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At CDW, our purpose is to make technology work so people can do great things.
The Role
The Sr. Manager leads talent assessment and succession planning, managing frameworks for leadership continuity and development, using insights and analytics to improve strategies and processes.
Summary Generated by Built In
Description
At CDW, we make it happen, together. Trust, connection, and commitment are at the heart of how we work together to deliver for our customers. It's why we're coworkers, not just employees. Coworkers who genuinely believe in supporting our customers and one another. We collectively forge our path forward with a level of commitment that speaks to who we are and where we're headed. We're proud to share our story and Make Amazing Happen at CDW.
Job Summary
The Sr. Manager, Leadership Assessment and Succession Planning is responsible for refining, implementing, and managing CDW's enterprise-wide talent review and succession planning framework to ensure leadership continuity, accelerate high potential talent, and strengthen CDW's long term leadership pipeline. Reporting to the Director, Talent Strategy, this role partners closely with Talent Management leaders, HRBPs, and Centers of Excellence, to drive consistent processes for identifying critical roles, identifying and assessing successor readiness, and activating targeted development plans for individuals and talent pools. This individual contributor role serves as the organization's subject matter expert and process owner for succession planning. Key responsibilities include establishing the enterprise succession methodology, supporting HR leadership with annual and ongoing talent reviews, maintaining robust reporting and analytics on pipeline health, and advising senior leaders on succession risks, opportunities, and talent strategies. The ideal candidate brings deep expertise in succession planning, talent assessment tools, and change management, along with strong operational execution and the ability to influence stakeholders across the enterprise. This role is designed for a practitioner who operates at the intersection of behavioral science and business strategy and has a propensity for AI and HR system optimization.
* What you'll do
* Lead and continuously elevate the enterprise succession and assessment strategy, program and processes, spanning critical role identification, talent reviews, readiness assessments, successor nominations, and pipeline development. Advance the methodology by strengthening nine box calibration, readiness criteria, and pipeline depth, while driving consistent enterprise adoption of the nine box philosophy and related talent practices.
* Oversee the end-to-end development lifecycle for successors, high potential, and key talent, ensuring a seamless progression from assessment through development planning and execution.
* Partner with HRBPs, COEs, and business leaders to define targeted development plans, curated experiences, and interventions that address readiness gaps and accelerate growth. Use data insights to track progress, pipeline velocity, and risk.
* Continuously improve the talent review and succession planning process, refining tools, frameworks, governance, and leader capability to strengthen decision quality, reduce bias, and ensure alignment with long term enterprise talent needs.
* Serve as the functional owner of Workday Succession and Talent modules, partnering with HRIS Technology to optimize configurations, workflows, and user experience. Ensure data integrity across talent profiles, succession pools, and readiness ratings. • Build executive ready dashboards and analytics to monitor bench strength, pipeline health, diversity, and year-over-year progress. Translate trends and insights into actionable recommendations for senior leaders and the CHRO. • Develop predictive and forward-looking assessment and succession metrics, connecting bench strength to business risk, retention, organizational agility, and future capability needs. Partner with People Analytics to integrate succession data with broader workforce intelligence.
What we expect of you
Minimum basic requirements
* Bachelor's degree and 7+ years of progressive talent management, OD, or HR experience, with 3+ years in succession planning or talent program ownership OR 7+ years of progressive talent management, OD, or HR experience, with 3+ years in succession planning or talent program ownership
* Exposure leadership development program design, executive assessment, or high-potential talent acceleration frameworks.
* Proven track record presenting to and influencing senior and executive stakeholders.
* Demonstrated end-to-end ownership of succession processes in a complex, matrixed, or enterprise-scale organization (5,000+ employees preferred).
* Hands-on Workday Succession and Talent module experience strongly preferred, functional configuration and data management ownership a significant plus.
* Strong communication, stakeholder engagement, and change management leadership skills Preferred skills, experience and qualities
* Experience with AI-enabled learning platforms or skills intelligence tools
* Familiarity with global talent practices and regional nuances
* Systems Thinking, connecting succession to workforce planning, L&D, performance management, and business strategy with a clear cause-and-effect lens.
* Transforms raw talent data into strategic narrative. Builds clarity from complexity; resists oversimplification in readiness assessments.
