Jobs › Northern Trust

Specialist, Business Strategy

Northern Trust · Chicago, IL · $114,700–$194,900 a year · Full time

Posted Sep 22, 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 your analysis changed a leader's mind.

What they are checking: Whether their work has influenced real decisions, not just produced decks that confirmed what leaders already believed.

Describe a time you had to make a recommendation with incomplete data.

What they are checking: Whether they can make a clear call under uncertainty and say plainly what would change their view.

How do you stay close enough to the frontline to know what is really happening in the business?

What they are checking: Whether they ground strategy in how advisors and clients actually work, not only in reports and dashboards.

What would you do

Two business leaders both want budget for their initiative, and there is only room for one. How would you frame the decision?

What they are checking: Whether they can lay out trade-offs fairly so leadership decides on impact rather than on who argues best.

An initiative you helped launch is behind plan after six months. What do you do?

What they are checking: Whether they follow through on execution and are willing to recommend a course change rather than defend the plan.

A senior leader asks you for analysis by tomorrow that you know needs a week to do right. How do you respond?

What they are checking: Whether they manage expectations honestly and offer a useful partial answer without hiding the limits.

About the work

Leadership wants to grow revenue in one wealth segment by fifteen percent. How would you turn that into clear priorities and an execution plan?

What they are checking: Whether they can move from a growth target to concrete choices about people, money and sequence.

How would you figure out whether a regional team actually needs more advisors or just needs to work differently?

What they are checking: Whether they diagnose capacity problems with data before recommending headcount, which is the most expensive answer.

What numbers would you look at first to judge the health of a wealth management business?

What they are checking: Whether they understand the economics of wealth management, such as assets, fees, client retention and advisor productivity.

How do you build a business case that a skeptical finance partner will trust?

What they are checking: Whether they show financial discipline with clear assumptions and sensitivities instead of a single optimistic number.

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The full job description

As published by Northern Trust.

About Northern Trust As a global leader in innovative wealth management, asset servicing, asset management and banking services, Northern Trust (Nasdaq: NTRS) is proud to guide the world’s most successful individuals, families, corporations and institutions. Since 1889, we have aligned our efforts with our three guiding Principles That Endure: Service, Expertise, and Integrity. Together, they reflect the three cornerstones of business conduct which we strive to instill in our employees, whom we call partners, and to provide to our clients and the communities we serve worldwide. With more than 135 years of financial experience and over 24,000 partners, we serve the world’s most sophisticated clients using leading technology and exceptional service. Job Profile Summary The Specialist, Business Strategy role will sit within Wealth Client Group and serve as a strategic partner to business leadership, helping translate growth objectives into clear priorities, resource decisions, and execution plans. The role will work across Wealth Client Group to assess business performance, staffing needs, revenue opportunities, budget considerations, and operational trade-offs to help the team scale effectively and focus on the highest-impact opportunities. The position requires a strong balance of strategic thinking, financial discipline, business judgment, and execution focus. Key Responsibilities • Support development of Wealth Client Group’s multi-year growth strategy and annual strategic priorities. • Translate growth objectives into practical business plans, milestones, ownership models, and measures of success. • Develop recommendations to advance client acquisition, asset growth, strategic account engagement, and product prioritization. • Evaluate staffing models, advisor coverage, territory design, sales support needs, capability gaps, and resource allocation against business objectives. • Support leadership decisions around prioritization, budget considerations, investment requirements, trade-offs, and sequencing of strategic initiatives. • Develop business cases for technology, automation, data, reporting, and enablement investments that improve scale, visibility, and operating leverage. • Identify opportunities to improve sales effectiveness through better tools, reporting, training, workflow simplification, and follow-through on high-value opportunities. • Analyze market, competitor, industry, advisor, and client trends to identify growth opportunities and potential gaps. • Provide concise updates and recommendations to leadership on progress, decisions needed, risks, and expected business value. Experience and Skills Profile: • 10+ years of experience in strategy, business enablement, consulting, transformation, asset management, wealth management, intermediary distribution, or related business leadership roles. This should include proven experience in the area to assess the business and drive strategy that allows for business enablement, transformation and future growth. • Bachelor’s degree is required. • Understanding of sales, distribution, product commercialization, and financial drivers in asset or wealth management. • Strong strategic execution skills with the ability to evaluate business performance, develop recommendations and connect to measurable outcomes. • Ability to influence and coordinate across stakeholders, business partners, and cross-functional teams. • Strong leadership, organizational, written and verbal communication skills. • Proven experience in using data to identify trends that will drive business results. Salary Range: $114,700 - 194,900 USD Salary range is a good faith estimate of base pay. Northern Trust provides a comprehensive benefits package including retirement benefits (401k and pension), health and welfare benefits (medical, dental, vision, spending accounts and disability), paid time off, parental and caregiver leave, life & accident insurance, and other voluntary and well-being benefits. Northern Trust also provides a discretionary bonus program that may include an equity component. Work Authorization Applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S. without the need for employment-based visa sponsorship now or in the future. Northern Trust will not sponsor applicants for U.S. work visa status for this opportunity (no sponsorship is available for H-1B, L-1, TN, O-1, E-3, H-1B1, F-1, J-1, OPT, CPT or any other employment-based visa). Working with Us As a Northern Trust partner, you will be part of a flexible and collaborative work culture, which has a strong history of financial strength and stability. Movement within the organization is encouraged, senior leaders are accessible, and you can take pride in working for a company committed to an inclusive workplace and assisting the communities we serve. Philanthropy is deeply rooted in Northern Trust’s history and is an essential element of our culture. Employees around the world give their time and talent to work for the greater good of their communities. Reasonable Accommodation Northern Trust is committed to working with and providing adjustments to individuals with health conditions and disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please email our HR Service Center at MyHRHelp@ntrs.com , or alternatively you can discuss your individual requirements with the recruiter you are working with.

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