Principal Culture & Development Specialist

Job description

The driving force behind our success has always been the people of AspenTech. What drives us, is our aspiration, our desire and ambition to keep pushing the envelope, overcoming any hurdle, challenging the status quo to continually find a better way. You will experience these qualities of passion, pride and aspiration in many ways — from a rich set of career development programs to support of community service projects to social events that foster fun and relationship building across our global community. The Role We are hiring for a key role that sits at the heart of our employee experience and communication strategy! Our culture comes to life through the programs, processes, and connections our employees experience every day – from onboarding to the moments that shape their careers. Based in Bedford, MA at AspenTech HQ, we are seeking a Principal Culture Specialist to help shape and tell the story of our culture as AspenTech continues to grow as part of Emerson. You will partner closely with HR, Marketing, the Control Systems and Software Business Group, and the HR Enterprise team at Emerson to design employee experience and learning programs, lead our global employee groups and legacy culture initiatives, and elevate how we communicate with our people, bringing clarity, creativity, and a modern touch. You are passionate about making an impact and bringing fresh thinking to how we engage and communicate globally. You push yourself to deliver meaningful results, and you are comfortable challenging the status quo with thoughtful, creative solutions. You communicate with clarity and confidence, and you genuinely enjoy connecting with people, shaping stories, and helping teams stay aligned and motivated. You are self-directed and resourceful, energized by ambiguity, and you thrive when working across levels, functions, and cultures with limited resources. If you are keen to take on this challenge and make an impact, we would love to hear from you. Your Impact Employee Experience & Culture: Lead the delivery of initiatives that advance our Engagement, Culture, and Communication plans globally. Guide HR teams and managers through the employee listening cycle: from survey preparation and analysis to action planning and follow-through. Champion an employee-centric environment through recognition programs, growth and learning opportunities, and employee feedback systems. Align with global Employee Value Proposition initiatives, using tools and materials to embed components into the employee lifecycle. Own and continuously modernize our onboarding program, enhancing the experience for Hiring Managers and new employees. Lead Employee Resource Group (ERG) strategy and other employee-affinity groups at a global scale, helping them gain structure, visibility, and momentum. Own and evolve legacy AspenTech culture initiatives: AspenFUN, AspenTech Gives Back, and volunteering events, ensuring they stay relevant and impactful. Learning & Leadership Development: Reshape and own AspenTech's Learning and Leadership Development strategy, programs, and offerings, including the deployment of relevant Emerson programs across our business. Facilitate professional and leadership development programs, workshops, and learning labs across the organization. Coordinate mentoring and development programs globally, using feedback to refine design and impact. Communications: Own the internal communications strategy, reviewing channels and platforms and defining the most effective approach for a global audience. Develop modern, engaging communication templates that standardize people-related communications and employer branding content, collaborating with Marketing. Implement tools and methods to measure communication effectiveness, providing insights and proposing improvements. HR & Strategic Planning: Support the Vice President, HR with strategic planning of our Business Unit operating rhythm, including HR leadership meetings, all-hands sessions, and additional touchpoints with executives, people managers, and all-employees. Design agendas, themes, and core content that keep discussions focused, forward-looking, and aligned with business and transformation priorities. Prepare materials, storylines, and visual content that elevate leadership conversations and decision-making. Cross-Functional Collaboration: Collaborate closely with the Control Systems and Software Business Group and the HR Enterprise team at Emerson to align programs and share best practices. Build strong, trusted relationships across HR, Marketing, and business leaders to connect people, ideas, and initiatives. Work independently and resourcefully, to bring projects from concept to execution. What You'll Need Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business, or a related field. 8 to 12 years of relevant experience in employee experience, internal communications, learning and development, or related HR fields. Experience operating across multiple geographies, stakeholders, cultures, and teams. Strong analytical skills and a strategic mindset, paired with exceptional written and verbal communication and storytelling ability. Background in leading change, with a track record of making progress toward goals. Experience leading events, training programs, or employee groups, from development to delivery, in collaboration with key partners. Demonstrated ability to work proactively and independently, with limited resources, to drive initiatives from idea to execution. Legal authorization to work in the United States — Sponsorship will not be provided for this position MBA or Master's degree in Human Resources, Employee Experience, Communications, or a related field preferred. Prior experience in a high-growth, fast-paced software environment preferred. Experience supporting employee engagement survey programs (e.g., Perceptyx, Qualtrics) and translating data into action preferred. Familiarity with employer branding and how internal and external communications align preferred. Experience leading Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) or grassroots culture and volunteering programs at scale preferred. Demonstrated ability to coach and influence People Managers and Senior Leaders effectively preferred. #LI-DW1 The salary range for this role is $109,600.00 - $137,000.00. This range represents what we in good faith believe is the range possible for base compensation for this role at the time of this posting. We may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range based on several factors. This range may be modified in the future. This role is also eligible for bonus or variable incentive pay. Additionally, we offer a comprehensive benefits package including paid time off, charitable giveback day, medical/dental/vision insurance, and retirement benefits to eligible employees.