Talent Management & Executive Development Sr Consultant

Northern Trust • Chicago, IL

11d • $95,600 - $162,400 • Hybrid

About The Position

This role is a critical execution lead within Talent Management & Development, driving the orchestration and delivery of enterprise talent processes for the CEO and Executive Leadership Team (ELT). The individual ensures seamless implementation of cyclical leadership talent routines – such as performance management cycles and senior succession reviews – with an emphasis on quality, consistency, and executive readiness. Operating at the intersection of strategy and execution, the P3 Lead collaborates closely with the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), Head of Talent Management & Development, Head of Talent Practices, and senior HR leaders to bring rigor, structure, and follow-through to high-visibility talent processes. The focus is on executing established strategies with excellence and responsiveness, ensuring leadership talent discussions are well-prepared and actionable.

Requirements

• 8 years of experience in Talent Management, Leadership Development, or related HR roles, with a strong track record of executing performance management and succession planning processes in a complex organization.
• Proven experience supporting C-suite or senior leadership stakeholders, including preparing executive-level presentations and reports that communicate talent insights clearly.
• Demonstrated expertise in enterprise talent processes (e.g., performance review cycles, calibration, succession planning) and familiarity with the governance and sensitivity required for executive-level talent reviews.
• Advanced synthesis and presentation skills – able to transform complex or voluminous information into concise, high-impact messages and visuals for senior audiences.
• Excellent analytical and critical thinking skills, with the ability to dig into talent data and draw out actionable insights and trends.
• High attention to detail and ownership mindset – takes initiative to drive tasks to completion, anticipates needs, and ensures nothing falls through the cracks in a fast-paced, high-stakes environment.
• Strong judgment and discretion in handling confidential and sensitive talent information.
• Ability to thrive amid ambiguity by bringing structure to undefined problems and connecting strategic direction to practical execution steps.

Nice To Haves

• Execution Excellence: Operates with urgency, reliability, and thoroughness, ensuring talent processes are run with precision and deadlines are met. Maintains a structured approach to manage complex, cross-enterprise processes efficiently.
• Executive Presence & Communication: Confident and poised when engaging with senior leaders. Communicates with clarity and professionalism, building credibility through sound judgment and polished delivery. Able to influence without direct authority by providing well-reasoned recommendations.
• Collaboration & Stakeholder Management: Works seamlessly across Talent Management, HR partners, and executive stakeholders. Collaborative team player who actively listens and adapts to stakeholder needs, fostering trust and alignment throughout process delivery.
• Analytical Insight & Synthesis: Distills complex or ambiguous data into clear messages, options, and decisions for leaders. Brings a strong critical-thinking lens to identify the most important trends, risks, and follow-ups in talent discussions.
• Proactive Ownership: Anticipates challenges in talent cycles and addresses issues proactively. Displays an ownership mindset, taking accountability for outcomes and continuously looking for ways to improve process effectiveness and experience.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate and execute end-to-end talent processes for the leadership team (performance goal-setting, mid-year and year-end reviews, calibration sessions, leadership succession and resiliency planning).
• Ensure all talent review materials and logistics are aligned, accurate, and ready for executive use, proactively resolving any gaps or inconsistencies ahead of key discussions.
• Lead disciplined process governance by managing timelines, check-points, and deliverables across the annual leadership talent calendar.
• Partner directly with the CAO, Talent Management & Development head, Talent Practices head, and HR Business Partners to support and align on talent priorities for top leaders.
• Build strong working relationships to facilitate smooth preparation, information sharing, and follow-ups for executive talent discussions.
• Drive alignment among stakeholders before, during, and after leadership talent reviews, ensuring decisions and actions are connected across the group.
• Prepare polished, executive-ready materials (presentations, briefing documents, data summaries) for senior leadership talent discussions.
• Synthesize performance, potential, succession, and other talent data into clear insights and recommended narratives for executive audiences.
• Translate complex or incomplete inputs into structured deliverables that enable productive decision-making by the CEO/ELT.
• Pressure-test content for clarity and consistency, ensuring final materials meet the high standards of senior stakeholders.
• Within established frameworks, identify enhancements to leadership talent processes focusing on simplification, efficiency, and user experience.
• Recommend practical improvements to tools, templates, and workflows based on observations and feedback during each cycle.
• Apply an end-to-end mindset to refine how talent insights are generated and communicated, driving incremental upgrades that make processes more effective over time.

Benefits

• 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
• other voluntary and well-being benefits
• discretionary bonus program that may include an equity component

What This Job Offers

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