Customer Advocacy Strategy & Planning Manager

Summary 

Supports Subaru of America's Customer Advocacy Department (CAD) in setting strategy, shaping communications, and driving organizational excellence. Reports directly to the Vice President – Customer Advocacy and serves as a key member of the CAD leadership team. Leads strategic planning, oversees the Strategy and Communications functions, and ensures alignment across major enterprise initiatives while driving both near-term performance and long-term transformation.

Acts as the primary liaison between CAD and enterprise partners, including Information Technology and key cross-functional committees, ensuring alignment, visibility, and execution of strategic priorities.

Core Requirements of the Ideal Candidate

• Must be able "to get big things done"
• Be a strategic thinker 
• Have impeccable attention to detail and quality 
• Have strong project management skills 
• Understand data and how to use it to tell a compelling story 
• Enjoy working in a fast-paced environment
   

Primary Responsibilities

Leadership and Influence:

• Defines and leads strategic, cross-functional projects from ideation through delivery.
• Translates high-level strategic objectives into a clear plan for execution.
• Aligns stakeholders on shared outcomes, defines the work to be done, organizes the teams and timelines for delivery, and identifies catalysts and roadblocks to ensure success.
• Develops and maintains responsibility for Customer Advocacy Department's (CAD's) 3-year strategic plan.
• Presents strategic initiatives/projects to executive leaders to ensure alignment with global corporate initiatives.
• Leads the Strategy and Communications functions within CAD, ensuring alignment of priorities, messaging, and execution across the department.
• Manages and develops direct reports, including the Customer Advocacy Project Manager and Customer Advocacy Communications Manager.
• Serves as the CAD representative on enterprise-wide initiatives and committees, including (but not limited to) G1, Customer Data Strategy, OPS Committee, and SOAR Committee.
• Acts as the primary IT liaison for CAD, partnering with Technology teams to prioritize, scope, and deliver system enhancements and capabilities.

Operational Excellence Guidance:

• In partnership with CAD Directors and Managers, facilitates the weekly and monthly strategy sessions.
• Collaborates with Accounting on the annual CAD budget, providing guidance on changes as the needs of the business change.
• Plans innovative customer service strategies to enhance the low effort customer experience, improve service level and efficiency, and increase loyalty and ultimately Net Promoter Score (NPS).
• Monitors medium- to long-term business trends/outlooks, gathering competitive intelligence to contribute to strategic business planning discussions with the CAD leadership team.
• Ensures consistent and effective communication strategies across CAD, aligning internal and external messaging with organizational priorities and customer experience objectives.

Strategic Problem Solving:

• Utilizes data-driven frameworks and problem-solving creativity to navigate competing priorities, address potential roadblocks, and ensure the right balance between speed and precision when delivering results.

Change Management:

• Enables clear communication strategies to support change adoption across CAD and key stakeholders.
• Leads and drives change management processes and executes proficiently in a transformational environment.
• Partners with Human Resources to ensure that effective change management techniques are being leveraged when implementing new initiatives.
• Uses the Voice of Our Stars data to identify action plans to address opportunities to increase associate satisfaction and engagement.

Required Skills & Personal Qualifications

• Demonstrated leadership and ability to manage competing priorities in a complex and dynamic environment.
• Strategic thinker with proven ability to operationalize strategy.
• Concise communicator with ability to clearly articulate direction with defined goals and present solutio