Principal, Leadership Development

An overview of this role

Great managers turn strategy into results. As the Lead, Talent Management Partner - Leadership Development, you'll design a modern, AI-powered leadership development ecosystem that supports first-time managers through seasoned executives and operates at global scale.

You'll own this work end to end, from setting a multi-year strategy and building a learning portfolio to measuring outcomes and improving programs. This role is a strong fit for a builder who brings a product mindset to people challenges, works well with ambiguity, and believes great leadership can improve team and business performance.

What you’ll do

• Develop and drive a multi-year leadership development roadmap that spans the full leader lifecycle, from first-time managers to executives.
• Conduct global needs analyses, focus groups, and other research to understand leaders' needs and turn those insights into experiences that change behavior and improve team performance.
• Design and deliver scalable, blended learning experiences, including instructor-led and live-online programs, self-paced e-learning, playbooks, wiki tools, and cohort-based experiences.
• Build trusted partnerships with People Business Partners, functional leaders, People Analytics, and Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging partners to diagnose needs and co-design solutions.
• Partner with People Analytics to create dashboards and measurement frameworks for workforce health, program effectiveness, and return on investment.
• Translate data into clear, executive-ready stories that support decisions and continuous improvement.
• Own project management across the portfolio, including milestones, dependencies, risks, documentation, and ongoing iteration.
• Build the communications, tools, and enablement needed to support adoption and lasting behavior change.

What you’ll bring

• Experience designing and delivering leadership development strategies and programs at scale in a global organization.
• The ability to set a multi-year roadmap while also designing and delivering focused learning experiences.
• A product mindset, including experience using roadmaps, user feedback, prioritization, adoption measures, and data to improve people programs.
• Knowledge of instructional design methods and adult learning principles, with experience selecting learning formats and designing for practical application.
• Hands-on experience using artificial intelligence tools to address learning and development challenges, along with curiosity about emerging approaches.
• Strong facilitation skills across virtual and live formats, including experience working with senior executives.
• Experience defining meaningful measures, building dashboards, and translating complex data into clear recommendations.
• Change management, communication, and influence skills, with Prosci certification preferred.
• A self-directed, asynchronous-first working style grounded in clear documentation and precise communication across time zones.

About the team

You'll join GitLab's Talent Management & Development team, part of the People Team. The team builds the programs, frameworks, and strategies that support continuous growth and connect team member experience with business performance. You'll help shape how a global, all-remote company develops its leaders, with room to think boldly, build thoughtfully, and create approaches that last.