Vice President, Program Operations

We are seeking a strategic and execution-focused Vice President of Program Operations to lead our North America Health and Talent Solutions business into the future. This role will focus on driving operational excellence, leading critical transformation initiatives, and building the capabilities needed to support scalable, sustainable growth.

The ideal candidate is a proven leader with deep Health & Benefits and/or Talent Consulting industry experience, experience building and leading teams, exceptional project management discipline, and a strong track record of partnering across business lines to deliver measurable business outcomes.

This is a hybrid role (at least 3 days a week in office) with the flexibility to work both virtually and from our Bannockburn, IL or Chicago, IL offices.

Aon is in the business of better decisions

At Aon, we shape decisions for the better to protect and enrich the lives of people around the world.

As an organization, we are united through trust as one inclusive team and we are passionate about helping our colleagues and clients succeed.

What the day will look like

Strategic Leadership & Transformation

Define and lead a multi year business transformation roadmap for the North America Health and Talent Solutions business
Translate strategic objectives into clear programs and initiatives that drive business process optimization, technology transformation, and capacity creation.
Develop and track KPIs to measure the impact of transformation initiatives on efficiency, client outcomes, quality, and profitability.

Team Leadership

Lead and develop a high‑performing team of sixbusiness operations and transformation professionals.
Set clear goals, priorities, and development plans for the team, fostering a culture of accountability, innovation, and continuous improvement.
Provide coaching, direction, and support to ensure the team delivers on complex, cross‑functional initiatives on time and within scope.

Cross Business Partnership & Collaboration

Serve as a trusted partner to leaders across multiple business areas including executive leadership, sales and client consulting, and key areas of Aon’s parent organization
Facilitate alignment on priorities, dependencies, and resources needs to ensure that transformation initiatives support broader business strategies.
Drive collaborative problem‑solving, ensuring impacted stakeholders are engaged early and often, and that solutions are practical, adoptable, and sustainable.
Promote a “one-team” mindset, breaking down silos and building shared ownership for change and results across functions and geographies.

Business Process Optimization

Lead efforts to analyze, redesign, and standardizecritical end‑to‑end business processes to improve quality, speed, scalability, and client experience.
Implement best‑practice operating models, governance, and controls to improve consistency and reduce risk.
Use data and process metrics to identify bottlenecks, inefficiencies, and opportunities for simplification and automation.

Technology Transformation

Partner closely with Technology/IT and business stakeholders to assess, select, and implementplatforms and tools that enable modern, efficient ways of working.
Ensure that technology solutions are grounded in real business needs, with strong user adoption and clear change‑management plans.
Champion data‑driven decision‑making, helping the business better leverage analytics, dashboards, and reporting.
We are making significant investments in automation and AI-based capabilities

Capacity Creation & Operating Efficiency

Identify and execute initiatives that free up capacity across the organization by improving workflows, optimizing teams, and enabling automation.
Build business cases that quantify the impact of transformation initiatives on capacity, cost, and growth.
Partner with Finance and Aon’s Project Management office to realize, track, and sustain benefits over time.

How this opportunity is different

This role is central to shaping the future of our business. By leading a dedicated team of six professionals and working in close partnership with leaders across the organization, the VP of Program Operations will:

Modernize and simplify how we work.
Implement technology and process innovations that scale with our growth.
Create capacity so our teams can focus more on delivering value to clients and less on administrative friction.
Ensure our operations and capabilities are aligned with our long term strategy and the evolving needs of our clients

Skills and experience that will lead to success

10+ years of experience in the Health & Benefits or Human Capital / Talent industry (required).
Deep understanding of the professional services operating model, client lifecycle, regulatory and market dynamics, and the realities of frontline teams.
Proven experience leading business operations, transformation, or strategy execution in a matrixed organizational environment
Demonstrated success in leading teams, preferably including people managers and senior individual contributors.
Strong track record of cross‑functional collaboration, with the ability to influence without authority and align diverse stakeholders around common goals.

Strategic & Analytical Thinking

Able to connect high‑level strategy to practical initiatives, roadmaps, and execution plans.
Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret data, identify trends, and drive data‑informed decisions.

Change Leadership & Communication

Exceptional communication skills, with the ability to clearly articulate the “why” behind change to both senior leaders and front‑line teams.
Skilled at managing resistance, building advocacy, and driving adoption of new processes and technologies.

Operational Excellence Mindset

Deep experience with process improvement frameworks (e.g., Lean, Six Sigma, or similar), even if not formally certified.
Comfortable mapping processes, diagnosing root causes, and designing pragmatic solutions.

Relationship Building & Collaboration

Highly skilled at building trust‑based relationships across business lines and functions.
Demonstrated ability to co‑create solutions with partners, ensuring operational changes reflect real‑world business needs.

People Leadership

Passion for coaching, developing, and empowering team members.
Ability to set clear expectations, provide constructive feedback, and recognize strong performance.

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Healthcare Administration, Operations, or related field required.
Advanced degree (MBA or related) is preferred but not required.
Project Management certification is required (e.g., PMP)

Pay Transparency

The salary range for this position (intended for U.S. applicants) is $150,000 - $195,000 annually. The actual salary will vary based on applicant’s education, experience, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity and alignment with market data. The salary may also be adjusted based on applicant’s geographic location.

This position is eligible to participate in one of Aon’s annual incentive plans to receive an annual discretionary bonus in addition to base salary. The amount of any bonus varies and is subject to the terms and conditions of the applicable incentive plan.

How we support our colleagues

Aon offers a comprehensive package of benefits for full-time and regular part-time colleagues, including, but not limited to: a 401(k) savings plan with employer contributions; an employee stock purchase plan; consideration for long-term incentive awards at Aon’s discretion; medical, dental and vision insurance, various types of leaves of absence, paid time off, including 12 paid holidays throughout the calendar year, 15 days of paid vacation per year, paid sick leave as provided under state and local paid sick leave laws, short-term disability and optional long-term disability, health savings account, health care and dependent care reimbursement accounts, employee and dependent life insurance and supplemental life and AD&D insurance; optional personal insurance policies, adoption assistance, tuition assistance, commuter benefits, and an employee assistance program that includes free counseling sessions. Eligibility for benefits is governed by the applicable plan documents and policies.

In addition to our comprehensive benefits package, we encourage an inclusive workforce. Plus, our agile environment allows you to manage your wellbeing and work/life balance, ensuring you can be your best self at Aon. Furthermore, all colleagues enjoy two “Global Wellbeing Days” each year, encouraging you to take time to focus on yourself. We offer a variety of working style solutions for our colleagues as well.

Our continuous learning culture inspires and equips you to learn, share and grow, helping you achieve your fullest potential. As a result, at Aon, you are more connected, more relevant, and more valued.

Aon values an innovative and inclusive workplace where all colleagues feel empowered to be their authentic selves. Aon is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace.

Aon provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran, marital, domestic partner status, or other legally protected status. People with criminal histories are encouraged to apply.

We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities and fostering an inclusive workplace. If you require accommodations during the application or interview process, please let us know. You can request accommodations by emailing us at ReasonableAccommodations@Aon.com or your recruiter. We will work with you to meet your needs and ensure a fair and equitable experience.

For positions in San Francisco and Los Angeles, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction record in accordance with local Fair Chance ordinances.

Aon is not accepting unsolicited resumes from search firms for this position. If you are a search firm, you will not be compensated in any way for your submission of a candidate, even if Aon hires that candidate.

Nothing in this job description restricts management's right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time.

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