An overview of this role

As the Lead Talent Management Partner at GitLab, you'll own one of the organization's most critical transformations - redesigning performance management and strategic talent planning from the ground up. This is a rare greenfield opportunity to architect something that doesn't exist yet: a modern, AI-native talent system that meets people in their flow of work, gives leaders real-time insights about their teams, and replaces process-heavy experiences with something people actually want to engage with. You'll work at the intersection of people strategy, technology, and organizational change to design the solutions and drive adoption. If you bring a product mindset to people problems, get energized by ambiguity, and believe a company’s talent infrastructure should feel as intuitive as the best tools people use every day, this role was built for you.

What you’ll do

• Serve as the architect of the performance management and talent planning redesign initiative, applying a product mindset to build and own a roadmap that reimagines the full talent lifecycle (i.e. goal-setting, feedback, check-ins, performance reviews, succession planning, and development).
• Partner with People Technology to translate that vision into scalable technology execution - defining requirements, validating design, supporting configuration and UAT, and identifying tools that leverage AI and embed talent processes into how people already work (e.g. slack integrations).
• Lead project management of initiative - tracking milestones and dependencies, managing risks, and ensuring workstreams stay aligned and on schedule.
• Build feedback loops that give team members regular visibility into their progress and give managers the insight they need to coach, develop, and differentiate their teams with confidence.
• Design and deliver enablement that drives adoption - including change management plans, manager toolkits, training, communications, and office hours - creating a consistent, low-friction experience for team members and managers.
• Consult and partner with People Business Partners, Division leaders, and DIB partners to ensure programs are practical, adopted, and aligned to business needs across a globally distributed organization.
• Build succession planning, talent identification, and skills-based frameworks that strengthen leadership pipelines, deepen diversity, and improve internal mobility.
• Partner with People Analytics to design and deliver dashboards that produce actionable, scalable insights - giving leaders the visibility they need to make better workforce decisions with confidence.
• Drive operational discipline by clarifying ownership, documenting processes, managing risks and dependencies, and continuously improving programs year over year.

What you’ll bring

• Innovative, AI-forward mindset and experience applying emerging technology to solve people problems in ways that are practical, scalable, and ahead of the curve.
• Proven track record designing, implementing, and governing global talent management processes and enterprise-wide programs from concept through sustained adoption (goals, feedback, check-ins, review cycles, succession planning, skills inventory, etc).
• Product-minded approach to talent programs, with experience building roadmaps, prioritizing work, and designing performance and development processes that balance the team member experience and the organizational output.
• Strong experience partnering with Technology teams, including translating program vision into business requirements and partnering with Analysts on configuration for performance management, goals, and talent modules (Workday experience a plus)
• Strong program and project management skills, with the ability to independently manage multi-phase rollouts, coordinate dependencies, document decisions and processes, manage risks, and drive day-to-day execution across multiple workstreams in an asynchronous, fully remote environment.
• Demonstrated change management and enablement capability, including building training, manager toolkits, and communications that drive adoption in a globally distributed environment.
• Experience owning succession planning and talent identification approaches with a focus on building strong leadership pipelines.
• Strong analytical skills, including defining talent health metrics, building dashboards, and synthesizing insights into clear narratives for executive audiences.
• Ability to build trusted relationships and influence across People Business Partners, People Technology, People Data and Analytics, and senior business leaders.
• Comfort operating autonomously and asynchronously in a fully remote environment, with a bias toward clear documentation, operational discipline, and continuous improvement.

About the team

You'll join the Talent Management & Development team at a pivotal moment in GitLab's journey. As a core part of GitLab's People Team, we drive the programs, frameworks, and strategies that turn strong performers into industry-leading talent - and make continuous growth part of how GitLab operates every day. We're doing meaningful work to evolve and elevate how a global company develops its people, with room to think boldly, build thoughtfully, and create things that last. We sit at the intersection of team member experience and business performance, which means what we do is visible, consequential, and directly tied to GitLab's success. If you're energized by high-impact work and shaping what great talent management looks like at scale, this is the team for you.