Sr. Director Executive Talent Partner

Northwestern Mutual•Milwaukee, WI

3d•$144,000 - $216,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Sr. Director, Executive Talent Partner serves as a senior advisor to enterprise leadership, focused on elevating executive effectiveness, accelerating leadership development, and strengthening organizational performance at the highest levels. This role partners closely with Senior HR Business Partners, Enterprise Leadership Group (ELG), and Senior Leadership Team (SLT) members to diagnose leadership and organizational challenges, and deliver tailored executive consulting, coaching, and development solutions. This role provides ongoing, high-impact executive consultation—shaping leadership capability, team effectiveness, and succession outcomes through deep partnership, insight, and influence. The Executive Talent Partner brings a strong point of view grounded in data, experience, and business acumen, and is a trusted voice in critical talent and transformation decisions.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Organizational Development, or related field (or equivalent experience required).
10+ years of experience in executive development, leadership consulting, organizational development, or HR advisory roles supporting senior leaders.
Executive Consultation & Coaching: Demonstrated ability to coach and advise senior executives, including delivering candid feedback and influencing behavior change.
Executive Presence & Facilitation: Strong presence with the ability to lead high-impact conversations, facilitate executive forums, and present to senior audiences with clarity and confidence.
Strategic Thinking & Business Acumen: Ability to connect leadership strategies to business outcomes and enterprise priorities.
Organizational Diagnosis: Skilled in identifying root causes of leadership and team challenges and translating them into actionable solutions.
Communication & Storytelling: Exceptional ability to synthesize insights into compelling narratives that drive alignment and action.
Influence & Relationship Management: Builds trust quickly and navigates complex stakeholder environments with credibility and impact.
Data & Insight Fluency: Leverages qualitative and quantitative data to inform executive decisions and development strategies.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in Business, Organizational Development, Industrial/Organizational Psychology, or related field preferred.
Experience delivering executive coaching and leadership assessments (e.g., 360s, psychometrics).
Background in enterprise transformation or large-scale organizational change.
Certification in executive coaching or relevant assessment tools.
Familiarity with agile ways of working.

Responsibilities

Serve as a trusted executive advisor and coach to ELG and SLT leaders, providing candid, insight-driven guidance to enhance leadership effectiveness and business performance.
Lead executive development consulting engagements, including leadership assessment, coaching, and targeted development planning for senior leaders and their teams.
Diagnose complex leadership and organizational challenges, and translate insights into practical, high-impact actions that improve executive and team performance.
Facilitate executive-level discussions, offsites, and leadership sessions, bringing strong presence, structure, and storytelling to drive alignment and outcomes.
Partner with senior leaders and HR Business Partners to strengthen succession pipelines and accelerate readiness for critical executive roles.
Enhance team effectiveness at the executive level, including onboarding and assimilation of new leaders, improving team dynamics, and enabling high-performing leadership teams.
Integrate data, assessment insights, and external research to inform executive decision-making and development strategies.
Collaborate with HRBPs and COE partners to align executive development priorities with broader talent, workforce, and business strategies.
Influence and shape enterprise talent strategies by providing a forward-looking perspective on leadership capability, organizational health, and transformation readiness.
Act as a thought partner and challenger, bringing objectivity, courage, and enterprise perspective to sensitive and high-stakes talent discussions.