Director, Program Management - Strategic Research & Advisory

About the role

The Director, Strategic Research & Advisory serves as the intellectual engine for the Corporate Affairs Office of AI Innovation & Transformation - leading the reputation intelligence agenda and translating insights into enterprise strategy. This role sits at the center of how Corporate Affairs understands, anticipates, and shapes the external environment, ensuring leaders are equipped with forward-looking, data-driven insights to inform critical decisions.

What you'll do

• Lead the end-to-end reputation intelligence agenda for Corporate Affairs, synthesizing data from surveys, polling, primary research, message testing, and external signals into clear, actionable insights.
• Serve as a strategic advisor to senior leaders by translating insights into enterprise-level recommendations that inform positioning, engagement strategies, and decision-making.
• Partner across Global Communications, Public Affairs (State & Local), Global Public Policy, and Global Responsibility to align research agendas, reduce fragmentation, and establish shared priorities and frameworks.
• Design and oversee integrated research strategies—including perception tracking, stakeholder insights, scenario planning, and message development—to anticipate risks and opportunities.
• Drive consistency and rigor in how insights are generated, interpreted, and applied across Corporate Affairs.
• Co-develop executive insights products and decision-support tools in partnership with technology and product teams, embedding insights into scalable, repeatable platforms.
• Accelerate research capabilities through AI—leveraging advanced analytics, automation, and AI-assisted tools to increase speed, depth, and precision of insights generation.
• Translate complex data into compelling narratives, executive briefings, and materials that influence senior leadership and enterprise stakeholders.
• Monitor emerging trends, policy environments, and reputational dynamics to proactively inform strategy and preparedness.

What you’ll bring

• Deep expertise in research, insights, strategy, or advisory roles, with experience translating complex data into actionable business or policy recommendations.
• Proven ability to lead integrated research programs (e.g., surveys, polling, qualitative and quantitative research, message testing) and connect findings across diverse inputs.
• Strong strategic thinking and executive advisory capabilities, with experience influencing senior leaders and shaping enterprise-level decisions.
• Experience operating in complex, matrixed environments with multiple stakeholders and competing priorities.
• Familiarity with reputation management, public affairs, communications strategy, or policy environments is strongly preferred.
• Experience leveraging AI, advanced analytics, or emerging technologies to enhance research and insights generation.
• Exceptional communication and storytelling skills, with the ability to distill complexity into clear, compelling narratives.
• Ability to bring structure to ambiguity, connect dots across disparate signals, and identify implications for business strategy.
• High degree of curiosity, judgment, and intellectual rigor, with a bias toward action and impact.

Qualifications

• Outlined below are the required minimum qualifications for this position. If none are listed, there are no minimum qualifications.
• Bachelor's degree in Business, Human Resources, Legal, or related field and 5 years’ experience in project management, compliance, operations management or related area OR 7 years’ experience in project management, compliance, operations management, or related area.
• 4 years’ experience using intermediate functionality of Microsoft Office.
• 4 years’ experience leading cross-functional teams.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience developing training curriculum or content.
• Managing cross-functional teams.
• Managing Large Scale Change Initiatives.
• Master's degree in Business Administration or related field.
• Retail consulting.
• Walmart experience in Merchandising, Operations, Marketing, or Finance, including at least 2 years in a role requiring strategy development.