Metronorth Railroad

Senior Manager, Succession Planning and Talent Programs

Metronorth Railroad$111K — $124K *
Education, Government & Non-Profit
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration, Education, Human Resources, or related field, or equivalent experience.
  • Minimum of 6 years related experience, including 2 years in a managerial role in a large organization.
  • At least 3 years experience in project management or program management focused on succession planning with the use of assessment tools.
  • Excellent collaboration, communication, and presentation skills across all organizational levels.
  • Strong critical thinking and project management abilities with a keen attention to detail.

Responsibilities

  • Manage implementation of succession planning and talent program processes per SOP standards.
  • Develop and maintain SOPs, workflows, and templates for operational excellence.
  • Coordinate development planning with HRBPs and Learning Development teams.
  • Oversee job profile and skills implementation aligned with succession planning timelines.
  • Facilitate effective stakeholder meetings, including preparation and reporting.
  • Execute annual cycles for data collection and reporting with HR Analytics.
  • Lead and motivate direct reports while fostering a professional work environment.

Benefits

  • Eligible for one day of telework per week after 30 days of hire.
  • Potential travel opportunities to MTA locations.
  • Professional development opportunities within a high-impact role.
Full Job Description
Description

Position at MTA Headquarters

JOB TITLE:

Senior Manager, Succession Planning and Talent Programs

DEPT/DIV:

People

SUPERVISOR:

Deputy Chief Learning, Engagement & Development (LEaD)

WORK LOCATION:

2 Broadway, New York, NY 10004

HOURS OF WORK:

9:00 am - 5:30 pm (7.5 hours/day) or as required

FULL/PART-TIME

FULL

SALARY RANGE:

$111,655 - $124,061

DEADLINE:

Until filled

This position is eligible for telework, which is currently one day per week. New hires are eligible to apply 30 days after their effective date of hire.

Job Summary:

The Senior Manager of Succession Planning and Talent Programs serves as the operational lead responsible for implementing and managing succession planning processes, talent assessments, career pathing models, and development planning activities that strengthen leadership continuity across the MTA. This role translates established enterprise talent strategies into high-quality, consistent execution by building frameworks, SOPs, tracking systems, and actionable workflows, while ensuring accuracy, follow-through, and measurable program outcomes. The Senior Manager will eventually oversee a small team supporting these processes and collaborate with LEaD and cross-agency partners to drive disciplined, reliable implementation of talent programs.

Responsibilities:
  • Manage the end-to-end implementation of succession planning and other assigned talent program processes, success profile alignment, readiness assessments, and risk mitigation activities, consistent with the SOP standards.
  • Build, document, and maintain SOPs, workflows, templates, and program documentation that support consistency, compliance, and operational excellence across all talent and succession programs.
  • Coordinate execution of development planning steps with HRBPs and the Learning Development and Performance Management teams to ensure successors receive timely development support and aligned interventions as needed.
  • Oversee job profile, skills, and development design and implementation milestones aligned with succession planning timeline & workplan, ensuring timely task completion, stakeholder communication, and cross-team coordination to support and prepare employees for the next step along the MTA career journey.
  • Coordinate / schedule and facilitate effective in-person or virtual stakeholder meetings across MTA sites, including pre-meeting prep, meeting materials, summaries, metrics, and debrief reporting packets across the agency, People team, and leadership in support of driving succession and talent programs.
  • Execute annual and quarterly cycles for data collection, validation, and reporting in partnership with Workforce Development and HR Operations & Analytics team, leveraging HRIS talent modules and Power BI dashboards.
  • Select, develop, and motivate direct reports. Provide career development for subordinates. Provide prompt and effective coaching and counseling. Provide input regarding the discipline/termination of employees when necessary. Review staff performance. Creates a professional environment that respects individual differences and enables all employees to develop and contribute to their full potential.
  • Travel to MTA locations or other external sites as needed


Required Knowledge/Skills/Abilities:
  • Excellent collaboration, communication, interpersonal, and presentation skills.
  • Demonstrated ability to work with all internal levels within a given organization.
  • Drives results with strong critical thinking and project management skills with attention to detail and a bias for quality.
  • Ability to translate strategy into implementation.
  • Demonstrated proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite or comparable applications, i.e., Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
  • Experience facilitating sessions with senior stakeholders in support of implementing and driving succession and talent development program approaches to drive targeted outcomes and report out on meaningful insights to inform ongoing strategy.
  • Demonstrated ability to influence without formal authority and collaborate effectively with different personality styles.
  • Developing visually compelling presentations
  • Development and synthesis of survey feedback and tracking mechanisms to measure outcomes and report out on impact.


Required Education and Experience:
  • Bachelor's Degree in Arts/Sciences (BA/BS) in Business Administration, Education, Human Resources, Organizational Development, or related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.
  • Minimum of 6 years of overall related experience, including a minimum of 2 years within a managerial role in a large, multi-faceted, fast-paced organization or governmental body preferred.
  • Minimum 3 years of strong project management or program management and succession planning experience, including but not limited to leveraging assessment tools to identify and develop organizational successors and talent profiles.

The Following is/are preferred:
  • Master's degree in Arts/Sciences (MA/MS) in a related field
  • Synthesize large data sets such as workforce analysis data
  • PHR or SHRM-CP, Certified in HR or Talent Management related specialty


Other Information

May need to work outside of normal work hours (i.e., evenings and weekends)

Travel may be required to other MTA locations or other external sites.

According to the New York State Public Officers Law & the MTA Code of Ethics, all employees who hold a policymaking position must file an Annual Statement of Financial Disclosure (FDS) with the NYS Commission on Ethics and Lobbying in Government (the "Commission").

About Metronorth Railroad

Metro-North Railroad is a commuter railroad that serves the northern suburbs of New York City. The railroad was founded in 1983 and is owned by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). Metro-North operates three main lines, the Hudson Line, the Harlem Line, and the New Haven Line, which together serve over 85 million passengers annually. The railroad has a fleet of over 400 rail cars and operates over 700 trains per day. In addition to commuter service, Metro-North also operates several tourist trains, including the popular Fall Foliage and Holiday Express trains.
Learn more about Metronorth Railroad
Size
7,000 employees
Industry
Net Income
$100 million
Founded
1983
5 Year Trend
-5%
Revenue
$1 billion

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