* Meticulous about program design and execution. Builds repeatable, scalable processes that survive leadership turnover and organizational change. Pay range: $ 143,000-$199,800 depending on experience and skill set Annual bonus target of 15% subject to terms and conditions of plan Benefits overview: https://cdw.benefit-info.com/
* CDW is committed to being an AI-fluent organization
* We're looking for people who bring curiosity, a learner's mindset, and a willingness to engage with ever-evolving technology and tools. We value adopting AI as a partner, openness to experimentation, and a shared interest in learning together on AI. Our goal is to create a culture where AI enhances- not replaces- human creativity and decision-making. You don't need to be an expert today; what matters is your readiness to explore, adapt, and grow with us as we integrate AI responsibly and effectively into our work.Additionally, CDW is committed to fostering an equitable, transparent, and respectful hiring process for all applicants. During our application process, our goal is to understand your experience, strengths, skills, and qualifications. As an AI forward company, we see AI not just as a tool, but as a catalyst for new ways of thinking, creating, and communicating. We encourage candidates to embrace an AI mindset, one that's curious, adaptive, and ready to explore what's possible. We welcome thoughtful use of AI to expand your perspective and elevate how you share your story, while ensuring your application remains rooted in your own background, judgment, and voice.
* About Us
* CDW is a Fortune 500 technology solutions provider that helps businesses, government, education, and healthcare organizations achieve what's possible through technology. What makes CDW different isn't just what we do- it's how we do it. At CDW we act as one- building trust, speaking candidly, and working together to achieve more. We play to win- focusing on what matters most and delivering for our customers. And we think forward- staying curious, moving fast, and continuously learning. We believe meaningful work happens when people feel supported, heard, and empowered to contribute. That's why we think of ourselves as coworkers, not just employees- working together to solve complex challenges and deliver real impact for our customers and communities. As a full-stack, full-lifecycle technology partner, CDW brings deep expertise, strong relationships, and broad industry knowledge to help turn ideas into outcomes. When you join CDW, you become part of a collaborative environment where your work matters, your growth is supported, and your contributions help shape what's next. Together, we deliver the full promise of what technology can do.
* Together, we Make Amazing Happen.
* CDW is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regards to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status or any other basis prohibited by state and local law.
At CDW, we make it happen, together. Trust, connection, and commitment are at the heart of how we work together to deliver for our customers. It's why we're coworkers, not just employees. Coworkers who genuinely believe in supporting our customers and one another. We collectively forge our path forward with a level of commitment that speaks to who we are and where we're headed. We're proud to share our story and Make Amazing Happen at CDW.
Job Summary
The Sr. Manager, Leadership Assessment and Succession Planning is responsible for refining, implementing, and managing CDW's enterprise-wide talent review and succession planning framework to ensure leadership continuity, accelerate high potential talent, and strengthen CDW's long term leadership pipeline. Reporting to the Director, Talent Strategy, this role partners closely with Talent Management leaders, HRBPs, and Centers of Excellence, to drive consistent processes for identifying critical roles, identifying and assessing successor readiness, and activating targeted development plans for individuals and talent pools. This individual contributor role serves as the organization's subject matter expert and process owner for succession planning. Key responsibilities include establishing the enterprise succession methodology, supporting HR leadership with annual and ongoing talent reviews, maintaining robust reporting and analytics on pipeline health, and advising senior leaders on succession risks, opportunities, and talent strategies. The ideal candidate brings deep expertise in succession planning, talent assessment tools, and change management, along with strong operational execution and the ability to influence stakeholders across the enterprise. This role is designed for a practitioner who operates at the intersection of behavioral science and business strategy and has a propensity for AI and HR system optimization.
* What you'll do
* Lead and continuously elevate the enterprise succession and assessment strategy, program and processes, spanning critical role identification, talent reviews, readiness assessments, successor nominations, and pipeline development. Advance the methodology by strengthening nine box calibration, readiness criteria, and pipeline depth, while driving consistent enterprise adoption of the nine box philosophy and related talent practices.
* Oversee the end-to-end development lifecycle for successors, high potential, and key talent, ensuring a seamless progression from assessment through development planning and execution.
