The Senior Manager, Strategic Planning will lead and support initiatives that are core to CAI portfolio strategic planning and execution. This includes supporting the annual strategic planning process, managing weekly C-suite staff agendas, assessing new opportunities, supporting executive sessions, tracking strategic initiatives, developing analyses and frameworks to support decision-making, and communicating strategy.
The Senior Manager will partner with the strategy team, business leaders, cross-functional stakeholders, and the executive leadership team to drive strategic priorities and monitor execution across the organization. This role is responsible for tracking strategic execution across all lines of business to support Cox Automotive's strategic and financial objectives.
Key Responsibilities
Strategy & Planning
- Conduct market, customer, competitive, and portfolio assessments for Cox Auto.
- Leverage strategic planning methods to evaluate opportunities, risks, and ability to win.
- Assess strategic options and develop recommendations for where to play, how to win, and what actions to take.
- Support portfolio strategy, strategic planning, and ideation across business areas.
Analysis & Insights
- Incorporate quantitative analyses using data, research, and strategic frameworks.
- Build financial models and evaluate key business drivers and sensitivities.
- Develop total addressable market, profit pool, and other strategic assessments.
- Translate detailed analysis into actionable insights, recommendations, and next steps.
- Support investment decisions, operational efficiencies, and other strategic business initiatives.
Leadership & Partnership
- Lead, partner with, and advise leaders, cross-functional teams, and stakeholders.
- Define project scope, objectives, and success measures.
- Build and maintain relationships across business units, functions, and corp. teams.
- Influence strategic outcomes through data-driven recommendations and an enterprise-wide perspective.
- Partner with business leaders to develop and align on strategies and roadmaps.
Strategic Execution & Communication
- Track execution of strategic priorities across lines of business and identify at-risk areas.
- Develop scorecards and reporting to measure progress against strategic objectives.
- Create executive-ready communications, presentations, and materials with fact-based recommendations.
- Manage executive leadership team staff meetings, including agenda and stakeholder coordination.
- Prepare meeting materials, summaries, and communications that advance the strategic planning process.
- Support budget planning and the communication of market trends, strategic priorities, and business performance.
- Support industry, customer-facing, and internal strategy communications.
Qualifications
- BA/BS Degree required with 8+ years of relevant strategic planning and/or mgmt. consulting experience required. Candidate can also have an MS degree and 6+ years of experience or 12+ years of experience in lieu of a degree.
- Automotive industry experience preferred.
- Strong analytical, modeling, and research skills.
- Excellent organization and project management skills. Concise and clear verbal and written communication skills.
- Ability to interpret complex data and distill it into concise relevant materials for an executive audience.
- Ability to work cross-functionally and collaboratively.
- Ability to interact with leadership at all levels of the organization.
- Ability to think strategically, abstractly, in broad concepts and terms and apply to tangible business plans.
- Passion for storytelling and data-driven approach to create compelling pitches.
- Ability to thrive in a fast-paced growth-company environment (sense of urgency, adaptable, champion of change).
- Proficient in MS Office including Word, Excel, PowerPoint.
- Proficient in AI work tools to enhance strategy toolkit (e.g., Claude).
- Travel as needed (<10%).
Drug Testing:
To be employed in this role, you'll need to clear a pre-employment drug test. Cox Automotive does not currently administer a pre-employment drug test for marijuana for this position. However, we are a drug-free workplace, so the possession, use or being under the influence of drugs illegal under federal or state law during work hours, on company property and/or in company vehicles is prohibited.
Compensation:
Compensation includes a base salary in the range of $134,900.00 - $224,900.00. The base salary may vary within the anticipated base pay range based on factors such as the ultimate location of the position and the selected candidate’s knowledge, skills, and abilities. Position may be eligible for additional compensation that may include an incentive program.
Benefits:
The Company offers eligible employees the flexibility to take as much vacation with pay as they deem consistent with their duties, the company’s needs, and its obligations; seven paid holidays throughout the calendar year; and up to 160 hours of paid wellness annually for their own wellness or that of family members. Employees are also eligible for additional paid time off in the form of bereavement leave, time off to vote, jury duty leave, volunteer time off, military leave, and parental leave.
Applicants must currently be authorized to work in the United States for any employer without current or future sponsorship.
EOE, including disability/vets
