Talent Management & Executive Development Director

Zurich Insurance • Schaumburg, IL

3d • Hybrid

About The Position

Zurich Insurance is currently looking for a Director of Talent Management & Executive Development that will lead  the organization's talent management strategy, ensuring alignment with business priorities and an evergreen approach to performance, succession, and talent movement. This role manages the full talent review and succession planning process, partners with HR and Talent Acquisition to drive career mobility, and designs and oversees development strategies for senior high-potential talent, including partnership with coaches. Key responsibilities include identifying critical roles, setting talent goals using data and analytics, overseeing assessments and executive coaching, and supporting senior leader onboarding to enhance integration and impact. The director also advises senior leadership on best practices and regularly reports on program effectiveness and areas for improvement.
This position reports to the Head of Talent Management and Development and is based in either our Schaumburg or Chicago, IL office.

Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree in business, Human Resources, or related degree and 10 or more years of progressive experience in talent management, leadership development, organizational development, or a related HR center-of-expertise role.AND
• Demonstrated experience designing and leading enterprise talent management processes, including talent reviews, succession planning, and senior leader development.
• Proven ability to partner with and influence senior leaders in a complex, matrixed organization, serving as a trusted advisor on talent strategy and decisions.
• Strong capability in using data and analytics to assess talent readiness, bench strength, succession risk, and program effectiveness.
• Experience leading and developing people, including direct management of team members.
• Excellent facilitation, consulting, and communication skills, with the ability to translate talent insights into clear, actionable recommendations.

Nice To Haves

• Master's degree in Human Resources, Organizational Psychology, Organizational Development, Business Administration, or a related discipline.
• Experience working with talent assessments, executive coaching, and leadership development programs for senior or executive populations.
• Familiarity with career mobility, internal talent marketplaces, or skills-based talent practices.
• HR certification (e.g., SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP, SPHR, or equivalent).
• Experience operating in a large, complex, or global organization, with exposure to multiple business units or geographies.

Responsibilities

• Lead enterprise talent management strategy aligned to business priorities, ensuring a cohesive and future-focused approach to performance, succession, and talent movement across the organization.
• Own the end-to-end talent review and succession planning process, including enterprise talent reviews and follow-through on development actions for critical roles.
• Partner closely with Talent Acquisition and HR Business Partners to enable career mobility, internal movement, and proactive talent pipelines for key and hard-to-fill roles.
• Design and execute development strategies for senior high-potential talent, with particular emphasis on individuals identified in senior-level succession plans and readiness pools.
• Identify and define critical roles across the enterprise and ensure clear succession, readiness criteria, and development pathways are in place.
• Serve as a strategic advisor and thought partner to senior leadership teams, educating and consulting leaders on talent management best practices and influencing outcomes through strong executive presence and credibility.
• Set aspirational talent and bench-strength goals, using data, analytics, and insights to assess talent readiness, succession risk, and future capability needs.
• Establish, refine, and monitor success metrics and KPIs for talent management programs; regularly report on outcomes, impact, and areas of risk or opportunity.
• Oversee the effective use of talent assessments and executive coaching, ensuring tools and interventions are applied thoughtfully to support senior leader development and succession readiness.
• Play a key role in senior leader onboarding, partnering with HR and business leaders to accelerate integration, effectiveness, and early impact for newly hired or promoted executives.
• Continuously evolve talent management practices, incorporating external best practices, emerging trends, and organizational feedback to strengthen overall talent capability.
• Regularly review and update frameworks to ensure alignment with business strategy and shifting workforce dynamics. Foster a culture of continuous improvement by driving innovation in talent processes, encouraging feedback from stakeholders, and engaging as a thought partner with other HR leadership.

Benefits

• We offer competitive pay and comprehensive benefits for employees and their families.
• Additional rewards may encompass short-term incentive bonuses and merit increases.

What This Job Offers

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