* Partner with HRBPs, COEs, and business leaders to define targeted development plans, curated experiences, and interventions that address readiness gaps and accelerate growth. Use data insights to track progress, pipeline velocity, and risk.
* Continuously improve the talent review and succession planning process, refining tools, frameworks, governance, and leader capability to strengthen decision quality, reduce bias, and ensure alignment with long term enterprise talent needs.
* Serve as the functional owner of Workday Succession and Talent modules, partnering with HRIS Technology to optimize configurations, workflows, and user experience. Ensure data integrity across talent profiles, succession pools, and readiness ratings. • Build executive ready dashboards and analytics to monitor bench strength, pipeline health, diversity, and year-over-year progress. Translate trends and insights into actionable recommendations for senior leaders and the CHRO. • Develop predictive and forward-looking assessment and succession metrics, connecting bench strength to business risk, retention, organizational agility, and future capability needs. Partner with People Analytics to integrate succession data with broader workforce intelligence.
What we expect of you
Minimum basic requirements
* Bachelor's degree and 7+ years of progressive talent management, OD, or HR experience, with 3+ years in succession planning or talent program ownership OR 7+ years of progressive talent management, OD, or HR experience, with 3+ years in succession planning or talent program ownership
* Exposure leadership development program design, executive assessment, or high-potential talent acceleration frameworks.
* Proven track record presenting to and influencing senior and executive stakeholders.
* Demonstrated end-to-end ownership of succession processes in a complex, matrixed, or enterprise-scale organization (5,000+ employees preferred).
* Hands-on Workday Succession and Talent module experience strongly preferred, functional configuration and data management ownership a significant plus.
* Strong communication, stakeholder engagement, and change management leadership skills Preferred skills, experience and qualities
* Experience with AI-enabled learning platforms or skills intelligence tools
* Familiarity with global talent practices and regional nuances
* Systems Thinking, connecting succession to workforce planning, L&D, performance management, and business strategy with a clear cause-and-effect lens.
* Transforms raw talent data into strategic narrative. Builds clarity from complexity; resists oversimplification in readiness assessments.
* Meticulous about program design and execution. Builds repeatable, scalable processes that survive leadership turnover and organizational change. Pay range: $ 143,000-$199,800 depending on experience and skill set Annual bonus target of 15% subject to terms and conditions of plan Benefits overview: https://cdw.benefit-info.com/
* CDW is committed to being an AI-fluent organization
* We're looking for people who bring curiosity, a learner's mindset, and a willingness to engage with ever-evolving technology and tools. We value adopting AI as a partner, openness to experimentation, and a shared interest in learning together on AI. Our goal is to create a culture where AI enhances- not replaces- human creativity and decision-making. You don't need to be an expert today; what matters is your readiness to explore, adapt, and grow with us as we integrate AI responsibly and effectively into our work.Additionally, CDW is committed to fostering an equitable, transparent, and respectful hiring process for all applicants. During our application process, our goal is to understand your experience, strengths, skills, and qualifications. As an AI forward company, we see AI not just as a tool, but as a catalyst for new ways of thinking, creating, and communicating. We encourage candidates to embrace an AI mindset, one that's curious, adaptive, and ready to explore what's possible. We welcome thoughtful use of AI to expand your perspective and elevate how you share your story, while ensuring your application remains rooted in your own background, judgment, and voice.
* About Us
* CDW is a Fortune 500 technology solutions provider that helps businesses, government, education, and healthcare organizations achieve what's possible through technology. What makes CDW different isn't just what we do- it's how we do it. At CDW we act as one- building trust, speaking candidly, and working together to achieve more. We play to win- focusing on what matters most and delivering for our customers. And we think forward- staying curious, moving fast, and continuously learning. We believe meaningful work happens when people feel supported, heard, and empowered to contribute. That's why we think of ourselves as coworkers, not just employees- working together to solve complex challenges and deliver real impact for our customers and communities. As a full-stack, full-lifecycle technology partner, CDW brings deep expertise, strong relationships, and broad industry knowledge to help turn ideas into outcomes. When you join CDW, you become part of a collaborative environment where your work matters, your growth is supported, and your contributions help shape what's next. Together, we deliver the full promise of what technology can do.
