Talent Experience Director (Creative Design)

Wintrust is a financial holding company with approximately $62 billion in assets whose common stock is traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market. Guided by its “Different Approach, Better Results” philosophy, Wintrust offers the sophisticated resources of a large bank while providing a community banking experience to each customer. Wintrust operates more than 200 retail banking locations through 16 community bank subsidiaries in the greater Chicago, southern Wisconsin, west Michigan, northwest Indiana, and southwest Florida market areas. In addition, Wintrust operates various non-bank business units, providing residential mortgage origination, wealth management, commercial and life insurance premium financing, short-term accounts receivable financing/outsourced administrative services to the temporary staffing services industry, and qualified intermediary services for tax-deferred exchanges. Our unique business model is a competitive strength and value driver, powered by our talented colleagues who put our customers first and achieve better results for our clients.

About Wintrust Financial Corporation

Wintrust Financial Corporation is a leading financial institution committed to Building Better Lives by investing in our employees' growth and success. Our Talent Pathways organization is focused on developing, engaging, and retaining top talent to drive business performance and innovation.

Why Join Us?

As part of Talent Pathways, this role offers the opportunity to shape the future of talent management at Wintrust, ensuring that we have the right people in the right roles at the right time.

About the Role

We are seeking a strategic and dynamic Talent Experience Director to lead our enterprise-wide talent management strategy. As a key member of the Talent Pathways leadership team, this role will oversee succession planning, talent reviews, skills assessments, and key talent initiatives to ensure a strong pipeline of future leaders and a world-class employee experience.

Key Responsibilities

Talent Strategy & Workforce Planning

• Develop and execute a comprehensive talent management strategy that aligns with Wintrust's business priorities and future workforce needs.

• Partner with senior leaders to assess organizational capability gaps, identifying key skills and leadership capabilities required for future success.

• Drive the development and execution of enterprise-wide talent plans, ensuring alignment with workforce planning and business objectives.

Succession Planning & Leadership Pipeline Development

• Lead a robust succession planning process, identifying high-potential employees and preparing them for leadership roles.

• Implement tools and frameworks to assess leadership readiness, career progression, and internal mobility.

• Collaborate with business leaders and HR partners to create personalized development plans for key talent.

Skills Assessment & Career Development

• Design and implement skills assessments to evaluate current workforce capabilities and inform development priorities.

• Develop strategies to upskill and reskill employees, ensuring alignment with evolving business needs and industry trends.

• Partner with Learning & Development and Leadership Development teams to integrate talent insights into learning programs and career pathways.

Performance & Engagement

• Oversee enterprise-wide talent reviews, ensuring a consistent approach to evaluating employee performance, potential, and career aspirations.

• Leverage data-driven insights to identify engagement drivers, retention risks, and opportunities to enhance the employee experience.

• Support the evolution of performance management by implementing modern, continuous feedback models that drive high performance.

Enterprise Leadership Strategy

• Design and implement a comprehensive leadership development framework aligned with Wintrust's business objectives, values, and growth strategy.

• Partner with executive leadership, business unit leaders, and HR to identify leadership needs at all levels and develop targeted solutions.

• Drive a culture of leadership excellence by embedding development opportunities into the employee experience.

Program Development & Execution

• Lead the design and execution of high-impact leadership programs for emerging leaders, mid-level managers, and senior executives.

• Develop and scale mentorship, coaching, and sponsorship programs to support leadership growth and career progression.

• Oversee the deployment of 360-degree assessments, executive coaching, and leadership workshops to enhance individual and team effectiveness.

• Integrate cutting-edge learning methodologies, including experiential learning, digital learning platforms, and AI-driven leadership development tools.

Collaboration & Thought Leadership

• Partner closely with Talent Acquisition, Leadership Development, and HR Business Partners to ensure a seamless talent experience from hire to retire.

• Stay ahead of industry trends, emerging talent technologies, and best practices to drive innovation in talent management.

• Represent Wintrust at industry events and forums, positioning the company as a leader in talent strategy and workforce development.

Team Leadership & Development

• Lead and develop a team of talent management professionals, fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, and excellence.

• Serve as a mentor and coach, ensuring the team remains at the forefront of talent management best practices.

Qualifications & Experience

• 7-10 years of experience in talent management, workforce planning, or HR strategy, with at least 3 years in a senior leadership role.

• Proven expertise in succession planning, leadership assessment, skills gap analysis, and workforce planning.

• Strong business acumen with the ability to align talent strategies to organizational goals and drive measurable impact.

• Deep understanding of HR analytics, talent metrics, and technology-driven talent solutions.

• Exceptional ability to build relationships, collaborate across functions, and influence senior leaders.

• Bachelor's degree in HR, Organizational Development, Business, or a related field (Master's preferred).

Compensation

The estimated salary range for this role is $117,000 - $158,000, along with eligibility to earn an annual bonus. Actual salaries may vary based on several factors, such as a candidate's qualifications, skills and experience.

#LI-Hybrid

From our first day in business, Wintrust has been proud to serve a variety of unique communities and people from all walks of life. To be Chicago's Bank® and Wisconsin's Bank®, we need to reflect that diversity both in all the communities we serve, the people we employ, the organizations we work with, and our banking and lending practices. Wintrust Financial Corporation, including community banking and financial services subsidiaries, is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity and expressions, genetic information, marital status, age, disability, or status as a covered veteran or any other characteristic protected by law.