HR Transformation Principal Director, Consumer Goods, Retail, Travel

$163,000 - $434,000/Yr

Accenture - Los Angeles, CA

Full-time - Senior

Los Angeles, CA

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services

About the position

We work with C-suite executives, leaders and boards of the world's leading organizations, helping them reinvent every part of their enterprise to drive greater growth, enhance competitiveness, implement operational improvements, reduce cost, deliver sustainable 360° stakeholder value, and set a new performance frontier for themselves and the industry in which they operate. Our deep industry and functional expertise is supported by proprietary assets and solutions that help organizations transform faster and become more resilient. Underpinned by technology, data, analytics, AI, change management, talent, learning and sustainability capabilities, our Strategy & Consulting services help architect and accelerate all aspects of an organization's reinvention. As a HR Transformation Principal Director, you will lead and shape how organizations approach HR in the digital age. Your role involves defining, shaping, selling and executing HR transformation projects that integrate digital solutions, automation, process, and organization optimization. You will work closely with clients to improve HR functions, enhancing both business performance and employee satisfaction. This high-visibility role requires strategic thinking, deep expertise in HR transformation, strong client relationships, and effective project delivery.

Responsibilities

• Build strong, trusted long-term relationships with senior client stakeholders.
• Advise clients on HR operating models, technology, and transformation strategies aligned with business goals.
• Build perspectives on how the HR Strategy needs to evolve based on the evolution of the business strategy.
• Help clients optimize HR functions for efficiency, scalability, and strategic alignment.
• Develop and implement HR transformation strategies that blend traditional HR practices with digital innovations like AI, GenAI, and automation.
• Leverage analytics to assess current HR operations and design future-state models with technology-driven solutions to improve talent management, employee engagement, and workforce planning.
• Drive HR activity analysis to understand allocations of HR staff time and effort; compare to industry benchmarks and leading practices. Recommend options to optimize HR resource allocation and align with organizational goals.
• Work with clients to create HR transformation value cases and roadmaps that align HR with business strategy and deliver measurable outcomes.
• Design new HR operating models and service delivery frameworks for clients, infusing leading practices from areas such as employee experience, digital HR, shared services, and outsourcing.
• Lead HR organization design efforts, articulating interaction models, location strategy, and sizing.
• Lead initiatives to enhance employee experience through personalization, engagement, and alignment with company culture.
• Use HR technology, process improvement methodologies and data analytics to improve talent acquisition, performance management, and employee well-being.
• Design talent management frameworks that integrate automation and AI to optimize workforce planning.
• Lead the evaluation and selection of HR technologies (e.g., HRIS, AI tools) that fit client needs, culture, and business goals.
• Guide clients through the vendor selection process, including creating RFPs and evaluating capabilities.
• Articulate how organizations should leverage GenAI and other advanced technologies to improve the HR function.
• Stay up-to-date on emerging digital HR trends and bring innovative solutions to clients.
• Advise clients on transforming HR operations through shared services, outsourcing, and integrating digital tools and automation.
• Help clients evaluate sourcing options, driving cost efficiency and quality.
• Design and implement HR operating models leveraging these components.
• Lead initiatives to streamline HR processes using automation, AI tools, and data analytics.
• Implement intelligent automation solutions to enhance process efficiency, scalability and accuracy.
• Lead end-to-end delivery of HR transformation projects, ensuring timely, on-budget, and high-quality outcomes.
• Manage cross-functional teams to execute solutions across HR domains.
• Integrate new technologies like cloud-based HR systems and AI platforms into existing HR ecosystems.
• Guide change management efforts to ensure smooth transitions to new HR processes and technologies.
• Facilitate stakeholder engagement, ensuring alignment with key business leaders and fostering buy-in and commitment at all levels of the organization.
• Empower clients with the knowledge and tools needed to activate, apply, and sustain transformation initiatives long-term.
• Lead business development efforts by identifying and generating new HR transformation opportunities, building on strong relationships with prospective clients.
• Write and present high-quality client proposals, business cases, and RFP responses that clearly articulate the value of our HR transformation capabilities, ensuring alignment with client needs and expectations.
• Support business growth by working closely with senior leadership on strategic business development initiatives, offerings, and cultivating a pipeline of potential opportunities.
• Develop and coach practitioners on the functional craft of HR Transformation; support learning programs and training efforts to develop our people.
• Contribute to thought leadership on HR transformation trends and emerging areas of interest.
• Represent Accenture at industry events and conferences to enhance visibility and reputation.
• Foster a culture of innovation and continuous learning within the HR Transformation practice.

Requirements

• Minimum of 10 years' experience in HR transformation, digital HR, or HR technology consulting with at least 5 years in a senior managerial or leadership role.
• Minimum of 7 years' experience leading large-scale HR transformation projects.
• Minimum of 7 years' experience in designing and implementing HR operating models, shared services, and outsourcing strategies.
• Minimum of 3 years' experience in the Consumer Goods & Services, Retail and/or Travel Industry.

Nice-to-haves

• In-depth understanding of leading HR platforms (e.g., Workday, SuccessFactors, Oracle HCM) and their role in transforming HR operations and the employee experience.
• Expertise in evaluating HRIS, talent management systems, and AI-driven solutions.
• Experience managing vendor relationships and technology selection processes.
• Strong understanding of HR operating models, including shared services, outsourcing, and service delivery optimization.
• Ability to design and optimize HR operating models that integrate digital tools to drive efficiency and business outcomes.
• Proven experience enhancing employee engagement and well-being through innovative HR strategies and digital solutions.
• Ability to design employee-centric HR solutions that align with company culture and business objectives.
• Expertise in managing complex projects from strategy to execution, on time, within budget, and with quality.
• Familiar with Agile and Waterfall methodologies and project management tools (e.g., Jira, MS Project).
• Skilled in leading business development leadership and building strong client relationships.
• Experience writing compelling proposals and presenting to senior leadership to win HR transformation engagements.
• Contributions to industry thought leadership through writing, speaking engagements, and research.
• Active participation in industry events to stay current on HR transformation trends.
• Strong interpersonal skills for building trusted relationships with C-suite executives and senior stakeholders.
• Ability to influence senior leadership on HR strategy and technology decisions.
• Ability to think strategically and develop innovative HR solutions that leverage digital technologies.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate complex HR transformation concepts into clear, actionable strategies.
• Strong business acumen and ability to align HR transformation with organizational goals.
• Experience with workforce analytics and creating HR dashboards using tools like Power BI or Tableau.
• Experience with global clients and knowledge of international HR practices and compliance.
• Certification in Agile or Scrum methodologies.

Benefits

• Compensation at Accenture varies depending on a wide array of factors, which may include but are not limited to the specific office location, role, skill set, and level of experience.
• As required by local law, Accenture provides a reasonable range of compensation for roles that may be hired in California, Colorado, District of Columbia, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, New York or Washington.