Executive HR Strategy & Transformation Leader

Keith A. Walker

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Summary

Strong leadership background in Human Capital Management, Finance/Budget, Real Estate, Training/Education, and Communications. Significant experience in organizational design and change management strategies. Innovative leader who has changed the culture of the organization through recruiting, hiring, training, and organizational design/focus. Ambitious Executive who creates strategic alliances with organization leaders to effectively align with and support key business initiatives. Builds and retains high performance teams by hiring, developing and motivating skilled professionals.

Skills

Experience

Director, Office of HR Strategy and Transformation, Human Capital Office, IRS ES-340 Present

Executive leadership for 4 organizations focusing on connecting with external stakeholders who issue legislative and regulatory mandates and translating this information to determine HR priorities. Plans and guides the enterprise-wide policy and strategic requirements for all HR activities. Provides the enterprise with a focused strategic architecture promoting research, data analytics, project and change management, and future state forecasting. Lead workforce reshaping for the organization.

IRS University – Centralized organization to equip all employees with the skills development and career opportunities to meet business needs. Lead the continued stand-up of centralized organization and creation/implementation of new processes for employee development.

Strategy and Planning

Human Capital Data Management and Technology - Develop creative and innovative analytics and technology products that support efficient delivery of human capital services, data-driven decision making, and organizational change.

Transformation, Policy, and Engagement

Director, Strategy and Planning, Human Capital Office, IRS ES—340 Present

Executive lead for the partnership across HCO and with Servicewide subject matter experts to collaboratively develop strategic visions that align with IRS and Department of the Treasury goals.

Human Capital Research (HCR) – Support the IRA Strategic Operating Plan 2022-2026 and HCO initiatives by providing support to scientific research projects championed by HCO executives and other HCO related activities.

Governance & Project Management (GPM) – Provide strategic support to HCO governing boards including managing and facilitating agendas, meetings and actions.

Strategic Planning and Reporting (SPR) – Drive strategic planning aligned to the Human Capital Framework (HCF), Treasury's Strategic Plan and the IRA Strategic Operating Plan (SOP). Monitor and report on process and areas of risk.

Workforce Planning & Analysis (WPA) – Provide enterprise workforce planning (WFP) policy, tools, processes, and procedures. Develop implement new process for identifying skills and positions requirements. Lead development of automated process.

Director, Transformation, Policy, and Engagement, Human Capital Office, IRS ES-340 2/11/2024-Present

Provide executive leadership for the transformation of the human capital community, development and implementation of all human capital policies, and corporate engagement and retention programs.

Key Activities:

Create and stand-up expanded transformation office.

Oversee work of human capital transformation teams including workforce planning, recruitment, hiring, and employee experience, ensuring collaboration across HCO and customer organizations. Driving change from concept to implementation.

Oversee the development and implementation of all human capital policies ensuring an effective balance between legal requirements and business needs.

Lead IRS programs in future of work and telework providing IRS with one of the most comprehensive programs in government.

Lead corporate engagement and retention activities, Gather data through the annual survey, focus groups, town halls. Developing a continuous feedback process. Lead the implementation of new initiatives resulting from the feedback including supply stations, fix it days, mental health and wellness, monetary and nonmonetary rewards, developing and a “walk in my shoes” program.

Project Director, Human Capital Office, IRS ES-340-00 9/2022-2/10/2024

Provide executive leadership across Human Capital Office for all activities related to the Inflation Reduction Act human capital transformation. Oversee teams in transformation activities in areas of workforce planning, attracting a diverse workforce, redesign hiring and onboarding, improving the employee experience, help employees grow and develop, and develop a data savvy workforce.

Key Activities:

Analyze and recommend alternative personnel system.

Elevate use of workforce planning.

Implement use of direct authority and hiring recruitment events. Reduced requirements on applicants and overall hiring time from 150+ to 80 days. Expand use of social media.

Redesign hiring process.

Skills assessment and position analysis.

Expand student programs.

Revamped the onboarding process. Develop podcasts to provide pre-employment information. Expand use of virtual orientation. Expand capacity in Personnel Security. Onboarded over 4000 in May.

