Sr. Director Executive Talent Partner

About the Job

The Sr. Director, Executive Talent Partner serves as a senior advisor to enterprise leadership, focused on elevating executive effectiveness, accelerating leadership development, and strengthening organizational performance at the highest levels. This role partners closely with Senior HR Business Partners, Enterprise Leadership Group (ELG), and Senior Leadership Team (SLT) members to diagnose leadership and organizational challenges, and deliver tailored executive consulting, coaching, and development solutions.

This role provides ongoing, high-impact executive consultation-shaping leadership capability, team effectiveness, and succession outcomes through deep partnership, insight, and influence. The Executive Talent Partner brings a strong point of view grounded in data, experience, and business acumen, and is a trusted voice in critical talent and transformation decisions.

What You'll Do

• Serve as a trusted executive advisor and coach to ELG and SLT leaders, providing candid, insight-driven guidance to enhance leadership effectiveness and business performance.

• Lead executive development consulting engagements, including leadership assessment, coaching, and targeted development planning for senior leaders and their teams.

• Diagnose complex leadership and organizational challenges, and translate insights into practical, high-impact actions that improve executive and team performance.

• Facilitate executive-level discussions, offsites, and leadership sessions, bringing strong presence, structure, and storytelling to drive alignment and outcomes.

• Partner with senior leaders and HR Business Partners to strengthen succession pipelines and accelerate readiness for critical executive roles.

• Enhance team effectiveness at the executive level, including onboarding and assimilation of new leaders, improving team dynamics, and enabling high-performing leadership teams.

• Integrate data, assessment insights, and external research to inform executive decision-making and development strategies.

• Collaborate with HRBPs and COE partners to align executive development priorities with broader talent, workforce, and business strategies.

• Influence and shape enterprise talent strategies by providing a forward-looking perspective on leadership capability, organizational health, and transformation readiness.

• Act as a thought partner and challenger, bringing objectivity, courage, and enterprise perspective to sensitive and high-stakes talent discussions.

What You'll Bring to the Role

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Organizational Development, or related field (or equivalent experience required).

• Master's degree in Business, Organizational Development, Industrial/Organizational Psychology, or related field preferred.

• 10+ years of experience in executive development, leadership consulting, organizational development, or HR advisory roles supporting senior leaders.

Core Capabilities

• Executive Consultation & Coaching: Demonstrated ability to coach and advise senior executives, including delivering candid feedback and influencing behavior change.

• Executive Presence & Facilitation: Strong presence with the ability to lead high-impact conversations, facilitate executive forums, and present to senior audiences with clarity and confidence.

• Strategic Thinking & Business Acumen: Ability to connect leadership strategies to business outcomes and enterprise priorities.

• Organizational Diagnosis: Skilled in identifying root causes of leadership and team challenges and translating them into actionable solutions.

• Communication & Storytelling: Exceptional ability to synthesize insights into compelling narratives that drive alignment and action.

• Influence & Relationship Management: Builds trust quickly and navigates complex stakeholder environments with credibility and impact.

• Data & Insight Fluency: Leverages qualitative and quantitative data to inform executive decisions and development strategies.

Desired Attributes

• Courageous and credible advisor with the ability to challenge senior leaders constructively.

• High learning agility and intellectual curiosity.

• Strong empathy and judgment when working through sensitive leadership dynamics.

• Collaborative, yet able to operate independently in high-stakes environments.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience delivering executive coaching and leadership assessments (e.g., 360s, psychometrics).

• Background in enterprise transformation or large-scale organizational change.

• Certification in executive coaching or relevant assessment tools.

• Familiarity with agile ways of working.

#LI-Hybrid

Compensation Range:

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We believe in fairness and transparency. It's why we share the salary range for most of our roles. However, final salaries are based on a number of factors, including the skills and experience of the candidate; the current market; location of the candidate; and other factors uncovered in the hiring process. The standard pay structure is listed but if you're living in California, New York City or other eligible location, geographic specific pay structures, compensation and benefits could be applicable, click here to learn more.

Grow your career with a best-in-class company that puts our clients' interests at the center of all we do. Get started now!

Northwestern Mutual is an equal opportunity employer who welcomes and encourages diversity in the workforce. We are committed to creating and maintaining an environment in which each employee can contribute creative ideas, seek challenges, assume leadership and continue to focus on meeting and exceeding business and personal objectives.

Strategic Thinking (NM) - Advanced, Cross Functional Partnering & Planning (NM) - Advanced, KPIs & Metrics (NM) - Advanced, Leadership Assessment & Development (NM) - Expert, Talent Strategy (NM) - Advanced, Internal HR Consulting (NM) - Expert, Continuous Improvement (NM) - Advanced, Talent Planning (NM) - Expert, Technical & Digital Acumen (NM) - Advanced, Customer Centricity (NM) - Expert, User-Centered Design Process (NM) - Advanced, Accountability (NM) - Advanced, Executive Presence (NM) - Advanced, Consulting (NM) - Advanced, Adaptive Communication (NM) - Advanced, HR Ethics (NM) - Expert, Business Influence (NM) - Advanced, Stakeholder Relationship (NM) - Advanced, Process Improvement (NM) - Advanced, Change Management (NM) - Advanced, Learning Agility & Critical Thinking (NM) - Advanced, Organizational & Political Savvy (NM) - Advanced

We're excited about the potential people bring to Northwestern Mutual. You can grow your career here while enjoying first-class perks, benefits, and our commitment to a culture of belonging.

• Flexible work schedules
• Concierge service
• Comprehensive benefits
• Employee resource groups