IT - Head of Technology Planning & Business Partnership.

Zurich Insurance Group • Schaumburg, IL

7d • $175,200 - $287,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

The Head of Technology Planning & Business Partnership strengthens the connection between business strategy and technology priorities across North America. The role works closely with senior business and technology leaders to shape demand, establish priorities, and align technology investments, resources, and delivery capacity with key business priorities.

As a technology partner to senior business leaders, the role develops an understanding of their strategies, priorities, and challenges, then translates business needs into clear technology requirements and actionable priorities. It leads the technology demand intake process, maintains visibility across the demand pipeline, evaluates competing requests, and provides recommendations to senior leaders and steering committees. The role also partners with IT leadership on delivery capacity and resource allocation, ensures initiatives are clearly defined before delivery, and tracks whether technology investments achieve their intended business outcomes.

The position leads and develops technology talent and supports a collaborative, business-focused approach to IT planning. Zurich Cover-More offers a hybrid work arrangement with three days in the office and two days working from home. The proposed nationwide salary range is $175,200–$287,000, with a 25% short-term incentive plan.

Requirements

• Strong understanding of business strategy and how technology enables commercial and operational outcomes.
• Experience partnering with senior business and technology leaders.
• Background in technology strategy, IT planning, governance, or portfolio management.
• Strong knowledge of technology delivery processes and resource or capacity planning.
• Ability to assess competing priorities, evaluate trade-offs, and provide clear recommendations.
• Excellent communication, stakeholder management, and influencing skills.
• Experience leading technology teams and developing talent.

Nice To Haves

• Experience within insurance, financial services, or a similarly complex business environment.

Responsibilities

• Partner with senior business leaders to understand their strategies, priorities, and challenges.
• Translate business needs into clear technology requirements and actionable priorities.
• Strengthen alignment between business objectives and the North American technology agenda.
• Lead the technology demand intake process and ensure requests are clearly defined and assessed before prioritisation.
• Maintain visibility across the technology demand pipeline, including emerging requirements and business priorities.
• Evaluate competing demands based on business value, urgency, dependencies, and available capacity.
• Recommend investment and prioritisation decisions to senior leadership and steering committees.
• Partner with IT leadership to understand delivery capacity, identify constraints, and recommend resource allocation against business priorities.
• Ensure business problems, expected outcomes, scope, and requirements are clearly defined before initiatives enter delivery.
• Establish expected business value upfront and provide visibility into whether technology investments deliver intended outcomes.
• Report on technology demand, portfolio priorities, capacity constraints, and decisions requiring leadership attention.
• Lead and develop technology talent, supporting a collaborative and business-focused approach to IT planning.

Benefits

• Hybrid work arrangement: three days in the office and two days working from home.
• Comprehensive onboarding and continuous professional development.
• Annual and personal leave.
• Volunteer leave.
• Paid parental leave scheme.
• Competitive high-deductible health plan.
• Employee assistance program (EAP) and access to health and well-being activities.
• 401(k) program with employer matching.
• Short-term incentive bonus and merit increases may be available.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed