Strategic HR Business Partner - Data-Driven Change Leader

ntrs

Chicago (IL)

On-site

USD 115,000 - 195,000

Full time

4 days ago

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Job summary

Northern Trust in Chicago seeks an experienced HR Business Partner to support the COO Business Services, Technology, and Chief Data & Analytics Office, aligning HR solutions with business goals and priorities.

You will partner with senior leaders to translate business strategy into people plans, coach leaders, design organization structures, and drive change initiatives using data and AI‑enabled insights to inform decisions.

Qualifications

Education: Bachelor's degree in business administration or related field.
Experience (8+ years) operating in a HR Business Partner or comparable role.
Strong consulting and advisory capability with proven experience coaching senior leaders.
Ability to analyze data, assess risk and apply sound judgment to inform and influence decision‑making.
Deep domain expertise across HR policy, practice and process, with a strong understanding of how HR disciplines integrate.
Highly collaborative relationship manager with foundational knowledge of workforce planning and organizational design.
Effective communicator with the ability to explain complex or sensitive information, build consensus and lead change initiatives.
Demonstrated ability to solve complex problems, apply best practices and act as a resource for less experienced colleagues.
Experience leading or contributing to small projects with manageable risk and resource requirements.
Strong awareness of the external market and competitive environment.
Experience in Workday preferred

Responsibilities

Strategic Business Partnering: Partners with leaders to understand business goals and challenges; brings people and workforce implications into business decisions early and proactively.
Workforce planning and talent foresight: Translates business strategy into workforce needs (skills, capacity, roles, timing); anticipates risks and gaps rather than reacting late.
Organization design & effectiveness: Advises on team design, role clarity, spans of control, and ways of working; supports reorganizations and improvements to how work gets done.
Leader coaching and talent decisions: Coaches leaders on performance, development and difficult talent decisions; builds leader capability rather than taking ownership away from leaders.
Change leadership & transformation: Supports or leads change initiatives by translating enterprise change into local impact; focuses on readiness, adoption, and sustained outcomes.
Data analytics and AI‑enabled insights: Uses people data, analytics, and AI‑enabled tools to surface insights, tell a story, and inform decisions; shifts conversations from reporting to meaning and implications.
Succession and Leadership planning: Partners with leaders on identifying critical roles, assessing readiness, and defining development actions; senior HRBPs shape longer‑term succession strategy.
Culture, Engagement & Inclusion: Helps leaders understand how behaviors drive culture and engagement; embeds inclusive practices into everyday people decisions.
Risk Management & Employee Relations: Facilitates navigation of complex employee cases with support from ER SMEs; balances policy, risk, fairness, and employee experience while identifying systemic issues.
HR Solution integration with COEs (Centers of Excellence): Acts as the integrator between the business and HR COEs (Talent Acquisition, Talent, Learning & Development, Rewards, DEI), ensuring solutions are practical, aligned, and business‑relevant.
Enterprise influence and facilitation: Facilitates leadership and talent discussions and represents HR credibly in business forums; influences outcomes through trust, insight, and judgment.