Sr Manager, Talent Strategy and Succession

Description
This is a critical new role within CDW's newly created Talent Strategy team, established to elevate talent management practices in support of CDW's long-term business strategy. Reporting to the Director, Talent Strategy and partnering closely with the SVP, Head of Talent, this role will consult with global business leaders to diagnose talent needs and build enterprise frameworks across strategic workforce planning, leadership succession, and performance management. The role will translate future-focused thinking into practical resources, capability-building experiences, and scalable approaches that HRBPs and business leaders can apply across CDW's complex, matrixed global environment.
What you will do
* Consult with global business leaders to diagnose CDW's talent needs and connect talent strategy priorities to business outcomes.
* Lead the design of global frameworks across strategic workforce planning, leadership succession, and performance management.
* Build capability with HRBPs and business leaders through practical resources, workshops, coaching, and hands-on support that enable business ownership over time.
* Apply an organizational psychology and behavior-change lens to ensure talent frameworks are meaningful, usable, and relevant to leaders' and coworkers' day-to-day work.
* Plan and execute framework rollouts with a pragmatic approach that accounts for CDW's matrixed global context, regional nuances, and change history.
* Partner with regional Talent leads and People leaders to incorporate local insight, challenge, and context into enterprise strategy and framework design.
* Collaborate with L&D, Reward, and TA to align talent frameworks across the broader People/CWS function and strengthen end-to-end integration.
* Position succession planning and leadership continuity as business-critical priorities by integrating them into leadership routines, governance forums, and strategic planning cycles.
* Drive leadership accountability for talent outcomes, including succession readiness, pipeline strength, follow-through, and measurable impact.
* Integrate CDW's Leadership Model into succession, strategic workforce planning, and performance management practices.
* Establish a consistent, data-led approach to talent decision-making by identifying gaps, risks, and opportunities and translating insights into credible recommendations for senior leaders.
* Continuously improve and simplify talent frameworks and tools to ensure scalability, usability, and consistency across markets and functions.
* Stay current on trends in strategic workforce planning, leadership development, succession, performance management, and practical AI applications that create meaningful value.
What we expect of you
Minimum basic requirements
* Bachelors degree and 7+ years of experience in strategic workforce planning and succession planning; experience in talent management or organizational development within a complex, matrixed, or enterprise-scale organization strongly preferred OR 11+ years of experience in strategic workforce planning and succession planning; experience in talent management or organizational development
* Proven ability to operate independently, drive progress through ambiguity, and stay resilient and pragmatic as priorities, timelines, or blockers shift.
* Strong initiative and ownership, with the ability to identify what needs to happen, engage the right partners, and deliver impact quickly.
* Strong consultative and diagnostic skills, with the ability to uncover root causes, understand stakeholder needs, and adapt approach across diverse audiences.
* Demonstrated ability to influence and present to senior and executive stakeholders while simplifying complex ideas for varied audiences.
* Experience designing and delivering tools, resources, or workshops that build HR or business stakeholder capability to lead independently in a given area.
* Strong project management skills, including experience building and executing plans that embed new ways of working into established organizations. Preferred skills, experience, and qualities needed
* Experience redesigning talent capability within an established organization you've improved or transformed what exists, not just maintained it.
* Familiarity with global talent practices and the regional nuance involved in building scalable solutions across a matrixed enterprise.
* Ability to translate raw talent data into a clear strategic narrative that supports decision-making without oversimplifying readiness, risk, or capability gaps.
* Background or grounding in organizational psychology, behavioral science, or behavior change that supports genuine leader and coworker adoption.
* Positive, solutions-focused approach and genuine energy for joining a team focused on building better talent practices for coworkers and CDW. 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/ Salary ranges may be subject to geographic differentials
* 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.