Talent Management & Executive Development Director

Zurich Insurance is currently looking for a Director of Talent Management & Executive Development that will lead  the organization’s talent management strategy, ensuring alignment with business priorities and an evergreen approach to performance, succession, and talent movement. This role manages the full talent review and succession planning process, partners with HR and Talent Acquisition to drive career mobility, and designs and oversees development strategies for senior high-potential talent, including partnership with coaches. 

Key responsibilities include identifying critical roles, setting talent goals using data and analytics, overseeing assessments and executive coaching, and supporting senior leader onboarding to enhance integration and impact. The director also advises senior leadership on best practices and regularly reports on program effectiveness and areas for improvement.

 
Additional Responsibilities include:

• Lead enterprise talent management strategy aligned to business priorities, ensuring a cohesive and future-focused approach to performance, succession, and talent movement across the organization.
• Own the end-to-end talent review and succession planning process, including enterprise talent reviews and follow-through on development actions for critical roles.
• Partner closely with Talent Acquisition and HR Business Partners to enable career mobility, internal movement, and proactive talent pipelines for key and hard-to-fill roles.
• Design and execute development strategies for senior high-potential talent, with particular emphasis on individuals identified in senior-level succession plans and readiness pools.
• Identify and define critical roles across the enterprise and ensure clear succession, readiness criteria, and development pathways are in place.
• Serve as a strategic advisor and thought partner to senior leadership teams, educating and consulting leaders on talent management best practices and influencing outcomes through strong executive presence and credibility.
• Set aspirational talent and bench-strength goals, using data, analytics, and insights to assess talent readiness, succession risk, and future capability needs.
• Establish, refine, and monitor success metrics and KPIs for talent management programs; regularly report on outcomes, impact, and areas of risk or opportunity.
• Oversee the effective use of talent assessments and executive coaching, ensuring tools and interventions are applied thoughtfully to support senior leader development and succession readiness.
• Play a key role in senior leader onboarding, partnering with HR and business leaders to accelerate integration, effectiveness, and early impact for newly hired or promoted executives.
• Continuously evolve talent management practices, incorporating external best practices, emerging trends, and organizational feedback to strengthen overall talent capability.
• Regularly review and update frameworks to ensure alignment with business strategy and shifting workforce dynamics. Foster a culture of continuous improvement by driving innovation in talent processes, encouraging feedback from stakeholders, and engaging as a thought partner with other HR leadership.

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree in business, Human Resources, or related degree and 10 or more years of progressive experience in talent management, leadership development, organizational development, or a related HR center-of-expertise role.
  AND
• Demonstrated experience designing and leading enterprise talent management processes, including talent reviews, succession planning, and senior leader development.
• Proven ability to partner with and influence senior leaders in a complex, matrixed organization, serving as a trusted advisor on talent strategy and decisions.
• Strong capability in using data and analytics to assess talent readiness, bench strength, succession risk, and program effectiveness.
• Experience leading and developing people, including direct management of team members.
• Excellent facilitation, consulting, and communication skills, with the ability to translate talent insights into clear, actionable recommendations.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in Human Resources, Organizational Psychology, Organizational Development, Business Administration, or a related discipline.
• Experience working with talent assessments, executive coaching, and leadership development programs for senior or executive populations.
• Familiarity with career mobility, internal talent marketplaces, or skills-based talent practices.
• HR certification (e.g., SHRM-CP/SHRM-SCP, SPHR, or equivalent).
• Experience operating in a large, complex, or global organization, with exposure to multiple business units or geographies.

At Zurich, compensation for roles is influenced by a variety of factors, including but not limited to the specific office location, role, skill set, and level of experience. In compliance with local laws, Zurich commits to providing a fair and reasonable compensation range for each role. For more information about our Total Rewards, please click here. Additional rewards may encompass short-term incentive bonuses and merit increases. We encourage candidates with salary expectations beyond the provided range to apply as they will be considered based on their experience, skills, and education. 

The compensation indicated represents a nationwide market range and has not been adjusted for geographic differentials pertaining to the location where the position may be filled. The proposed salary range for this position is $175,200-$240,000 with short-term incentive bonus eligibility set at 25%.  

We offer competitive pay and comprehensive benefits for employees and their families. [Learn more about Total Rewards here.]

Why Zurich?

At Zurich, we value your ideas and experience. We offer growth, inclusion, and a supportive environment—so you can help shape the future of insurance. Zurich North America is a leader in risk management, with over 150 years of expertise and coverage across 25+ industries, including 90% of the Fortune 500®.

Join us for a brighter future—for yourself and our customers.

Zurich in North America does not discriminate based on race, ethnicity, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, age, disability, protected veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation, pregnancy or other characteristics protected by applicable law. Equal Opportunity Employer disability/vets.

Zurich complies with 18 U.S. Code § 1033.

Please note: Zurich does not accept unsolicited CVs from agencies. Preferred vendors should use our Recruiting Agency Portal.

Location(s): AM - Schaumburg, AM - Chicago
Remote Working: Hybrid
Schedule: Full Time
Employment Sponsorship Offered: No  
 
Linkedin Recruiter Tag: #LI-BK1 #LI-DIRECTOR