Corporate Strategic Initiatives Leader, Enterprise Strategy and Solutions

We are currently seeking an entrepreneurial and collaborative leader for Guardian’s Enterprise Strategy and Solutions Team.  The role reports to Guardian’s Head of Strategy and Corporate Development and will lead a team of  colleagues.  The team is responsible for overall strategy development and planning as well as executing cross-cutting strategic initiatives, and will collaborate closely with Guardian’s Transformation, Enterprise Data & Analytics, and Strategic Execution functions, which are part of the same organization.

In the highly visible role of Corporate Strategic Initiatives Leader, you will help develop the long-range plans for Guardian and partner with senior leaders to identify, develop, evaluate, prioritize and deliver strategic initiatives across the organization.  You will lead project teams to solve complex problems and implementation issues critical to Guardian’s success.

A successful candidate will work across the strategy and corporate development team manage the workstack, provide strategic guidance, and deliver on high-visibility corporate projects. You will utilize strategic frameworks to structure problem solving and identify issues, build quantitative and qualitative/conceptual analyses of operational and financial data, and perform competitor/industry research leveraging both public and non-public sources. You will help coach and develop the team and work collaboratively to build trust across Guardian.

Your work will span across:

• Strategy development and planning – help define the strategic direction and near-term priorities for Guardian or specific business unit topics supported by competitor/industry research and operational and financial analysis
• Cross-cutting strategic initiatives and innovation – In collaboration with business areas, assess and develop business cases for new ideas driving innovation, partnerships, and other areas of investment outside of BAU. Identify, frame and implement specific cross-cutting strategic initiatives that are critical to the success of Guardian’s overall strategy.
• Development and delivery of Board of Directors content for specific strategic topics – In partnership with CEO and Guardian Leadership Team, develop agenda, content, and experience for annual Strategy Session of the Board.  Lead executive-level sessions to gain buy-in and develop content for delivery in various Board forums, including the September Strategy Session.

You are:

• Experienced with and enjoy leading, coaching and mentoring a team to solve complex strategic problems
• Excellent end-to-end generalist problem solver and able to identify issues and analyses
• Able to navigate independently up and down the organization and work well in cross-functional teams to achieve goals through strong interpersonal and influencing skills, maturity, and judgment
• An effective and confident communicator (both oral and written), with an outstanding ability to apply quantitative analytical approaches and develop and deliver concise communication materials for senior management
• A self-starter able who is to work independently and multi-task, with excellent prioritization skills and a clear focus on results

You have:

• Bachelor’s degree from a top institution with strong academic performance and demonstrated leadership ability; MBA from top-tier business school preferred, but not required
• 7-10 years of experience in roles related to strategy consulting, business management or operational experience within a financial services or management consulting firm
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, and advanced proficiency with Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint

You will:

• Be exposed to and influence the agendas of Guardian senior executives
• Develop expertise in a variety of functions and businesses
• Gain exposure to other roles and lines of business in the company
• Be mentored and coached by experienced leaders on problem solving, analytical, communications and leadership skills

Location:

• Hudson Yards, New York City 3 days per week

Salary Range

$171,330.00 - $281,467.50

The salary range reflected above is a good faith estimate of base pay for the primary location of the position. The salary for this position ultimately will be determined based on the education, experience, knowledge, and abilities of the successful candidate. In addition to salary, this role may also be eligible for annual, sales, or other incentive compensation.

Our Promise

At Guardian, you’ll have the support and flexibility to achieve your professional and personal goals.  Through skill-building, leadership development and philanthropic opportunities, we provide opportunities to build communi