Establish regular employee feedback mechanisms – pulse surveys, focus groups.

Implement flexible work options.

Expanding award and incentive programs.

Revamp performance management process.

Reduce manager burden in employee relations.

Stand up IRS University.

Develop and implement Competitive Education Program.

Implement leadership training to temporary managers.

Develop career pathing.

Development recruitment focus for data positions.

Provide data savvy education for broader workforce.

Implement new technologies.

Director Human Resource Customer Relations, Human Capital Office IRS ES-340-00 10/1/2021-Present

Project Director – lead redesign of HR community support model in light of overall IRS redesign based on the implementation of the Taxpayer First Act. Identify work needed to be done within an HR business facing organization. Recommend structure based on that work

Director Customer Relations – Provide Executive leadership for business focused HR support for all Deputy Commissioner Operations Support organizations including IT, HCO, Procurement, Facilities Management, Research.

Key Activities:

Develop and oversee all HR activities within the employee lifecycle for customer organizations.

Serves as lead for leadership development programs including lead for corporate executive development and advisor/mentor for IT and HCO participants. Co-chair for corporate Talent Review Board/

Lead the IT Strategic Training Committee and the development of the IRS University IT Academy.

Lead hiring planning and execution for serviced organizations including establishing and monitoring authorized staffing plans.

Lead implementation of HCO organizational realignment.

Lead implementation of vaccine mandate for customers and support corporate efforts.

Serve as HCO National Continuity of Operations alternate.

Director Office of HR Strategy Human Capital Office IRS ES-340-00 9/2020- 10/1/2021

Project Director – lead redesign of HR community support model in light of overall IRS redesign based on the implementation of the Taxpayer First Act. Identify work needed to be done within an HR business facing organization. Recommend structure based on that work

Provide 2nd level Executive leadership for the offices of Customer Relations, Enterprise Talent Planning and Development, Human Capital Data Management and Technology, Policy and Compliance, HR Strategy and Research., and HCO 2022 Project Office.

Key Activities:

Continuing transformation of human capital community and processes.

Enhance relationships with customers and governance activities.

Build multi-year strategic workforce plan.

Develop talent having the right skills in, in the right place, at the right time by providing training and sourcing strategies.

Develop and oversee HR policies and compliance.

Modernize HR technology and leverage centralized data to enhance reporting capabilities and decision-making.

Conduct HR resource projects and develop HR strategies for a forward focused HCO.

Director HCO 2022 Human Capital Office IRS ES-340-00 1/2020-9/2020

Serves as the Program Director leading cross organization teams to build the optimal Human Resource Service Delivery model for the future. Led the teams in redesigning the structure and processes to build a more effective and cohesive human resource community, while enhancing the applicant and customer experience.

Key Accomplishments:

Completed phase one with an agreed corporate structure for the future.

Initiated phase two with the development of a project plan for organizational change and process improvement.

Initiated Communities of Practice for Project Managers. Change Managers, and Business Based HR representatives.

Partner with Business Units leadership for input and feedback on initiatives.

Hold regular briefings with employees and leadership groups for transparency in project status and direction.

Developing transitional plan for new organizational structure.

Developing comprehensive plan for process mapping and improvement.

Director, Program and Business Solutions Large Business & International (LBI) IRS, ES-340-00 11/2017-1/2020

Acting Director, Program and Business Solutions LB&I IRS ES 340-00 1/2017-5/2017

Served as the Executive lead with a staff of 200 professionals, including 2 Executives covering the areas of HR, Finance, IT, Strategic Planning, Learning and Education, and Communications, Quality Review, and Program Management, located throughout the country and Washington, DC.

Key Accomplishments:

Lead the development and execution of $8 million annual budget

Led the development and delivery of annual strategic hiring plan. Work resulted in filling over 700 positions, professional and administrative, across the organization and country.

Developed and implemented a strategic recruitment plan. This included the first work in the IRS with a focus on recruiting through LinkedIn. This resulted in over 100,000 followers, job announcements being viewed 5 million times, and 40,000 members indicating interest by clicking apply. Partnered with the Diversity and Equal Employment Opportunity Council to plan and deliver recruitment activities to expand the diversity of the applicant pool.

