Strategic Transformation Executive

Northern Trust • Chicago, IL

1d • $250,000 - $375,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

About Northern Trust: Northern Trust, a Fortune 500 company, is a globally recognized, award-winning financial institution that has been in continuous operation since 1889. Northern Trust is proud to provide innovative financial services and guidance to the world’s most successful individuals, families, and institutions by remaining true to our enduring principles of service, expertise, and integrity. With more than 130 years of financial experience and over 22,000 partners, we serve the world’s most sophisticated clients using leading technology and exceptional service. Lead enterprise-scale transformation. Shape the future of Wealth Management. The Strategic Transformation Executive is a senior, enterprise-oriented leader responsible for translating strategy into measurable, sustained business outcomes. Reporting to the Chief Transformation Officer, these five Strategic Transformation Executive roles will lead transformation initiatives within the Wealth Management Transformation Office, partnering closely with executive leaders to design and deliver large-scale transformation across strategy, operating model, talent, data, and technology. We are recruiting for five Strategic Transformation Executives who will each focus on the following pillars: Strategic Transformation Executive – Personalization This role leads the design and execution of Wealth Management’s personalization strategy, aligning client personas with differentiated operating models, service approaches, and growth priorities. The executive partners with business, product, and technology leaders to clarify persona-specific value propositions and ensure scalable delivery across the Wealth Management platform. Strategic Transformation Executive – Channel and Platform This role is accountable for transforming Wealth Management’s channel and platform strategy to enable growth, scale, and consistency across client and advisor interactions. The executive drives alignment across distribution channels, core platforms, and supporting capabilities to improve integration, reduce friction, and accelerate delivery of new products and services. Strategic Transformation Executive – Field Enablement & PA Workstation This role leads transformation initiatives focused on advisor enablement, practice management, and the evolution of the PA Workstation. The executive is responsible for improving field productivity and effectiveness by redesigning tools, workflows, training, and service models that enable advisors and relationship teams to operate at scale with greater consistency and impact. Strategic Transformation Executive – Program Management & Platform (ENT) This enterprise scoped role establishes and scales program management, governance, and execution platforms that underpin transformation initiatives across Northern Trust. The executive is accountable for driving disciplined delivery, transparency, and benefits realization by building repeatable program management standards, tooling, and performance tracking capabilities that can be leveraged across multiple businesses, including but not limited to Wealth Management. Strategic Transformation Executive – Digital Assets & Payments This role leads the modernization of Wealth Management’s digital assets and payments capabilities, including custody, money movement, and next‑generation transaction infrastructure. The executive is accountable for reducing friction, managing risk, and positioning Northern Trust to compete effectively in evolving digital financial ecosystems. While initially focused on Wealth Management, these roles are central to building repeatable transformation capabilities that can scale across Northern Trust as the enterprise transformation agenda evolves. What You’ll Do Join the Transformation Office on the ground floor and be part of building a high-performing team spanning strategy, program management, analytics, and change.

Requirements

• Deep understanding of Wealth Management business models and operating dynamics.
• Proven experience leading enterprise transformation and complex, multi-workstream programs.
• Strong strategic thinking, analytical, and problem-solving capabilities.
• Exceptional executive communication and stakeholder influence skills.
• Ability to operate effectively across business, technology, data, and corporate functions in environments of change.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.
• 20+ years of experience in financial services, consulting, or enterprise transformation.
• Prior people leadership experience required.
• Demonstrated success delivering large-scale initiatives with material business impact.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the execution owner of transformation initiatives, accountable for strategy design, execution, and measurable business outcomes.
• Partner with the Chief Transformation Officer and senior business leaders to shape priorities and execute enterprise transformation objectives.
• Translate enterprise strategy into multi-year transformation roadmaps with clear milestones, dependencies, and success metrics.
• Oversee complex, cross-functional initiatives across business, operations, data, technology, and change enablement.
• Establish governance, performance tracking, and benefits realization to ensure initiatives deliver lasting impact.
• Drive adoption of data-, analytics-, and AI-enabled solutions that improve decision-making, productivity, and client experience.
• Design and embed repeatable transformation frameworks and ways of working that scale across the enterprise.
• Act as a visible change leader, reinforcing disciplined execution and outcome-focused delivery.

Benefits

• Northern Trust provides a comprehensive benefits package including retirement benefits (401k and pension), health and welfare benefits (medical, dental, vision, spending accounts and disability), paid time off, parental and caregiver leave, life & accident insurance, and other voluntary and well-being benefits.
• Northern Trust also provides a discretionary bonus program that may include an equity component.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Executive
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees