strategy manager, Global Marketing and Channel Development

Now Brewing – Strategy Manager! #tobeapartner

From the beginning, Starbucks set out to be a different kind of company. One that not only celebrated coffee and the rich tradition, but that also brought a feeling of connection. We are known for developing extraordinary leaders who share this passion and are guided by their service to others.

This role contributes to Starbucks success by leading strategic problem solving, business planning, and cross-functional initiative management for the Global Marketing and Channel Development organization. Reporting to the Director of Strategy & Business Operations, this role acts as a trusted thought partner to senior leaders — translating strategy into actionable plans, driving disciplined execution, and ensuring priorities are aligned, communicated, and delivered with rigor.

The ideal candidate is a creative problem solver who thrives in ambiguity, brings strong strategic and analytical horsepower, and can influence without authority across a highly matrixed environment. This role offers high visibility with VP and SVP-level leaders and the opportunity to independently own strategic workstreams at the intersection of strategy and storytelling.

As a Strategy Manager, you will…

Strategy & Problem Solving:

• Lead structured problem solving on high-priority strategic initiatives — defining key issues, developing hypotheses, designing analyses, and synthesizing findings into clear, actionable recommendations for senior leadership.
• Develop executive-ready strategy narratives, business cases, and decision materials that clearly outline options, trade-offs, risks, and recommendations.
• Partner with Marketing leadership to develop and refine short- and long-term strategic plans aligned with company priorities.

Executive Enablement & Storytelling:

• Support preparation of executive materials — including strategy updates, operating performance summaries, and key decision documents — ensuring content is concise, decision-oriented, and aligned to enterprise narratives.
• Translate complex data and cross-functional inputs into compelling, audience-tailored storytelling for VP and SVP-level leaders.
• Coordinate inputs across functions to ensure a cohesive, data-driven storyline for leadership and executive audiences.

Cross-Functional Initiative Leadership:

• Lead strategic, cross-functional initiatives from scoping through delivery — managing timelines, dependencies, stakeholder alignment, and communications across matrixed teams.
• Serve as an integrator across teams and functions, aligning stakeholders around common objectives and ways of working.
• Track progress, dependencies, risks, and outcomes; escalate issues and recommend course corrections to keep initiatives on track.

Influence & Collaboration:

• Build trusted relationships and influence without direct authority, ensuring cross-functional partners are engaged, informed, and aligned on strategic priorities.
• Contribute to a positive, inclusive, and results-oriented team environment, modeling strong collaboration and professionalism.

Experience, Skills, and Knowledge:

• Strategic Thinking & Problem Solving: Ability to structure ambiguous problems, synthesize insights, and connect strategy to execution.
• Executive Communication: Proven ability to create clear, concise, and compelling materials for senior and executive audiences.
• Business Acumen: Strong understanding of how functional organizations operate and intersect within a complex enterprise; skilled at evaluating trade-offs, constraints, and scenarios to enable aligned decisions.
• Data & Quantitative Rigor: Strong ability to work with quantitative and qualitative data to synthesize insights, define meaningful metrics, and support fact-based decision-making.
• Execution & Ownership Mindset: Highly self-directed with a strong bias for action; able to independently drive work forward, navigate obstacles, and deliver high-quality outcomes in fast-paced, ambiguous environments.
• Influence in Matrixed Environments: Track record of partnering across functions, levels, and geographies without direct authority.

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