Strategy & Operations Director

Strategy and Operations Director

Diageo is a global leader in beverage alcohol with an outstanding collection of over 200 brands in over 180 countries globally, including Johnnie Walker, Crown Royal, Bulleit and Buchanan's whiskies, Smirnoff, Cîroc and Ketel One vodkas, Captain Morgan, Baileys, Don Julio, Tanqueray and Guinness!

Our performance ambition is to be one of the best performing, most trusted and respected consumer products companies in the world. We are proud of the brands we make and the enjoyment they give to millions. We are passionate about alcohol playing a positive role in society as part of a balanced lifestyle. It is central to our purpose to celebrate life, every day, everywhere!

The Strategy and Operations Director will be a key thought partner and report directly to the NAM CMIO. This role represents the conduit between the broader M&I strategy and bringing that agenda to life across Diageo through brilliant execution. Switch seamlessly between future forward thinking and smooth mechanisms, tools and processes to deliver. This role will be deeply involved in strategy, operations, and communications, ensuring the CMO's vision and priorities are seamlessly and consistently implemented.

Key Outputs:

Strategic Alignment:

• Collaborate with the CMO to help set and communicate a clear strategic direction for the business - and, specifically, help shape the Portfolio strategy.
• Support cross-functional teams to drive critical initiatives and projects aligned with the annual growth goals of the company.
• Partner with category leaders at Diageo to enhance critical presentations, ensuring they align with overall brand and marketing strategies (and there is the right consistency)
• Develop key projects and key performance indicators to progress the Diageo Society 2030 agenda.

• Align leadership team agendas with the broader goals and internal team development objectives.
• Organize and orchestrate key meetings and business points throughout the year, including materials development and analysis. Support the cadence of strategic planning, and management meetings through coordination across the group.
• Oversee critical operational tasks, ensuring the CMO's priorities are successfully implemented. Streamline and refine processes for improved efficiency and impact across the entirety of the marketing organization. Suggest and implement optimizations where possible.
• Partner closely with CMO's executive assistant to organize, prioritize, and optimize his time, balancing between critical initiatives and daily operations.

• Act as a pivotal communications bridge between the CMO and both internal and external partners. Field incoming requests based on strategic priorities and develop first drafts of communications where necessary.
• Prepare and refine communication materials, such as presentations, speeches, and external announcements, ensuring they are aligned with Diageo's brand and ethos.
• Manage and prepare CMO communication calendar according to the cadence of the business.

• 12+ years of relevant experience within strategy, operations or a related field.
• Consumer goods experience preferred, three-tiered industries or alcohol beverage experience a plus
• Demonstrated executive presence with excellent presentation skills.
• Proven ability to align and guide teams towards overarching corporate objectives.
• Proven experience working effectively within a matrix organization required. Comfort with agility, complexity and lack of rigid structures
• Strong project management experience preferred.

• Spikes high on strategic influencing / followership. Ability to build strong, agile relationships between commercial and marketing
• Ability to strategically influence and manage multiple partners internally and externally to continuously drive the business forward
• Willing to engage senior leaders to ask for removal of barriers
• Expected to be extremely self-motivated and goal-oriented, with a bias for action, execution with excellence and calculated risk taking
• Demonstrates possibilities mentality with future orientation
• Passionate leadership style with people management experience, especially with large teams across multiple geographies