Jobs › Northwestern Mutual

Senior Director, Supervision Talent & Development

Northwestern Mutual · Milwaukee, WI · Full time

Posted Sep 28, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026

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Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

About your past

Tell me about a time you redesigned a training program because regulations or risks changed.

What they are checking: Whether they keep development aligned with regulatory developments and emerging risks.

How do you partner with managing partners in the field who have their own priorities?

What they are checking: Whether they can build trust with field leaders and align development to business needs.

Tell me about a team you built or grew. How did you develop its leaders?

What they are checking: Whether they can lead and grow teams, not just design programs.

What would you do

New hires are taking too long to get licensed and become proficient. What would you look at first?

What they are checking: Whether they can diagnose ramp-up problems and speed up proficiency, which the posting names.

How would you prepare supervision professionals for how the work may change with new technology?

What they are checking: Whether they think ahead about the future of supervision work and build skills for it.

A subject matter expert says your new curriculum misses something important. How do you handle it?

What they are checking: Whether they welcome expert input and adjust while keeping the program on track.

About the work

How would you build an integrated onboarding and development strategy for supervision professionals across the Home Office and Field?

What they are checking: Whether they can unify separate programs into one talent ecosystem, which is the core of the role.

How do you train judgment, not just rules, in a supervision role?

What they are checking: Whether they know how to build the decision-making skills that compliance work really needs.

How would you measure quality in supervision work and use it to guide development?

What they are checking: Whether they can tie quality measures back to training and coaching that improves results.

How do you design career paths that keep good supervision people from leaving?

What they are checking: Whether they connect development journeys to long-term career growth and retention.

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The full job description

As published by Northwestern Mutual.

About the Job: The Senior Director, Supervision Talent & Development is a leadership role within Northwestern Mutual’s Enterprise Compliance Department responsible for leading the strategy for supervision onboarding, training, development, and quality across the Home Office and Field. This role evolves existing capabilities into an integrated talent ecosystem that accelerates proficiency, strengthens judgment, improves quality, and prepares supervision professionals for the future of the work, while leading teams and partnering with supervisors, managing partners, senior leaders, and subject matter experts to align development priorities with business needs, regulatory developments, emerging risks, and the changing nature of supervision. What You'll Do: • Develop and execute an integrated strategy for supervision onboarding, training, development, and quality across the Home Office and Field. • Design development journeys that strengthen business knowledge, judgment, service orientation, leadership capability, confidence, and long-term career growth. • Lead Home Office and Field training, development, and onboarding programs, establishing clear priorities, measures of success, and shared learning foundations where appropriate. • Improve the speed and effectiveness with which new employees complete licensing, build proficiency, and become prepared to perform quality work independently. • Oversee the Home Office quality review program and establish feedback loops among quality review, training, business trends, regulatory developments, audit findings, and development priorities. • Build stronger alignment between Home Office and Field programs while addressing the distinct needs, responsibilities, and development priorities of each population. • Serve as a visible, credible, and relatable thought leader for the supervision community, building trusted relationships with supervisors, managing partners, senior leaders, and other key stakeholders. • Influence stakeholders to take action, strengthen supervision practices, and invest appropriately in supervision talent and capability. • Lead and develop a multidisciplinary team responsible for training, onboarding, development, quality review, and program enablement. • Set clear roles, priorities, performance expectations, and accountability for outcomes while building a collaborative, service-oriented culture focused on quality, sound judgment, and continuous learning. • Lead the evolution of foundational programs into an integrated, scalable supervision talent and development model, using data, technology, and artificial intelligence to improve learning, accelerate feedback, increase capacity, and strengthen quality insights. • Travel may be required based on business and leadership needs. What You'll Bring to the Role: • Bachelor’s degree or an equivalent combination of education and relevant professional experience. • Significant leadership experience in financial services, supervision, compliance, risk management, field leadership, advisor support, talent development, or a related discipline. • Demonstrated success leading teams and building, scaling, or materially improving organizational capabilities. • Experience shaping training systems, onboarding programs, talent development strategies, learning journeys, or related professional development experiences. • Strong understanding of the financial services industry, including financial planning concepts, products, advisor practices, and supervisory responsibilities. • Proven ability to build credibility, influence without direct authority, and drive action across organizational boundaries. • Demonstrated ability to coach and develop leaders, teams, and stakeholders. • Outstanding communication, presentation, and relationship-building skills, including the ability to translate strategy into engaging and actionable direction. • Strong strategic thinking, business acumen, judgment, and execution capabilities. • Ability to lead through ambiguity and evolve established capabilities into a more integrated and scalable operating model. • Experience in supervision, supervisory leadership, compliance, risk, or a related financial services capacity preferred. • Experience supporting geographically dispersed populations preferred. • Experience leading learning, talent development, organizational effectiveness, quality programs, onboarding journeys, professional development frameworks, or coaching practices preferred. • Certified Financial Planner, Chartered Financial Consultant, Chartered Life Underwriter, or a comparable industry designation preferred. • Current or prior FINRA Series 7, Series 24, and Series 9/10 registrations, comparable supervisory registrations, or willingness and ability to obtain applicable registrations based on the requirements of the role preferred. #LI-Hybrid This position has been classified as a Registered Representative under NMIS guidelines and requires fingerprinting.Series 6 - FINRA, Series 7 - FINRA Compensation Range: Pay Range - Start: $144,000.00 Pay Range - End: $216,000.00 Geographic Specific Pay Structure: Structure 110: $158,400.00 USD - $237,600.00 USD Structure 115: $165,600.00 USD - $248,400.00 USD We believe in fairness and transparency. It’s why we share the salary range for most of our roles. However, final salaries are based on a number of factors, including the skills and experience of the candidate; the current market; location of the candidate; and other factors uncovered in the hiring process. The standard pay structure is listed but if you’re living in California, New York City or other eligible location, geographic specific pay structures, compensation and benefits could be applicable, click here to learn more. Grow your career with a best-in-class company that puts our clients' interests at the center of all we do. Get started now! Northwestern Mutual is an equal opportunity employer that welcomes talented individuals of all backgrounds. We are committed to creating and maintaining an environment in which each employee can contribute creative ideas, seek challenges, assume leadership and continue to focus on meeting and exceeding business and personal objectives.

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