Talent Development Jobs in Chicago, IL (NOW HIRING)

We are seeking an experienced HR Operations Manager to serve as a strategic HR partner to assigned companies, sites, business units, and employee populations while also acting as the enterprise subject matter expert for talent development and employee experience. This role is ideal for an HR professional who can balance day-to-day HR partnership with a passion for strengthening leadership capability, employee growth, engagement, and organizational culture. The successful candidate will help identify opportunities, recommend enhancements, and support initiatives that improve the employee experience while driving consistency and best practices across the organization.

What You'll Do

• Serve as the primary HR partner for assigned leaders, employees, business units, companies, and locations, providing strategic and operational support across the employee lifecycle.
• Advise and coach leaders on employee relations, performance management, accountability, communication, team effectiveness, and workplace concerns.
• Partner with leaders on workforce planning, organizational effectiveness, retention strategies, succession planning, career pathing, and employee development.
• Ensure consistent application of HR policies, practices, procedures, documentation standards, and compliance requirements across assigned employee populations.
• Manage employee relations matters, including conflict resolution, investigations, corrective actions, performance concerns, complaints, and separations.
• Build strong relationships with employees and leaders to understand workplace dynamics, identify opportunities for improvement, and support a positive employee experience.
• Conduct climate assessments, employee listening activities, and organizational observations to better understand employee sentiment, workplace culture, engagement drivers, and organizational health.
• Monitor workforce data, turnover, employee relations trends, retention indicators, employee feedback, climate assessment findings, and organizational health metrics to identify risks, themes, and opportunities for improvement.
• Prepare executive summaries, site visit reports, workforce updates, and recommendations related to assigned HR responsibilities and enterprise initiatives.

Talent Development & Employee Experience 

In addition to supporting assigned employee populations, this role will serve as the HR Operations team's subject matter expert for talent development and employee experience. Talent development includes performance management, development planning, leadership capability, succession planning, career growth, and career pathing. Employee experience includes engagement, recognition, culture, feedback channels, survey processes, action planning, and practices that help employees feel supported throughout the employment lifecycle.

• Support the administration, maintenance, and continuous improvement of talent development tools, resources, templates, processes, timelines, and reporting practices.
• Partner with leaders to support performance management processes, including goal setting, review cycles, calibration discussions, development planning, and manager enablement.
• Provide guidance, resources, and practical tools that help leaders facilitate effective performance, development, accountability, and career growth conversations.
• Partner with HR Operations peers and business leaders to support consistent approaches to succession planning, leadership development, career pathing, employee growth, and workforce development.
• Serve as a resource to leaders, employees, and HR partners on talent development and employee experience practices, helping identify opportunities and recommend enhancements that support employee growth, engagement, and retention.
• Support employee experience initiatives related to engagement, recognition, culture, onboarding, development, performance management, retention, and offboarding.
• Assist with employee feedback processes, surveys, climate assessments, listening strategies, action planning efforts, and follow-up activities that help translate employee feedback into meaningful action.
• Analyze workforce insights, employee feedback, climate assessment findings, and program outcomes to identify trends, provide recommendations, and support continuous improvement efforts across the organization.

What We're Looking For

• Broad HR operations experience with the ability to support multiple companies, business units, locations, or employee populations in a complex, multi-site environment.
• Strong knowledge of employee relations, employment law, HR compliance, performance management, workforce planning, and employee lifecycle processes.
• Experience supporting employee populations across multiple states with the ability to navigate varying employment laws, regulatory requirements, and business needs.
• Demonstrated experience supporting talent development, employee growth, leadership development, performance management, employee engagement, or employee experience initiatives.
• Ability to translate business needs, workforce trends, and employee feedback into practical HR solutions, process improvements, and actionable recommendations.
• Strong communication, relationship-building, coaching, facilitation, and influencing skills with the ability to build credibility across employees, leaders, and HR peers.
• Comfort working with workforce data, trends, feedback, and reporting to identify risks, opportunities, root causes, and recommendations.
• Strong critical thinking and problem-solving skills with the ability to navigate ambiguity, assess risk, and make sound recommendations in complex or evolving situations.
• Adaptable and resourceful with the ability to support diverse business environments, balance competing priorities, and adjust approaches based on organizational needs.
• Proactive, organized, and collaborative approach with the ability to balance hands-on HR partnership responsibilities with enterprise-level subject matter expertise.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Organizational Leadership, Psychology, or a related field required.
• 5+ years of progressive human resources experience, including employee relations, performance management, HR compliance, and business partnership responsibilities.
• 2+ years of experience supporting multiple locations, business units, companies, or employee populations.
• Experience supporting multi-state employee populations with a working knowledge of varying employment laws, regulatory requirements, and HR compliance practices.
• Experience supporting talent development, performance management, employee engagement, leadership development, succession planning, career pathing, or employee experience initiatives preferred.
• Experience working with HR technology platforms, performance management systems, employee survey tools, workforce analytics, and reporting dashboards required.
• Ability to manage competing priorities, adapt to changing business needs, and effectively support diverse teams and organizational environments.
• HR certification (SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, PHR, or SPHR) is a plus, but not required.

Work Environment & Travel
This is primarily an office-based role with occasional travel to assigned company locations based on business need. Estimated travel is up to 20%. 

Additional Information

Visa sponsorship is not available for this role.

Compensation/Benefits

We foster a collaborative team environment that values innovation and encourages creative solutions to drive positive organizational impact. Our employees are the key to our success and help us stand out from our competitors. The final compensation offer may vary based on factors such as experience, education, skills, and location. We offer competitive pay, paid time off, and comprehensive benefits, including medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and a 401(k) plan.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Lanco is an equal opportunity employer. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, national origin, ancestry, religion, age, military status, disability, citizenship, genetic information, or any other status protected by applicable law.