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Northwestern Mutual · 23 hours ago

Senior Director, Innovation Strategy & Planning

Milwaukee, WI

Full-time

Hybrid

Senior Level, Lead/Staff

$123K/yr - $264K/yr

Northwestern Mutual is a company focused on shaping how work works through Workforce Innovation & Insights. The Senior Director, Innovation Strategy & Planning will lead strategic thought partnership and operational coordination, ensuring alignment and execution across initiatives while managing relationships with senior leaders.

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Responsibilities

Help shape and translate priorities into clear, compelling strategy artifacts ranging from decision support materials to vision frameworks and operating plans

Act as a connective thread across initiatives, ensuring consistency in story, insight, and implication

Track objectives, confirm alignment, and translate ideas into structured plans

Distill outcomes, anticipate follow-ups, and shape next steps with calm clarity

Filter the noise from the signal, surfacing only the decisions that truly need escalation

Manage one or more project managers/operations specialists, with potential for broader portfolio operations oversight

Build simple systems that support effective execution without bureaucracy: meeting rhythms, action tracking, light-touch planning frameworks

Remove friction where possible, and elevate only what truly needs executive attention

Partner across the function and the business to support alignment, momentum, and shared context

Build trust with peers and partners, earning a reputation for clarity, reliability, and follow-through

Qualification

Business AcumenProgram ManagementAnalytical ThinkingLearning AgilityCross Functional PartneringPrioritizationAccountabilityExecutive PresenceBusiness InfluenceStakeholder RelationshipAdaptive CommunicationInterpersonal SavvyRoot Cause Analysis