. Track attendance, feedback, and metrics to assess effectiveness and identify areas for improvement.
- Delivery: Support development, Workday system set up, and facilitation of training sessions, leadership development programs, workshops, and online learning. Design and maintain a holistic training calendar that balances training and minimizes disruption.
- Governance and Set up: Act as a strategic partner to steering committee and department heads (i.e. Operations, Safety, IT) to ensure training and talent programs are aligned and meet specific organizational needs. Establish a Training Center of Excellence to govern Cal Water’s 400+ course inventory, reducing redundancies and ensuring consistent quality. Segment delivery of Talent Management Programs for distinct employee populations to improve engagement and relevance.
- Continuous Improvement: Contribute to the design, development, and improvement of L&D programs and processes. Research and recommend new approaches, tools, and best practices to improve program quality and participant experience.
- Talent Pipeline Development: Take an employee lifecycle approach to prioritizing the design and implementation of programs to address organization priorities, future needs, and strategic issues (i.e. apprenticeship program, mitigating the “silver tsunami” of an aging workforce).
- Measurement & ROI: Establish metrics and feedback mechanisms to monitor effectiveness, leadership impact, alignment with corporate goals, and return on investment for the company.
Minimum Qualifications:
- Experience: 10+ years of progressive HR/L&D/Organizational Development experience, including managing a strategic Talent Management function.
- Education: BA/BS in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field. MBA, Masters in Organizational Development, or related education and/or certification preferred.
- Leadership & Collaboration: Proven ability to influence leaders, lead cross-functional advisory committees, and work with multiple stakeholders to align, develop, and assess their programs within a common Talent Management Framework.
- Technical Proficiency: Expertise in managing Learning Management Systems (Workday Learning preferred) and leveraging data for reporting and strategic decision-making.
- Project Management: Strong track record in curriculum development, success measures, and managing large-scale program logistics across multiple sites, and internal/external stakeholders.
Preferred Attributes
- Experience navigating union environments (e.g., UWUA, IFPTE), coordinating apprenticeship programs, providing field training.
- Strategic mindset with the ability to shift an organization from reactive training to proactive talent development.
- Experience in a Utility-centric (water or adjacent) or regulated environment.
Salary Range: $162,300 - $231,800 (DOE)
Deadline to submit resume is Tuesday, June 2, 2026.
The Equal Opportunity Policy of the Company is based upon the philosophy that all people should be treated fairly and with dignity. California Water Service, Hawai'i Water Service, New Mexico Water Service, Texas Water Service, and Washington Water Service do not discriminate against any applicant or employee because of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, or any other protected class. The Company makes all employment decisions in a non-discriminatory manner. EOE, VET, DISABILITIES.
