Director Brand Strategy and Innovation

USA-MD-Hyattsville, 8301 Professional Place Ste 115

About the role

The Director of Strategy and Innovation acts as a key advisor to the President and executive leadership team. This position initiates and develops strategic business opportunities through the assessment of Giant Food's current environment and the marketplace. Owns the evolution of Giant Food's eCommerce customer experience strategy, leveraging customer insights, digital capabilities, eCommerce performance metrics, and eMerchandising practices to create seamless and differentiated shopping experiences across all customer touchpoints.

The Director will lead the strategy and eMerchandising teams, strengthen Giant Food's existing business platform, and identify new business opportunities through in-depth analysis and research of the market. The Director serves as a key liaison between the brand, ADUSA Support, and external partners, frequently collaborating to advance Giant Food's business goals and market position.

Responsibilities

• Provide portfolio oversight and governance for strategic enterprise initiatives, ensuring alignment, accountability, resource planning, and delivery against business objectives.
• Develop business cases and cross-functional enrollment to successfully support initiatives.
• Develop and continuously advance critical Brand priorities by leading cross-functional initiatives that strengthen customer experience, accelerate growth, and deliver sustainable business results.
• Create a sustainable strategic planning process for the Brand that aligns all business plans to the Brand strategy.
• Develop key strategic documents to share critical business initiatives and platforms of Brand strategy across all levels of the organization (Brand Senior Leadership, Ahold Delhaize Senior Leadership, and Ahold Delhaize Management Board).
• Provide direction and strategic focus to all parts of the Brand and build consensus to help grow sales in a profitable manner consistent with desired growth objectives.
• Develop strategic insights based on analysis of consumer research, market, environmental, and operational data, and deliver insights to Brand and ADUSA Leadership.
• Develop growth and deployment strategies within existing markets.
• Define the eCommerce customer value proposition and business/financial plans including eMerchandising, marketing investments, operational integration, and customer service differentiators.
• Research and apply new analytical concepts, tools, and technologies that improve the value and visibility of business information; serve as the primary brand contact for leveraging shared service BI functional areas.
• Leverage analytics and business insights to evaluate opportunities, risks, and strategic alternatives.
• Analyze market, consumer, and competitive trends to inform strategic planning and growth decisions.
• Oversee partnerships with third-party marketplaces inclusive of customer value proposition and competitive positioning.
• Partner closely with the President and Executive Leadership Team to increase organizational effectiveness and develop enterprise strategy narratives, facilitate leadership planning processes, coordinate executive reviews, and prepare materials for senior leadership and Board-level discussions.
• Synthesize business information from across the Brand's operating area, industry, and marketplace to highlight strategic dilemmas, key challenges, and opportunities.
• Identify and communicate the most strategic and/or economic metrics for scrutinizing initiatives.
• Evaluate the impact of potential strategic moves on different customer groups and/or categories.
• Garner and share experiences and learnings from partnership with Business Intelligence/Customer Research.
• Serve as a strategic thought partner to executive leadership by synthesizing consumer, competitive, and industry insights into actionable recommendations.
• Ensure transparency in timing, complexity, and resource constraints of planned initiatives.
• Lead executive governance processes, including leadership team operating cadence, strategic planning forums, decision tracking, and organizational effectiveness initiatives.
• Provide guidance on, identify, and share best practices to increase sales and maximize profitability.
• Identify and evaluate emerging technologies, artificial intelligence capabilities, and innovation opportunities that improve organizational effectiveness and customer outcomes.
• Oversee training and development plans for strategy and eMerchandising team members.
• Ensure objectives are being met and that the team is performing to meet expectations.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in business development, economics, finance, or MBA (or equivalent experience preferred).
• 10+ years of experience working in strategy and/or other strategic functional roles (retail experience strongly preferred).
• Strong leadership experience with the ability to inspire teams that deliver exceptional results.
• A collaborative partner who demonstrates empathy and actively works together to solve problems.
• Comfortable working with ambiguity and change.
• Strong written and verbal skills to explain findings to stakeholders.
• High level of accuracy in work, especially in reporting.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines independently.
• Must be able to work in a fast-paced environment.

Pay

Salary Range: $174,225 - $232,300

Benefits

• Tuition reimbursement, scholarship & grant programs, leadership development, career advancement, continuous learning opportunities, and access to Market USA Credit Union.
• Comprehensive healthcare, life insurance, paid parental leave, wellness programs.
• 401k plan with up to a 5% company match.
• Paid time off, employee assistance programs, and wellbeing resources.
• Business Resource Groups (BRGs), rewards & recognition programs, community outreach, and volunteer opportunities.

Schedule

This position will be on-site at the Giant Food Headquarters in Hyattsville, MD.