Senior director strategy

Reporting to Head of Corporate Strategy, the Senior Director of Group Strategy and Business Development is a key role that will drive, facilitate and enable Pearson’s Corporate strategy as well as strategic business partnerships. The role will support the business strategy leads, SME’s, PEM members and Board to deliver that strategy. This role will align our people, enabling functions, businesses and change transformation agenda and market priorities to enable a balance between current state forward and future state back plans and initiatives.

This role will be accountable for ensuring that Pearson orientates and continues to move towards our 5-year strategic vision. This role will connect the various business teams, functions, and investment plans to connect a new strategy advisory council with representations from across the business and key functions to ensure a joined-up pathway towards the future state. This role will be part of the expanded Corporate Development & Strategy team, and work closely with senior business leaders and their key team members, Finance and other key enabling functions such as the Transformation Office to ensure the strategic opportunities are aligned to our long-term appetite and business vision.

Location: This is a remote role and will allow for home working, travel may be required on occasion.

Key Responsibilities

The role will be accountable for the following key outcomes:

• Own the development and execution of key strategic initiatives – The role will identify, develop and execute key strategies across the organization using a project-based approach. The candidate will be responsible for developing a baseline, a vision, goals and strategic plan to solve a business imperative as well as the execution of said plan in conjunction with key business stakeholders.
• Develop and align our strategic plan and priorities – This role will help to build and articulate in partnership with key business strategy owners what our business and group plans are and how Pearson will realize its strategic vision in a way that balances short and long-term returns. It will help ensure that our plans identify clear priorities and pathways to develop the capabilities needed to deliver winning propositions for our customers. It will work with key stakeholders to ensure investment plans and strategic planning are interlocked and connected.
• Building capacity and accountability for execution – This role goes beyond the planning and will help to ensure that we translate our plans into action. It will support and connect key strategy and planning leaders accountable for driving the execution of the Pearson plan. It will be responsible for pushing our business leaders beyond status quo and ensuring we have an integrated execution. This will connect financial, strategic planning and transformation roadmaps for each business across Pearson. This will include the formal creation of a Strategic Advisory Council that will work with the CEO and PEM members to ensure future state back alignment with our priorities, opportunities, and plans.
• Drive agile portfolio planning – Working as part of Finance, this role will have a Group responsibility to help all lines of business and functions to come together to maximize shareholder value and deliver our future state strategy by being an independent voice on how we allocate capital across our businesses and commercial opportunities. Working with Corporate Development on opportunities as well as Finance and Transformation office on investment priorities it will connect our needs today with aspirations of tomorrow.
• Identify, enable and execute on strategic business partnerships – The role will own end-to-end business partnerships, identifying likely candidates, developing relationships and executing on these partnerships as needed. The role will ensure tight alignment with the business and the transition of these relationships to the right business owner once executed.

Qualifications and experience required for the role:

• Significant experience in strategy, commercial, consulting or operational management. Ideal candidate would’ve worked with a top-tier consulting firm for 5-6 years post grad degree level.
• Able to think strategically, decomposing and simplifying complex problems.
• Strong commercial acumen and skills in financial analysis, business case development & interpretation with extensive experience managing strategic projects teams.
• Excellent communicator and team player, with the ability and confidence to influence stakeholders, collaborate effectively and to build strong relationships at all levels.
• Highly analytical and experience in execution with diligent tracking and monitoring.
• Experience of delivering large scale strategic plans, investment plans and business opportunities.
• Degree level education or equivalent preferred

You will also have:

• Experience in developing and supervising team members.
• Ability to work under pressure to time critical deadlines and changing priorities.
• Strong senior level stakeholder management and influencing skills, able to shape, adapt and engage with executive leaders.
• High levels of intellectual capacity and ability to synthesize complex ideas and information into actions that matter.
• Strong leadership skills with credibility across varying stakeholders.
• Collaborative work style; able to adapt and work effectively in a matrixed management structure.
• Self-starter with ability to prioritize and multi-task with strong time management skills, organizationally savvy.

Compensation at Pearson is influenced by a wide array of factors including but not limited to skill set, level of experience, and specific location. As required by the California, Colorado, Hawaii, Maryland, New York State, New York City, Washington State, and Washington DC laws, the pay range for this position is as follows:

The minimum full-time salary range is between $200,000 - $220,000.

This position is eligible to participate in an annual incentive program, and information on benefits offered is here _._

Who we are:

At Pearson, our purpose is simple: to help people realize the life they imagine through learning. We believe that every learning opportunity is a chance for a personal breakthrough. We are the world's lifelong learning company. For us, learning isn't just what we do. It's who we are. To learn more: We are Pearson.

Pearson is an Equal Opportunity Employer and a member of E-Verify. Employment decisions are based on qualifications, merit and business need. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status or any other group protected by law. We actively seek qualified candidates who are protected veterans and individuals with disabilities as defined under VEVRAA and Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act.

If you are an individual with a disability and are unable or limited in your ability to use or access our career site as a result of your disability, you may request reasonable accommodations by emailing [email protected].

Job: Strategy

Job Family: ENTERPRISE

Organization: Corporate Strategy & Technology

Schedule: FULL\_TIME

Workplace Type: Remote

Req ID: 21155

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