Corporate Strategy Director

About the role

The Corporate Strategy Director at Kraton will play a pivotal role in driving enterprise performance, governance, and strategic execution through data-driven insights, shareholder alignment, and cross-functional collaboration.

Responsibilities

• Manage performance and issues across the entire company; proactively identify risks on key issues, analyze root causes, and develop actionable improvement plans to support management decision-making.

• Provide senior management with actionable insights based on facts and data rather than intuition or convention. Integrate a market driven perspective using market and customer signals as the starting point for strategic judgment into the insight generation process, and embed this data-driven, market-centric approach to discussion and decision-making across the Kraton organization and in collaboration with the shareholder.

• Operate regular reporting and escalation processes among business units, the CSO, and the shareholder within Kraton’s governance reporting framework, and systematically manage communication channels to enable rapid decision-making and execution.

• Based on a deep understanding of the management culture, decision-making style, and reporting systems of both Kraton and the shareholder, align strategic priorities between the two companies, establish a data-driven common ground for discussion, and translate agreed strategies into actionable tasks and initiatives to drive implementation.

• Track and manage the progress of strategic initiatives and Transformation Office initiatives, assign tasks to line owners, and drive execution to deliver targeted results.

• Strengthen the team’s overall execution through close collaboration with other members of the CS team and relevant Kraton departments, and conduct domestic and international site visits as needed to identify issues on the ground and build relationships.

Requirements

• A minimum of 10 years of experience in the chemical or related industries.

• A minimum of five years of experience in strategic planning or business management.

• A minimum of two years of experience working at a company in Korea or Asia.

Qualifications

• A bachelor’s degree or higher in Business Administration, Economics, Finance, Chemical Engineering, or a related field.

• Preference will be given to candidates with a deep understanding of and relevant experience in the chemical and materials industries, and to those holding an MBA or professional certifications in strategic planning or finance (e.g., CFA, CPA, PMP).

Skills

• Data analysis and interpretation.

• Strategic planning and execution.

• Market research and analysis.

• Collaboration and cross-functional teamwork.

• Effective communication and presentation skills.

Benefits

• Medical Insurance, including TeleDoc - multiple plans available with Flexible Spending Account & Health Savings Account options.

• Dental & Vision Insurance.

• Health Advocate – free support to help you understand your coverage and answer questions.

• Life Insurance – base coverage paid for by Kraton with option for additional coverage.

• 401k – Kraton provides matching contributions based on enrollment level.

• Employee Assistance Program – provided at no cost to employees.

• Accident, Disability, and Critical Illness Insurance.

Pay

Compensation is competitive and commensurate with experience.

Schedule

The Corporate Strategy Director will work a standard full-time schedule.