Sr Director, Research & Innovation

The Senior Director of Research & Innovation will play a pivotal role in elevating the employee experience through data-driven research and expert design. This role is at the forefront of shaping the future of work by driving AI adoption and innovation within and through the People Function. As a strategic leader, you will influence and inspire teams to deliver measurable business value and foster a culture of trust and empowerment.

• AI Strategy and Implementation:

  • Drive the adoption of AI and Generative AI within the People Function, supporting broader enterprise integration.

  • Shape and refine the AI strategy, leveraging existing tools like our internal ChatGPT instance and Microsoft Copilot while exploring additional resources.

  • Serve as a thought leader in AI, guiding the function's strategic direction and innovation initiatives.

• Leadership and Team Management:

  • Coach and develop three direct reports, leading teams focused on Employee Experience Research, User Experience Design, and Content Strategy.

  • Mentor team leaders, fostering a culture of growth, feedback, and collective success.

  • Inspire and rally teams towards common goals, ensuring alignment with strategic priorities.

• Cross-Functional Collaboration:

  • Build and maintain strong relationships with stakeholders and partners across the People Function, Tech & Digital, AI, and Innovation teams to drive strategic initiatives.

  • Act as an ambassador for human-centered design and the strategic value of the employee experience across the enterprise.

• Strategic Planning and Execution:

  • Define and drive strategic objectives aligned with the function's multi-year strategy and annual objectives.

  • Develop success metrics to track the team's impact, ensuring transparency and accountability in outcomes from idea generation to execution.

  • Establish and maintain a pipeline of high-impact ideas, balancing desirability, feasibility, and viability while driving tangible business outcomes.

You are a strategic facilitator and orchestrator of innovation-a leader who thrives in ambiguity, translates vision into action, and builds high-performing, collaborative environments. You have deep experience leading innovation initiatives, ensuring the right ideas move forward and deliver measurable impact.

• Minimum of 10 years of experience in a creative or strategic role, with digital agency experience as a plus.

• Proven experience managing teams of managers and driving business outcomes.

• Strong business acumen, with the ability to craft persuasive business cases and influence senior leaders.

• Demonstrated ability to build a culture of trust, empowerment, and collaboration.

• Excellent communication skills and the ability to influence and inspire cross-functional teams.

• Extensive design expertise applied across diverse contexts, with proven success in partnering with content strategy, research design operations, product, engineering, and business stakeholders.

• Strong advocate for design processes and methodologies, with experience in empowering non-designers to leverage these practices effectively.

• Demonstrated foundational portfolio in design, showcasing fluency in UX research, content strategy, copywriting, and product management.

• Experience in highly regulated industries such as finance, banking, insurance, or healthcare is advantageous.

• Visionary & Pragmatic: Inspire bold thinking while ensuring execution and impact.

• Influential & Persuasive: Build trust and drive change without direct authority.

• Master Facilitator: Create dynamic, engaging environments that surface the best ideas.

• Agile & Adaptive: Navigate ambiguity and pivot when needed.

• Data-Driven & Results-Oriented: Quantify success and drive accountability.

• Growth-Oriented: Foster a growth mindset with a focus on team development and strategic clarity.

• Collaborative & People-Centered: Prioritize collective success and foster a people-centered approach, emphasizing strong collaboration and co-creation skills with a focus on human-centered design.

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.

Job Posting End Date:

The timeline for this job posting may be shortened or extended based on organizational needs.

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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.

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