Led the advancement of LB&I as a learning organization. Implemented a series of Communities of Practice to foster the development and ongoing discussion around key efforts. Served as Executive Champion for Analyst training in designing and delivering a new curriculum plan. Delivered and orientation, completed staff work, project management and other courses for the analyst population. Redesigned training for managers focusing on administrative issues facing all temporary and permanent managers. Led shift of technical training from mostly virtual to a blend of virtual and face-to-face.

Partnered with Information Technology to develop a new “break/fix” plan to address lengthy delays in repair time in lack of support in smaller locations

Developed and delivered strategic communication plan to communicate internally and externally the changes in compliance work of the division. This included partnering with external stakeholders to deliver a series of webinars to discuss the overall changes and specific compliance efforts with both external practitioners and IRS employees simultaneously. This is the first this has ever been done.

Led increased use of technology to provide internal communications through the use of virtual conferences and podcasts. Developed online newsletters for PBS and later LB&I to communicate significant activities and information as well as to market services of the organization.

Served as LB&I representative on corporate committee for Enterprise Case Management. This effort is to implement a single, IRS-wide, case management system for the dozen systems being used now.

Led the efforts to build the Knowledge Management Library.

Served as Director Program and Business Solutions and Director Resource Solutions simultaneously for 6 months.

Serve as representative on Human Capital Advisory Committee, Program Budget Advisory Committee, Learning and Development Executive Committee, Talent Review Board, and Administrative Support Oversight Board.

Serve as mentor to 3 leadership candidates.

Director, Resource Solutions LBI - ES-340-00 2/6/2016-11/2017

Director, Management and Finance LB&I IRS ES-340-00 7/13/2014-2/6/2016

Executive Officer (Acting Director Management and Finance) LB&I, IR-01 3/2013-7/13/2013

Serves as the Executive lead with a staff of 90 professionals, including 4 senior managers (Finance, HR, Strategic Planning, Learning and Education, and Communications), located throughout the country and Washington, DC.

Key Accomplishments:

Developed informal relationship with National Treasury Employees Union to provide early discussion and feedback on initiatives and address issues informally.

Led development and execution of $800 million annual budget.

Implemented the use of technologies to provide new communication tools through webinars and podcasts. Developed a podcast on the “Day in the Life of a Revenue Agent” to educate new hires and recruits on what the job about. This tool became a focal point of recruitment and a key early development of knowledge management.

Led the design and implementation of new organizational structure and positions within LB&I. This included partnering with the IRS Human Capital Office for approval and implementation and the National Treasury Employees Union (NETU) to address any possible issues. It also included delivering a communications plan to inform employees, taxpayers and external stakeholders of the changes.

Lead the redesign of the new hire training program.

Led the development of eh Skill Inventory, in partnership with NTEU, to establish a database of employees and skills to assist in identifying expertise and to inform training gaps, individually and corporately.

Served as representative on the Strategic Facilities Plan Oversight group which resulted in over $2 million in rent savings.

Developed and delivered strategic hiring plan that resulted in filling over 200 professional and administrative positions through-out the organization.

Led LB&I through sequestration budget reduction of $50 million.

Refocused training delivery model to virtual training to address reduction in training budget from &8 million to $1.9 million annually. First in the IRS to shift to virtual training model.

Serve as representative on Human Capital Advisory Committee, Program Budget Advisory Committee, Learning and Development Executive Committee, Talent Review Board, and Administrative Support Oversight Board.

Executive Officer (Assistant to Director Management and Finance) LB&I IRS, IR-01 7/2012-3/2013

Key Accomplishments:

Served as co-Executive lead for the IRS Hiring Improvement team. Provided guidance and direction to an overall group of about 18 business representatives, divided into 3 sub-teams (pre-announcement, post-announcement, and communications/training), to identify issues and provide analysis and recommendations for improving the entire hiring process. Led the team through initial brainstorming session identifying “pain-points”. Served as mentor to post-announcement sub-team.

