People Advisor

Ankura; Chicago (IL); Remote; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Ankura is seeking a People Advisory Manager to join the People Office. You will partner with business groups to deliver practical, business-aligned people solutions across the employee lifecycle.

The role emphasizes employee relations, performance management, talent development, engagement, and organizational change. You will work with executives and leaders, translating enterprise programs into business-level execution, and will travel occasionally as needed.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field (HR, business, or equivalent).
• 5+ years of HR experience in a complex, matrixed org.
• Experience in professional services or management consulting preferred.
• Experience in employee relations, performance management, talent development, engagement, and organizational change.

Responsibilities

• Serve as a trusted People Advisory partner to assigned business groups and understand their strategy and priorities.
• Provide guidance on employee relations, performance management, talent development, and engagement.
• Support annual talent and performance processes (goals, reviews, calibration, promotions).
• Analyze workforce data and prepare decision-ready materials with insights and risks.
• Coach leaders on feedback, performance concerns, and employee development.
• Manage employee relations matters including investigations and documentation.
• Partner on workforce changes, onboarding/offboarding, restructuring, and transitions.
• Contribute to firmwide People initiatives and improve processes.

Skills

People advisory

Relationship management

Consulting

Analytical

Project management

Communication

Travel ready

Workday

Microsoft Office

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Tools

Workday

Microsoft Office

Job description

People Office Overview:

Ankura is a team of excellence founded on innovation and growth. People Office Overview: The People Office serves as a strategic partner to Ankura’s businesses, leaders, and colleagues around the world. We help unlock the potential of our people through a differentiated culture, a compelling employee experience, and meaningful opportunities to learn, grow, and contribute.

Role Overview:

The People Advisory Manager is a member of the People Advisory team within the People Office, part of Ankura Business Services. This role partners with assigned business groups and People Office colleagues to deliver practical, responsive, and business-aligned people solutions. The Manager develops a strong understanding of the assigned businesses, including their strategy, leaders, talent, and organizational priorities. The role advises leaders across the employee lifecycle, with particular specifically focusing on employee relations, performance management, talent development, engagement, and organizational change. The Manager also helps deliver firmwide People programs and annual talent processes, translating enterprise strategies into effective execution within the business. The successful candidate will bring sound judgment, strong relationship building and consulting skills, analytical capability, and a hands, off approach. This individual will be comfortable navigating sensitive matters, balancing multiple priorities, developing clear and practical solutions, and collaborating across the People Office and business to strengthen the leader and employee experience.

Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree, preferably in human resources, business, or a related field.

Five or more years of relevant human resources experience in a complex, commercially oriented, matrixed organization.

Experience in professional services, management consulting, or a similarly dynamic client-service environment preferred.

Demonstrated experience supporting employee relations, performance management, talent management, employee engagement, compensation processes, organizational change, and employee development.

Experience supporting workplace investigations and employee relations matters; experience independently conducting investigations preferred.

Strong business acumen and the ability to connect people priorities with business objectives while ensuring disciplined execution.

Exceptional relationship-management and consulting skills, with the ability to establish credibility and build trusted partnerships with leaders and colleagues at all levels.

Sound judgment and strong critical-thinking, analytical, and problem-solving capabilities.

A practical, solutions-oriented approach, with the ability to identify issues, evaluate options, and drive timely outcomes.

Ability to adapt solutions to changing business needs and consider local, regional, and global implications.

High personal integrity, discretion, and courage, with a commitment to fostering trust, openness, and constructive challenge.

Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to influence stakeholders and tailor messages for different audiences.

Ability to collaborate effectively with global People Office centers of excellence and translate enterprise programs into effective business-level execution.

Strong project-management skills and a demonstrated ability to deliver initiatives in an organized, efficient, and timely manner.

Experience partnering with executive- and partner-level leaders.

Proficiency with Microsoft Office and HRIS systems such as Workday, including the ability to analyze data and develop clear, decision-ready materials.

Ability to travel occasionally, as business needs require.

Key Responsibilities:

• Serve as a trusted People Advisory partner to assigned business groups, developing a strong understanding of their strategy, structure, talent priorities, and employee needs.
• Build credible relationships with business and practice leaders and provide practical guidance on employee relations, performance management, talent development, organizational change, and employee engagement.
• Support annual talent and performance processes, including goal setting, talent reviews, midyear check-ins, year-end evaluations, calibration, promotions, and succession and compensation planning.
• Analyze workforce and talent data; prepare clear, decision-ready materials and recommendations; identify themes and risks; and track agreed-upon actions through completion.
• Coach leaders and performance managers on delivering feedback, addressing performance concerns, supporting employee development, and navigating sensitive employee matters.
• Manage and support employee relations matters, including fact-finding, documentation, stakeholder coordination, workplace investigations, performance improvement, and involuntary separations.
• Partner with leaders and People Office colleagues on workforce and organizational changes, including organizational design, reporting-line and manager changes, onboarding, offboarding, restructuring, and other employee transitions.
• Contribute to firmwide People initiatives and continuously identify opportunities to improve processes, strengthen the employee experience, and enable business performance.

#LI-Remote #LI-NB1

Ankura is an affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against based on disability. Equal Employment Opportunity Posters, if you have a disability and believe you need a reasonable accommodation to search for a job opening, submit an online application, or participate in an interview/assessment, please email [e-mail] or call toll‑free +1.312‑583‑2122. This email and phone number are created exclusively to assist disabled job seekers whose disability prevents them from being able to apply online. Only messages left for this purpose will be returned. Messages left for other purposes, such as following up on an application or technical issues unrelated to a disability, will not receive a response.

Ankura Consulting Group, LLC

Ankura Consulting Group, LLC is an independent global expert services and advisory firm that delivers services and end-to-end solutions to help clients at critical inflection points related to conflict, crisis, performance, risk, strategy, and transformation.

The Ankura team consists of more than 2000 professionals serving 3,000+ clients across 55 countries who are leaders in their respective fields and areas of expertise.

Collaborative Lateral Thinking That Delivers, hard-earned experience, expertise, and multidisciplinary capabilities drive results and Ankura is unrivalled in its ability to assist clients to Protect, Create, and Recover Value. For more information, please visit, ankura.com.