Talent Management & Executive Development Sr Consultant

001 The Northern Trust Company; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 96,000 - 162,000; Full time

Job summary

Northern Trust, a Fortune 500 financial services firm, seeks a Sr Consultant in Talent Management & Development to lead enterprise leadership talent processes for the CEO and ELT. You will coordinate cycles, calibrations, and succession planning with the CAO and HR partners, ensuring rigorous, executive-ready materials.

The role emphasizes governance, accuracy, and actionable insights, with a hybrid work model. Applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S. without visa sponsorship.

Qualifications

• 8 years of experience in Talent Management, Leadership Development, or related HR roles.
• Proven experience supporting C-suite or senior leadership stakeholders, including executive presentations.

Responsibilities

• Executive Talent Process Coordination: coordinate end-to-end leadership talent processes (performance goals, mid-year and year-end reviews, calibration, succession).
• Stakeholder Engagement & Support: partner with CAO and HR leaders to align on talent priorities for top leaders.
• Executive Materials & Insights: prepare executive-ready materials and synthesize data into insights for leadership discussions.
• Continuous Improvement: identify enhancements to talent processes, tools, and workflows.

Skills

Talent Management

Leadership Development

HR

C-suite support

Executive Presentations

Analytical Skills

Governance

Stakeholder Management

Job description

About Northern Trust: Northern Trust, a Fortune 500 company, is a globally recognized, award-winning financial institution that has been in continuous operation since 1889. Northern Trust is proud to provide innovative financial services and guidance to the world’s most successful individuals, families, and institutions by remaining true to our enduring principles of service, expertise, and integrity. With more than 130 years of financial experience and over 22,000 partners, we serve the world’s most sophisticated clients using leading technology and exceptional service.

Role/Department: Talent Management & Executive Development Sr Consultant/Talent Management & Development

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.

The key responsibilities of the role include:

• Executive Talent Process Coordination: 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.
• Stakeholder Engagement & Support: 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.
• Executive Materials & Insights: 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.
• Continuous Improvement: 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.

Skills/Qualifications:

• 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.

Key Success Attributes:

• 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.

Applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S. without the need for employment‑based visa sponsorship now or in the future. Northern Trust will not sponsor applicants for U.S. work visa status for this opportunity (no sponsorship is available for H‑1B, L‑1, TN, O‑1, E‑3, H‑1B1, F‑1, J‑1, OPT, CPT or any other employment‑based visa).

Working Model: Hybrid (#LI‑Hybrid)

Salary Range: $95,600 - 162,400 USD

Salary range is a good faith estimate of base pay. Northern Trust provides a comprehensive benefits package including 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, and other voluntary and well‑being benefits. Northern Trust also provides a discretionary bonus program that may include an equity component.

Working with Us

As a Northern Trust partner, greater achievements await. You will be part of a flexible and collaborative work culture in an organization where financial strength and stability is an asset that emboldens us to explore new ideas. Movement within the organization is encouraged, senior leaders are accessible, and you can take pride in working for a company committed to assisting the communities we serve! Join a workplace with a greater purpose. We’d love to learn more about how your interests and experience could be a fit with one of the world’s most admired and sustainable companies!

Reasonable accommodation Northern Trust is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please email our HR Service Center at [e-mail].

We hope you’re excited about the role and the opportunity to work with us. We value an inclusive workplace and understand flexibility means different things to different people. Looking for greater? You found it. A global financial leader with more than 22,000 employees in 23 locations worldwide, Northern Trust empowers our employees to achieve more than just business goals. Our focus on work‑life balance, career mobility and unique opportunities are just a few of the reasons we’ve been named one of the world’s most admired companies.

Reasons and Terms and Conditions Candidate Privacy Notice California Applicant Privacy Notice Pay Transparency Nondiscrimination Provision (U.S) Transparency in Coverage Disclosure – North America Northern Trust is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities. If, because of a medical condition or disability, you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please email our HR Service Center or call 1-800-807-0302 (North America), [phone] (Asia Pacific), 1800-425-0333 (India), [phone] (Europe, Middle East and Africa) and let us know the nature of your request and your contact information.

APAC/INDIA EEO STATEMENT It is the policy and practice of Northern Trust to provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants. Northern Trust does not discriminate on the basis of race, colour, religion or belief, nationality, ethnic or national origin, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, disability or age. All employment decisions will be made in a non-discriminatory manner in accordance with our obligations under the law and codes of practice. This includes human resources’ decisions relating to recruitment, terms and conditions of employment, transfers, promotions and access to learning and development.

Canada EEO STATEMENT Northern Trust is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Hiring and other employment decisions at Northern Trust are made without regard to race, colour, religion, sex, ancestry, national origin, ethnic origin, age, disability, citizenship, veteran status, sexual orientation, record of offences, marital status, family status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, provincial, or local law, regulation, or ordinance.

EMEA EEO STATEMENT It is the policy and practice of Northern Trust to provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants. Northern Trust does not discriminate on the basis of race, colour, religion or belief, nationality, ethnic or national origin, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, disability or age. All employment decisions will be made in a non-discriminatory manner in accordance with our obligations under the law and codes of practice. This includes human resources’ decisions relating to recruitment, terms and conditions of employment, transfers, promotions and access to learning and development.

USA EEO STATEMENT It is the policy of The Northern Trust Company to afford equal opportunity in all phases of employment without regard to an individual's age, race, color, religion, creed, gender, national origin, citizenship status, marital status, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic tests and information, physical or mental disability, protected veteran status or any other legally protected status. EEO Know Your Rights (U.S.)