Served as Executive champion of the Skills Inventory initiative. Re-focused the efforts of the program manager on the implementation, added additional staff resources to the effort through details, and re-connected the C&L organization to the program. Approved a new implementation timeline, announced the start of the roll-out to the impacted managers, seen the completion of the SI web site, approved communications pieces, and updated National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU).

Worked in conjunction with Workforce Relations Division and International Transfer Pricing Organization (TPO) to address the issue of performance awards for employees transferred into Advanced Pricing and Mutual Agreement (APMA) from Chief Counsel. Coordinated with TPO to develop an award proposal. Coordinated with NTEU and an agreement reached so these employees did not miss out which has contributed toward their employee satisfaction.

Oversaw the completion of the hiring initiative for International, including the on-boarding process. Conducted a review of the on-boarding process. Partnered with Human Capital Office (HCO) and other organizations to redesign the process.

Expanded the use of technology for virtual meetings with Management and Finance (M&F). Initiated leadership training sessions for management team and senior analysts through the use of online course and live discussion via Live Meeting.

Executive Officer (Assistant to Deputy Commissioner International) LB&I IRS, IR-01 5/2011-7/2012

Key Accomplishments:

Led the planning and implementation efforts to realign International and transfer the Advanced Pricing Agreement program from Chief Counsel to International. Worked closely with International Leadership to plan the changes as well as address any issues as they have arisen. Developed a partnership with Chief Counsel to ensure a smooth and coordinated transition. Met and communicated with Counsel Leadership regularly to inform them of our status and to maintain a coordinated effort. Coordinated the communication efforts to launch the changes including an informal briefing with National Treasury Employees Union and a series of communications with managers, employees, and stakeholders. Worked closely with Communications and Liaison to develop the communications tools. Organized a working group of LB&I and IRS support organizations to work through the transition issues. Worked with Management & Finance to develop the request for organization codes for the new organization and have coordinated with the Chief Financial Officer and Agency-Wide Shared Services so they know what to expect and why. Worked with Executive Services to develop and receive ER approval for the new Assistant Deputy Commissioner International, the elevation of the Director of Transfer Pricing, and the new Director Advanced Pricing and Mutual Agreement program. Lead the effort to develop new position descriptions for the Deputy Director, Advanced Pricing and Mutual Agreement and for all of the employees transferring from Counsel as well as developing new Critical Job Elements to go with them. Worked with Human Capital to coordinate formal notification to NTEU and to prepare for and conduct the formal briefing on the changes. Worked with Counsel and LB&I Business Systems Planning to coordinate and address IT inventory issues. Worked closely with Leadership, Human Capital and others to resolve any employee issues, ensuring timely and accurate responses. Worked closely with the Director Transfer Pricing and his managers to address issues in standing up the field support groups. Oversaw the development of a new position description and have worked with them in determining the process to be used for populating the groups.

Worked closely with the Director to design and recruit for key senior level positions on his staff. Appointed as member of the Steering Committee to oversee the implementation. Led the effort to hire 80 new technical employees into International. Worked with the Leadership to identify the needs and coordinated with Human Capital to develop the process and timeline. Worked closely with the hiring managers as well as Human Capital to address any issues immediately as they arise to ensure the most individuals are hired as possible, in the most efficient and effective manner. Planned for additional positions that could be filled in the event all of the targeted positions could not be filled to ensure maximum use of available resources. Served as a liaison between the managers and HR to ensure everyone is on the same page and being as flexible as possible, while staying within the hiring rules.

Served on Executive Advisory Council for the IRS Administrative Career Enhancement Program. Lead a team to re-design the administrative support structure with the International program to improve efficiency of staff and increase coverage within the current limited levels of staffing.

Lead a team to design and deliver training to new managers on administrative/organizational issues. Lead the effort to hire 300 new employees into International.

Director, Human Capital Management LB&I Management and Finance IRS, IR-01 2004-5/2011

Manage a staff of 16 senior professionals, including one front-line manager, in 6 states and Washington, DC.

Responsible for the delivery of HR programs to the Large Business and International Division (7,000 employees).

