Job Description Summary
For over forty years, HarbourVest has been home to a committed team of professionals with an entrepreneurial spirit and a desire to deliver impactful solutions to our clients and investing partners. As our global firm grows, we continue to add individuals who seek a collaborative, open-door culture that values diversity and innovative thinking.
In our collegial environment that’s marked by low turnover and high energy, you’ll be inspired to grow and thrive. Here, you will be encouraged to build on your strengths and acquire new skills and experiences.
We are committed to fostering an environment of inclusion that promotes mutual respect among all employees. Understanding and valuing these differences optimizes the potential of both the individual and the firm.
HarbourVest is an equal opportunity employer.
This position will be a hybrid work arrangement. You will receive 18 remote workdays per quarter to use at your discretion, subject to manager approval. For example, you may choose to work in the office 4 days per week and take one remote day weekly (typically 13 weeks per quarter), leaving 5 additional remote days to be used as needed.
Reporting to the SVP, Head of Talent Development, the VP, Talent Management leads enterprise talent initiatives to improve succession readiness, talent planning, executive development, and organizational capacity across HarbourVest's global offices. This position provides global support and collaborates closely with HRBPs, senior business leaders, and HR colleagues to drive comprehensive executive talent reviews, turn succession insights into actionable development plans, and back strategic people initiatives that boost leadership efficiency, culture, and organizational success.
The ideal candidate is someone who is:
- A strategic and practical talent leader who can connect business priorities to succession, readiness, and executive development actions.
- Highly credible with executive leadership and comfortable facilitating candid discussions on leadership capability, risk, and potential.
- Experienced in designing and running executive talent processes with strong governance, follow-through, and attention to detail.
- Data-driven and able to synthesize talent insights into recommendations, dashboards, and executive-ready materials.
- Skilled at translating talent review outcomes into targeted development actions such as stretch assignments, coaching, sponsorship, and mobility.
- Discreet, and highly trusted when managing sensitive executive talent information.
- Able to navigate ambiguity and influence across the organization to advance complex, enterprise-wide people and culture initiatives.
What you will do:
- Lead enterprise succession planning and talent review processes for critical roles, including selected C-suite and senior leadership populations, ensuring clear standards for performance, potential, and readiness.
- Partner with HRBPs and senior leaders to assess bench strength, identify succession risk, and develop actionable plans to improve leadership pipeline health for key roles and functions.
- Build and drive executive talent routines, including talent review materials, calibration discussions, readiness assessments, timelines, governance, and follow-up actions.
- Translate succession and talent planning insights into targeted development strategies for senior leaders and successors, including coaching, stretch assignments, exposure opportunities, and role transition support.
- Work closely with HarbourVest University, and HRBPs to align executive development investments with enterprise priorities. Focus on role-critical capabilities and emerging leadership needs. Support the build of new solutions.
- Collaborate with senior leaders and HR colleagues to advance strategic talent and organizational initiatives throughout the firm, including culture alignment, leadership effectiveness, organizational capability, and other enterprise transformation priorities.
- Build and maintain talent metrics, dashboards, and executive-level reporting on succession readiness, pipeline strength, development actions, and key talent risks.
- And other responsibilities as required.
What you bring:
- Deep expertise in talent management, succession planning, executive development, leadership assessment, or organizational development.
- Strong understanding of how to build simple, scalable talent frameworks that improve consistency and quality of leadership decisions across a complex organization.
- Experience supporting senior leader or executive-level talent discussions in a highly matrixed, fast-paced, and confidential environment.
- Proven ability to influence without authority and build strong connections with HRBPs, business leaders, and cross-functional partners.
- Experience leading or supporting enterprise-wide change, culture, leadership, or organizational effectiveness initiatives.
- Strong project and process management skills, with the ability to lead annual talent cycles while also adjusting to evolving business priorities.
- Proficient in written and spoken communication, with experience in developing succinct executive summaries, presentation documents, and discussion guides.
- Comfort with talent analytics and the ability to transform data into actionable insight for executive leaders and HR partners.
- Good judgment, strong discretion, and a high bar for accuracy when handling sensitive talent information.
- Experience partnering with external coaches, assessors, or development vendors is a plus.
- Financial services, asset management, or other regulated-industry experience strongly preferred.
Education Preferred
- Bachelor of Arts (B.A), Bachelor of Science (B.S) or equivalent experience
Experience
- Over 10-15 years of relevant experience in talent management, executive growth, succession planning, leadership enhancement, organizational development, or a related HR role preferred.
#LI-Hybrid
Base Salary Range:
$185,000.00 - $200,000.00
This USD base salary range represents only one component of total compensation for this role and is provided in accordance with local requirements. This role is eligible for a discretionary annual bonus, which is determined based on individual and overall firm performance. In addition to salary and bonus eligibility, total compensation may include participation in long-term reward programs (typically for more senior-level roles). We also offer a comprehensive total rewards package that may include retirement contributions, health insurance, income protection, paid time off and leave benefits as well as well-being programs. Our total rewards offerings are influenced by several business factors, and eligibility for certain components will vary by position and geography. Please note the posted ranges do not apply outside the U.S. and should not be converted to other currencies as a proxy for compensation in other countries.
HarbourVest Partners Boston, Massachusetts, USA Office
One Financial Center, , MA , US, Boston, MA, United States, 02111
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