Open Position: Director of Talent

Company Background

We are a niche consulting firm with offices in New York and Los Angeles. We are owned by our Partners and have no outside investors. Semler Brossy is an established, independent executive compensation consulting firm founded in 2001. Over the years, our clients have trusted us with their toughest business issues, helping them work through changes in strategic direction, turnaround situations, CEO succession, transactions such as mergers, acquisitions and IPOs, and conflicts between management and the Board. We have built and maintained longstanding corporate and board consulting relationships because we always view issues from a multi-faceted business perspective.

Our principals have deep and extensive experience working with a broad cross-section of U.S. companies, from Fortune 100 to smaller, privately held firms, some over several decades. Many clients are global, with all the attendant compensation issues. Industries we currently serve include financial services, healthcare, consumer products, technology, manufacturing, retail and professional services.

The Mission

In collaboration with the Firm’s Partners, build, develop and maintain an extraordinary complement of consultants who

• Set standards for excellence and quality in Semler Bossy’s field
• Deliver superior client outcomes—leading to high client retention and growth through strong referral
• Lead the field through advancing insights, thinking and solutions
• Achieve rapid pace of individual development through generous mentorship and high collaboration, a number of which develop into Engagement and Client Managers
• Generate and sustain a culture of inclusion and belonging that serves as a magnet for talent and a virtuous cycle of individual growth and progression
• Reflect diversity in all dimensions

The Role

Responsible for proposing and shaping the Firm’s consulting staff talent strategies and for their execution, including recruiting, on-boarding, client staffing assignments, training and development, and performance management.  

Works closely with the Partnership (currently 11 active Partners) to establish strategies and approaches. Works in partnership with the Diversity & Inclusion Council (D&I) to develop and maintain a framework for embedding diversity and inclusion into recruiting, support and culture.  Adept at building support and collaboration at all levels, consistent with the meritocratic organizational model of a professional services firm. 

Member of the firm’s Senior Contributor group.

(Note, the role works in partnership with the Firm’s Business Administration Director who holds responsibility for HR functions, including benefits, pay administration, employment standards, etc.)

Talent & Recruitment Strategy

• Develop profiles for target candidates, career paths
• Model the shape of the organization, capacity planning and setting new hire targets
• Develop programs for campus and post-campus sourcing of candidates, including sourcing diverse candidates 
• Execute entry-level recruiting, currently 12-18 per year with support from Talent Manager
• Execute experienced hire recruiting, including sourcing appropriate search firm partners or other candidate sourcing approaches
• Develop analytical tools to target and measure outcomes

Career & Performance Stewardship

• Manage client staffing assignments within matrix staffing model
  • Ensure superior client outcomes, while 
  • Seeking to provide challenging, rewarding assignments for individuals consistent with their stage of development and aspirations
• Serve as unifying point of connection across the consulting staff to create and promote consistent high standards and expectations
• Magnet for high caliber talent through helping create and carry the firm culture
• Serve as coach and sponsor for junior staff
• Oversee performance management process (e.g. upward/downward feedback structure, role and pay progression strategy, individual growth plan development and implementation, etc.)

Training & Development Strategy

• On-board new classes (currently up to 2x per year), including team building, orientation, training on core processes
• Develop and maintain curriculum to facilitate progression across career (analysts to project managers to client managers)
• Work with members of the consulting team to identify training needs and determine whether to develop and design internally or source externally

Clear & Present Attributes

• An effective leader and builder of trust among a wide range of constituents 
• Within the consulting tenure or separately, involvement and passion for talent management, including recruiting, development and performance management
• Strong understanding of the consulting/professional services business and the roles and responsibilities of the different levels across a consulting firm and how things get done in the absence of command/control hierarchy
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Effective time management skills and ability to meet deadlines
• Bent toward analysis and building or securing tools to assist in decision making
• Highly organized, detail oriented and pro-active
• Creative, innovative team player who displays sound judgment and strong interpersonal skills
• Confident, energetic and enthusiastic for the mission of Semler Brossy

Experience

• 4+ years of experience as a consultant in a top tier consulting firm 
  • Experienced as an Associate with the understanding of the rigors of that role, including managing competing demands
  • Experienced in project management with the understanding of the challenges of that role, including motivating great work from Associates

Key Relationships

• The Partners of the firm
• The Business Administration Director (BAD)
• The Diversity & Inclusion Council (D&I)
• Partners of the firm in key leadership roles:  Office Leaders, Managing Partner, other Committee heads
• The Senior Contributor group: includes your role, BAD, Head of Marketing, the Partners and the Senior Consultants and Principals—currently ~25 people who have input and decision rights on key matters
• The consulting staff: includes the Senior Consultants and Principals as well as the titles of Consultant, Senior Associate and Associate—currently about ~60 people

Location:  New York with a possibility of Los Angeles.  Post-COVID, expect several trips a year to the other office location.  Travel otherwise probably limited to campus recruiting. 

To apply, please send your resume and cover letter to Christine Crutchley.