Strategic Initiatives, HR Senior Manager

Core Responsibilities

• Strategic Initiative Leadership
• Own the HR strategic initiative roadmap
• Translate ambiguous priorities into scoped initiatives with clear milestones, owners, and timelines
• Run execution against the roadmap with urgency and accountability
• Sequence initiatives using a crawl-walk-run approach
• Maintain the master initiative tracker and prepare executive-ready updates on progress, impact, and risk
• Process Excellence & Continuous Improvement
• Apply structured problem-solving (e.g., Six Sigma / DMAIC)
• Break down complex HR and operating problems into workable modules
• Design and pilot process improvements, measuring results rigorously rather than relying on anecdote
• Build repeatable playbooks and frameworks that can be codified, trained, and adopted across a decentralized, multi-brand organization
• Metrics, Reporting & Analytics
• Build and maintain the HR metrics dashboard and scorecards (engagement, staffing, recruiting, total cost)
• Turn workforce and program data into clear, quantified narratives for executive and board audiences
• Examples include HR metrics dashboard/scorecard build-out, eNPS and engagement measurement design, and talent review/feedback framework reporting
• Cross-Functional Program Management
• Manage multiple concurrent initiatives across Talent, Total Rewards, Talent Acquisition, and field operations stakeholders
• Partner with Regional HRBPs, Brand Presidents, and functional leaders to socialize new programs and drive adoption in the field
• Own the operating rhythm for HR strategic initiatives: recurring check-ins, KPI tracking, and re-prioritization as business needs shift
• Field Presence & Feedback Loop
• Travel to local shops/brands to pressure-test whether initiatives are actually landing as designed
• Gather real feedback on program effectiveness and translate field insight into actionable refinements
• Stakeholder Influence & Change Management
• Exercise influence without authority to move initiatives forward across functions and brand-level leaders
• Communicate concisely and persuasively; translate complex analysis into a clear point of view and recommended path forward

Ideal Profile

• 1-5 years of experience, typically at a top-tier management consulting firm (e.g., McKinsey, Bain, BCG), corporate strategy team, or PMO / continuous-improvement function
• Demonstrated ability to work backwards from a complex, ambiguous problem, breaking it into modules or subsets and methodically working through each
• Six Sigma, Lean, or other structured process-improvement methodology exposure (Green Belt or equivalent a plus)
• Exposure to human capital, HR, or people-strategy work is a plus, but not required
• Comfortable navigating ambiguity and building structure where none exists, in a lean, resource-constrained, PE-backed environment

Traits That Matter Here

• Builder mentality: energized by standing up new capability rather than maintaining an existing one
• Highly organized, detail-oriented executor
• Bias toward measurable, structural impact, not reliant on headcount reduction as the primary lever for results
• Comfortable operating at two altitudes at once: in the weeds on an active initiative while keeping sight of the broader roadmap
• Low ego, high ownership
• Naturally connective: bridges gaps instead of creating silos
• Sharp, concise communicator: distills complex analysis into a clear recommendation and quantified impact rather than a long narrative