Job Description

The Executive Counselor (EC) serves as a dedicated senior strategic partner to CHROs and senior HR leaders, combining first-hand CHRO experience with McLean & Company’s proprietary research, diagnostics, and benchmarking data to help HR deliver measurable organizational outcomes. The EC helps clients de-risk critical people decisions, strengthen HR’s strategic position at the executive table, and ensures McLean membership is fully realized against their most pressing enterprise challenges.

Through ongoing 1:1 advisory partnership, strategic facilitation, and evidence-informed judgment, the EC helps clients navigate complex organizational challenges to ensure HR operates as a decisive driver of organizational performance.

Key areas of responsibility:

Strategy Development & Execution Support:

• Build and maintain trusted relationships with a portfolio of senior HR leaders across diverse industries, serving as a thought partner to guide executive-level decision-making and strategic direction.
• Provide ongoing strategic advisory support through regularly scheduled and ad hoc engagements (typically via videoconference), ensuring full McLean membership value is realized; with every tool, diagnostic, and framework applied to the client’s most critical enterprise challenges.
• Evaluate client needs and develop priority resource plans to help clients establish / evolve their HR strategy, achieve their objectives, and deliver on key initiatives.
• Guide clients through enterprise-level decisions and high-stakes moments, including organizational restructuring, leadership succession, and large-scale transformation, with evidence-backed judgment and confidence.
• Design and deliver high-impact strategy sessions (virtual and onsite) on critical HR and organizational topics, as identified by the client (e.g., HR strategy, organizational design, team effectiveness)

Account Management:

• Contribute across the full client lifecycle, including onboarding, delivery, engagement, renewal and growth.
• Ensure clients fully realize the value of their membership through proactive engagement and alignment to priorities.
• Identify opportunities to deepen partnerships and expand impact within accounts.

Business Development & Thought Leadership:

• Provide input into research and content development based on client needs and emerging trends.
• Host and/or facilitate business development efforts including proof of concept calls, webinars, roundtables, CHRO dinner events and presentations at annual forums and conferences.

Internal Collaboration & Enablement:

• Partner with sales and other internal teams in proactive account management, identifying growth opportunities and ensuring account health.
• Share insights and best practices to strengthen team capability and service delivery.

Required qualifications:

• Prior experience as a CHRO or equivalent top HR executive, with direct exposure to board dynamics and CEO relationships (required; this is the foundation of the Counselor Seat value proposition)
• 20+ years of progressive HR experience, with exposure to multiple HR functions
• Demonstrated experience advising or influencing senior leaders and executive teams
• Broad and deep expertise across multiple HR disciplines
• Strong business acumen and understanding of organizational dynamics
• Demonstrated experience in working directly with members of the C-Suite and Boards of Directors.

Core Competencies:

Executive Influence & Relationship Building - Ability to build credibility and trust with senior leaders and sustain long-term partnerships

Strategic Thinking & Problem Solving - Ability to synthesize complex information and translate it into clear, practical direction

Advisory & Facilitation Excellence - Skilled at leading executive discussions and guiding groups to actionable outcomes

Communication & Storytelling - Exceptional ability to communicate ideas with clarity, impact, and relevance to senior audiences

Commercial Acumen - Ability to identify growth opportunities and contribute to account expansion and retention

Curiosity & Continuous Learning - Strong intellectual curiosity and commitment to staying current on HR and business trends

Role Scope & Expectations:

• Manage a portfolio of executive-level client relationships
• Deliver advisory services primarily through virtual engagement, with some onsite facilitation
• Travel up to approximately 30% as required for client engagements
• Operate in a dynamic, fast-paced, and highly client-focused environment
• Flexibility to support clients across time zones and outside of standard business hours when required
• Must be eligible to work in the country hired in
• Must be eligible to obtain a TN Visa for travel to onsite engagements

McLean & Co is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusion and does not discriminate on the basis of any legally protected status or characteristic including Minority/Female/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity/Disability/Veteran and are pleased to consider all qualified applicants. To that end, upon request, McLean & Co will ensure, to the extent possible, that accommodation be made available to applicants throughout the recruitment and hiring process.

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