Director, Strategic Organizational Development

About Metra

Metra is one of the largest and most complex commuter rail systems in North America, serving Cook, DuPage, Will, Lake, Kane, and McHenry Counties. The agency is linking communities in Northeastern Illinois by providing safe, reliable, and efficient commuter service.

Metra's Human Resources Department is committed to attracting, developing, and retaining a diverse and talented workforce. We promote a culture grounded in fairness, trust, and mutual respect, supported by employee engagement, wellness, and equitable employment practices. Through competitive compensation, flexible benefits, and compliance with employment laws, Metra creates an environment where employees can perform at their best and contribute meaningfully to the organization's mission.

The final salary will depend on the candidate's qualifications. Those with 8 years or more of required experience can expect offers up to the midpoint of the salary range. Metra provides full pay ranges so candidates can consider their growth potential.

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Qualified veterans who meet the minimum requirements will receive outreach during the recruitment process in accordance with Federal and State laws, including the Illinois Veterans Preference Act. Meeting the minimum qualifications does not guarantee an interview or job offer. The most qualified candidate will be selected.

Position Summary

The Director, Strategic Organizational Development, is responsible for translating Metra's strategic priorities into effective organizational structures, leadership capabilities, and workforce practices. This role partners closely with executive leadership to strengthen organizational clarity and accountability, align workforce planning with operational needs, and lead enterprise-wide organizational development and change initiatives.

The position plays a critical role in ensuring that people, structure, and strategy are aligned to support operational excellence, sound decision-making, and sustainable performance across the organization.

Key Responsibilities

Organizational Development & Design

• Lead enterprise organizational assessments to evaluate structure, role clarity, spans of control, and alignment of work to strategic and operational priorities.
• Partner with executive leadership on organizational design decisions, including restructuring, role evolution, and talent planning.
• Establish clear ownership, governance, and accountability for enterprise initiatives to reduce inefficiencies and operational friction.

Leadership Effectiveness & Capability

• Design and oversee strategies that strengthen leadership accountability, decision-making, and people management effectiveness across all leadership levels.
• Align leadership practices with organizational values, operational demands, and employee engagement priorities, including psychological safety and respectful workplace expectations.
• Communicate leadership capability requirements to Operations Training partners to support leadership readiness and succession continuity.

Strategic Workforce Planning

• Integrate workforce planning with operational and long-term strategic goals to ensure the right skills, capacity, and capabilities are in place.
• Analyze workforce, engagement, and performance data to identify trends, risks, and opportunities affecting organizational readiness and retention.
• Support long-term talent strategies that enhance organizational resilience and continuity.

Change Management & Strategic Execution

• Lead and coordinate enterprise change management efforts supporting major organizational initiatives.
• Serve as a strategic advisor to senior leaders on organizational and people impacts of change.
• Ensure initiatives are executed with discipline, clear milestones, and measurable outcomes.

Metrics, Insights & Governance

• Establish and monitor organizational effectiveness metrics related to engagement, leadership capability, performance, and operational outcomes.
• Provide data-informed insights to executive leadership to support decision-making and prioritization.
• Reinforce governance and accountability frameworks to ensure sustained progress against strategic goals.

Additional Responsibilities

• Promote safe work practices and maintain a safe working environment.
• Perform other related duties as assigned to meet ongoing organizational needs.

Education

• Bachelor's degree in a people, systems or behavior-focused discipline such as:
  • Human Resources Management
  • Organizational or Industrial-Organizational Psychology
  • Business Administration
  • Sociology or Behavioral Sciences
• Preferred: Master's degree in Organizational Development, Organizational Psychology, Human Resources or Human Capital Management, MBA, or MPA.

Experience

• Minimum of six (6) years of progressive experience in organizational development or a closely related field.
• Minimum of three (3) years of people management experience.

Knowledge & Skills

• Strong knowledge of organizational systems, design principles, role clarity, and workforce alignment.
• Expertise in leadership effectiveness, performance management, and accountability frameworks.
• Proven experience leading enterprise change initiatives and shaping organizational culture.
• Ability to translate strategy into executable organizational actions with measurable outcomes.
• Strong consulting, facilitation, and stakeholder influence skills, particularly with senior leaders.
• Advanced analytical capability to interpret workforce, engagement, and organizational data.
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to convey complex organizational concepts clearly and credibly.

Physical & Work Requirements

• Ability to stand, walk, and/or sit for extended periods of time.
• Ability to lift and move up to 20 pounds.
• Willingness to travel within and outside Metra's six-county region.
• Availability to work flexible hours, including early mornings, evenings, or weekends as needed.

Preferred Certifications

• Organization Development Certified Professional (ODCP)
• NTL Institute OD Certificate Program
• SHRM Organizational Development Certificate
• SHRM-SCP or SPHR

Metra is a railroad employer subject to the provisions of the Railroad Retirement Tax Act, not the Social Security Administration.

Metra employees in an active review period under the current discipline policy or who have documented attendance or performance issues will not be considered and/or selected for this position.

Please note: Regardless of any state laws that legalize marijuana, Metra prohibits applicants and employees' use or possession of marijuana (or marijuana paraphernalia), or having detectable amounts of marijuana in their bodies, including synthetic and/or non-synthetic substances such as THC for any reason for preemployment screening purposes, while on duty, subject to duty, on Metra property, or in Metra work equipment and vehicles.

Metra is committed to ensuring that our career website and recruiting process are accessible to all individuals. For general assistance, please contacttalentacquisition@metrarr.com. If you require reasonable accommodations to complete this application, participate in interviews, complete any pre-employment testing, or engage in any other aspect of the employee selection process, please direct your inquiries to the Reasonable Accommodations Committee atRAC@metrarr.com.

Metra is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. It is our policy to fill vacant positions with qualified candidates without regard to race, color, sex, religion, national origin, age, gender identity, disability, or any protected categories, assuming an individual can perform the essential functions of the job with or without accommodation.