Key Accomplishments:

Consult with Executives and Managers on HR programs and policies including Workforce Planning, Recruitment, Staffing, LR, Classification, Performance Management, and Organizational Structure.

Led the design, implementation, and improvement of hiring programs resulting in over 4,000 technical hires from 2003-2010 (46% of current technical workforce). First in IRS to use category rating and automated announcement/rating system. Led redesign of recruitment process to target mid-career candidates.

Led succession planning programs for front-line and senior manger levels, creating programs for each level. Established and led the Senior Manager Review Board made up of Division Executives to review and approve all Senior Manager selections.

Led the design and implementation of multiple organizational re-designs involving several hundred employees at a time.

Served as senior member of corporate Human Capital Advisory Council making policy and program decisions across the IRS.

Acting Director, Management and Finance LB&I IRS, IR-01 2/2009-1/2010

Led a staff of 90, including 5 Senior managers (Finance, HR, Strategic Planning, Learning and Education, and Communications), located throughout the country and Washington, DC.

Key Accomplishments:

Led the execution of $850 million-dollar budget for FY 09 and strategic planning for FY 10 and 11.

Led the effort to bring on 925 total hires which included new to LMSB hires as well as movement within LMSB, managers, and secretaries. This was the largest technical hire LMSB had ever conducted and it was accomplished in a compressed period of 6 months.

Led the implementation of the redesigned LMSB new hire technical training program focused on a blended learning New Hire Training Curricula using LMSB quality auditing standards and metrics as the basis. Initiated development of a capstone classroom Advanced Auditing Techniques class which was delivered to 101 agents between June and August 2009.

Led M&F support of the International reorganization including HR, Budget, and Communications issues.

Team Lead, Workforce of Tomorrow (WoT) IRS, IR-01 9/2008-2/2009

Led a cross-organizational team focused on streamlining the hiring process, impacting all IRS employees. Utilized Lean principles to conduct value stream analyses of the current process in four different servicing personnel offices. Led the team in development of a bold vision for a 5-step hiring process centered on a candidate inventory of pre-qualified, pre-ranked candidates with automation as a key factor. Worked with the Human Capital Office (HCO) to build an implementation schedule and prioritize actions needed (i.e. rollout of Career Connector for on-line applications and assessment) necessary to move the Service toward the future state. Responsible for the design of the two-track approach and identified two team members for increased responsibility to lead the Hiring Process review effort. Worked closely with HCO and other WoT Teams to address cross-cutting issues and potential opportunities. delivered multiple briefings on team progress to a wide-range of high-level executives and stakeholders, including the Commissioner, Deputy Commissioners, Senior Executive Team, NTEU, and Employee Organization presidents.

Acting Director, Learning and Education LMSB Management and Finance IRS, IR-01

Performed in dual roles as Acting Director, managing a staff of 20, including 2 front-line managers, located throughout the country, while simultaneously being Director HCM, for 9 months spanning FY 07 and 08. Oversaw the transition of the L&E organization from an Embedded focus to a corporate focus. Ensured timely delivery of the FY07 training plan, identified excess training funds for use elsewhere in LMSB, established a feedback process with HCO Centralized Delivery Services (CDS) to ensure course delivery issues were effectively managed, and procured a contract to develop IMS version 3.0 training.

Manager, Workforce Structuring, LMSB Management and Finance HCM IRSGS-14 2002-4/2004

Initiated and led new and novel approach to recruit mid-career accountants in combination with internal promotions within Division of 6000 employees. Implemented external recruitment and hiring program at the senior level for technical/professional positions. Led improvement teams each year to address issues which arose in the previous hiring process. Implemented process of stakeholder teams and network of field hiring coordinators. Designed and implemented Intern and Student programs for technical/professional positions. Met all hiring goals each year. Served as advisor and liaison on all employment issues.

Education

New York University, New York, NY – Masters of Public Administration

Hartwick College, Oneonta, NY – Bachelor of Arts, Political Science

Organizational change

Employee/labor relations

Budgeting expertise

Developing partnerships/networks

Strategic planning

Leadership/communications

Change management

Business operations organization

Human resources

Customer oriented

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