* Together, we Make Amazing Happen.
* CDW is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regards to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status or any other basis prohibited by state and local law.
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree and 7+ years of progressive talent management, OD, or HR experience
- 3+ years in succession planning or talent program ownership
- Proven track record presenting to and influencing senior and executive stakeholders
- Hands-on Workday Succession and Talent module experience
- Strong communication, stakeholder engagement, and change management skills
What the Team is Saying
Phil
Practice Vice President
Mason
Sales Intern
Kevin Denison
Director, Strategic Initiatives — U.S. Commercial
Christine A. Leahy
Chair and Chief Executive Officer
CDW Compensation & Benefits Highlights
How does CDW ensure its pay and bonus plans are competitive?
CDW supports competitive pay and bonus plans through a broad total rewards approach that combines performance-focused compensation, strong benefits, long-term financial support, and the stability of a large established company.
- Total rewards philosophy: CDW’s compensation approach is built around more than base salary alone. Its ESG report says the company uses competitive compensation and performance-focused pay practices designed to reward excellence and support coworkers’ professional and financial growth. That philosophy is reinforced by a broader total rewards package that supports physical, emotional, financial, and social wellbeing.
- Performance-based pay and incentives: CDW explicitly describes its pay practices as performance-focused, indicating that compensation is designed to recognize strong individual contribution and results. Employee feedback also points to meaningful earning potential in some roles, along with merit increases and incentive opportunities, especially in performance-driven functions.
- Structured compensation components and financial support: CDW strengthens compensation competitiveness through multiple financial programs beyond salary. These include a 401(k), employee stock purchase plan, life insurance, disability coverage, accident-related insurance, and charitable gift matching. Together, these programs help support both short-term financial needs and longer-term financial security. CDW also connects compensation to career growth through its Global Career Framework, which helps employees see how advancement and future opportunities fit into the broader organization.
- Benefits as part of total compensation: Benefits are a major part of CDW’s competitive rewards story. The company offers healthcare, parental leave, adoption support, wellbeing resources, commuter benefits, legal assistance, and tuition reimbursement, among other offerings. Its ESG report also notes that in 2023 CDW made additional investments by reducing the benefits waiting period for new hires and increasing paid leave for primary parental caregivers and bereavement. Employees frequently mention benefits, PTO, flexibility, and job stability as strengths of the company’s overall package.
- Scale and stability: CDW’s size and market position also reinforce its ability to offer competitive rewards. As a Fortune 500 and S&P 500 company with about $21 billion in annual net sales and ~15,100 coworkers, CDW has the scale to provide broad benefits, structured pay programs, and long-term stability.
- External signals: Employee feedback points to several strengths in CDW’s rewards package, including mentions of generous compensation, strong benefits, stock options, merit increases, and financial stability. While compensation experiences can vary by role, reviews consistently suggest that benefits and overall package strength are important parts of CDW’s employer value proposition.
Bottom line: CDW supports competitive pay through a well-rounded total rewards model that combines performance-focused compensation, strong benefits, financial protection, and long-term career stability. It is especially well positioned for employees who value comprehensive benefits, growth opportunities, and the backing of a large, established technology company.
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The Company
What We Do
CDW Corporation is a leading multi-brand provider of information technology solutions to business, government, education and healthcare customers in the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada. A Fortune 500 company and member of the S&P 500 Index, CDW helps its customers to navigate an increasingly complex IT market and maximize return on their technology investments. For more information about CDW, please visit www.CDW.com. Our broad array of products and services range from hardware and software to integrated IT solutions such as security, cloud, hybrid infrastructure and digital experience.
Why Work With Us
Trust, connection and commitment are at the heart of how we work together to deliver for our customers. It’s why we’re coworkers, not just employees. Coworkers who genuinely believe in supporting our customers and one another. We collectively forge our path forward with a level of commitment that speaks to who we are and where we’re headed.
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CDW Offices
Hybrid Workspace
Employees engage in a combination of remote and on-site work.
CDW is committed to offering a high quality, flexible work experience centered around connection, collaboration, and coworker well-being. Our flexible hybrid approach enables coworkers to get the best of working from home and being together.
Typical time on-site:
Not Specified
