Principal, HR Innovation & Transformation

Marsh; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 176,000 - 264,000; Full time

Job summary

Marsh in New York seeks a Principal, HR Innovation & Transformation to translate strategy into structured programs, delivering the People Function’s transformation agenda with clear priorities and measurable value.

You will lead governance for AI initiatives, build business cases, and champion executive communication across senior leaders, creating impact through data-driven change and strategic partnerships.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience; an advanced degree (MBA or similar) is a plus.
• 8+ years in management consulting, corporate strategy, transformation, or HR/people advisory, with multi-stakeholder programs end to end.
• Ability to structure open-ended problems, work from a hypothesis-driven approach, and deliver defensible recommendations with minimal direction.
• Strong commercial and analytical judgment; build business cases and investment perspectives.
• Executive communication with concise, executive-ready storytelling; advanced PowerPoint skills.
• High autonomy and ownership; know what to advance independently.
• Exposure to HR/people functions or tech-enabled change (AI, data, or digital initiatives).

Responsibilities

• Operationalize the transformation strategy into a structured, sequenced agenda.
• Own the architecture and discipline of the transformation portfolio with status, risks, and value realization.
• Build the investment case for technology and AI with ROI perspectives and business cases.
• Develop and operationalize governance and enablement for AI across the People Function.
• Build credibility and alignment with leadership and enterprise stakeholders.

Skills

Executive communication

Excel

PowerPoint

Hypothesis-driven approach

Analytical judgment

Stakeholder management

AI/Tech fluency

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience

MBA or similar (plus)

Job description

The Principal, HR Innovation & Transformation is responsible for driving the People Function’s transformation agenda — operationalizing strategy and converting an evolving set of priorities into structured programs that deliver.

We will count on you to:

• Operationalize the transformation strategy - translating it into a structured, sequenced agenda and building the prioritization frameworks and recommendations that guide where the function focuses its time and investment.
• Own the architecture and discipline of the transformation portfolio - maintaining the frameworks, standards, and decision criteria used to prioritize, resource, and measure initiatives, and keeping an integrated view of status, dependencies, risks, and value realization.
• Build the investment case for technology and AI - developing ROI perspectives, market scans, and points of view that inform senior funding and build-vs-buy decisions, in partnership with Tech (BCS/CIS), Finance, and enterprise stakeholders.
• Develop and operationalize the governance and enablement approach for AI across the People Function - shaping the standards, fluency frameworks, and operating principles that raise maturity across strategy, governance, data, technology/integration, and people/culture.
• Build credibility and alignment with People Function leadership and enterprise stakeholders - surfacing trade-offs, representing the agenda in working- and leadership-level forums.

What you need to have:

We know great candidates don’t always match every requirement — if this role aligns with your experience and aspirations, we encourage you to apply.

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience; an advanced degree (MBA or similar) is a plus.
• A minimum of 8 years of experience in management consulting, corporate strategy, transformation, program leadership, or HR/people advisory — including leading complex, multi-stakeholder programs end to end, ideally with operating model, organization design, or workforce strategy exposure.
• Proven ability to structure open-ended, ambiguous problems, work from a hypothesis-driven approach, and drive to a clear, defensible recommendation with minimal direction.
• Strong commercial and analytical judgment, including the ability to build business cases and investment perspectives; advanced Excel and comfort structuring, analyzing, and synthesizing data.
• Exceptional executive communication - able to distill complex inputs into concise, executive-ready storylines; advanced PowerPoint skills.
• High autonomy and ownership, with the judgment to know what to advance independently and when to elevate.
• Exposure to HR/people functions and technology-enabled change (AI, data, or digital initiatives) - or a clear track record of getting up to speed quickly in an unfamiliar domain.

What makes you stand out:

• High ownership and drive: pushes work forward without waiting for direction; comfortable operating at a fast pace with high expectations.
• Strategic breadth with executional grip: equally credible setting an approach and rolling up sleeves to deliver; sees the whole board, not just the next task.
• Consulting-grade problem solving structures ambiguity, reasons from hypotheses, and builds a compelling, evidence-based case for change.
• Executive presence and influence earns the trust of senior leaders and brings others along without formal authority.
• Outcomes over activity: relentless focus on adoption and value realization - not deployment and tracking.
• Tech & AI fluency: genuine curiosity and hands-on fluency for how AI is reshaping work, paired with the judgment to govern and scale it responsibly (does not need to be an AI expert).

Why join our team:

• We help you be your best through professional development opportunities, interesting work and supportive leaders.
• We foster a vibrant and inclusive culture where you can work with talented colleagues to create new solutions and have impact for colleagues, clients and communities.
• Our scale enables us to provide a range of career opportunities, as well as benefits and rewards to enhance your well‑being.

The applicable base salary range for this role is $175,500 to $263,900.

The base pay offered will be determined on factors such as experience, skills, training, location, certifications, education, and any applicable minimum wage requirements. Decisions will be determined on a case-by-case basis.

In addition to the base salary, this position may be eligible for performance-based incentives.

We are excited to offer a competitive total rewards package which includes health and welfare benefits, tuition assistance, 401K savings and other retirement programs as well as employee assistance programs.

Marsh (NYSE: MRSH) is a global leader in risk, reinsurance and capital, people and investments, and management consulting, advising clients in 130 countries. With annual revenue of over $27 billion and more than 95,000 colleagues, Marsh helps build the confidence to thrive through the power of perspective. For more information, visit marsh.com, or follow us on LinkedIn and X.

Marsh is committed to embracing a diverse, inclusive and flexible work environment. We aim to attract and retain the best people and embrace diversity of age background, disability, ethnic origin, family duties, gender orientation or expression, marital status, nationality, parental status, personal or social status, political affiliation, race, religion and beliefs, sex/gender, sexual orientation or expression, skin color, veteran status (including protected veterans), or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. If you have a need that requires accommodation, please let us know by contacting [e-mail].

Marsh is committed to hybrid work, which includes the flexibility of working remotely and the collaboration, connections and professional development benefits of working together in the office. All Marsh colleagues are expected to be in their local office or working onsite with clients at least three days per week. Office-based teams will identify at least one “anchor day” per week on which their full team will be together in person.

R_356867