Chief of Staff - Director, R&I - Strategic Planning and Performance

Danone•Louisville, CO

7d•Hybrid

About The Position

This is a pivotal leadership role designed to propel key initiatives forward and accelerate the Research & Innovation (R&I) organization toward its future vision. The Chief of Staff will act as a strategic partner to the CRIO and the Executive team, elevating the effectiveness of R&I leadership for the benefit of the broader business. This position requires a highly resourceful individual with strong emotional intelligence, analytical rigor, and the ability to stay several steps ahead of the executive team.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Business or related degrees; advanced degree preferred.
Minimum of 10 years of leadership experience, ideally within a large consumer packaged goods company or consulting firm.
Prior management consulting, internal consulting, or advisory experience with demonstrated success solving complex business challenges and influencing stakeholders strongly preferred.
Proven ability to serve as a strategic partner to senior leadership, with experience in strategic workforce planning, performance management frameworks, and the development of metrics to measure business impact and drive data-informed decision making.
Ability to rapidly assimilate vital information and articulate appropriate responses in both written and oral communication.
Proficiency in navigating complex, fast-paced environments and coordinating with numerous stakeholders.
Demonstrable emotional intelligence and the ability to foster relationships within large organizations.
Ability to acclimate to varying environments and effectively engage with individuals across all hierarchical levels.
Exceptional organizational and project management skills, with a keen attention to detail.
High level of executive presence, professionalism, and absolute respect for confidentiality.
Ability to rapidly assimilate complex data and present it in a consumable, articulated form.
Strong alignment with data science, business operations, and leadership teams across the global and local organization.
Proficiency in navigating fast-paced, complex environments while maintaining extreme attention to detail.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree preferred.
Prior management consulting, internal consulting, or advisory experience with demonstrated success solving complex business challenges and influencing stakeholders strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

Lead the annual and long-term strategic planning process to align with broader enterprise strategies.
Partner with the data science team to build automated, consistent dashboards that track R&I performance measures and critical metrics.
Identify and validate data sources in partnership with key leaders to ensure accuracy in exception reporting and trend analysis.
Develop measures to add rigor to decision-making, helping leaders determine where R&I should spend time for the greatest impact.
Serve as a confidant and sounding board for the CRIO, offering objective, enterprise-wide perspectives without specific "turf" considerations.
Represent the CRIO in critical meetings, articulating their viewpoints and decisions while managing their agenda to maximize efficiency.
Advise the Head of R&I and project manage annual objectives to ensure all groups within the organization are successful.
Drive agendas and content for R&I Leadership Team (LT) meetings and Townhalls, ensuring a focus on both strategic priorities and tactical updates.
Facilitate team communication, manage follow-ups on project metrics, and partner with EA support to maintain an accessible framework for prep materials and minutes.
Implement standards for the division, such as email protocols (e.g., clear subject lines like "Decision Needed" or "Seeking Approval") to facilitate faster information assimilation.
Challenge the leadership group on "go vs. no-go" initiatives, tracking deferred projects for future consideration.
Develop a communications cadence for engaging the broader team through town halls, recorded videos, and site visits.
Consolidate weekly reporting for the executive committee and partner with the CRIO on quarterly board documents and external communications.
Assess employee engagement survey results and sponsor action teams to drive meaningful change in organizational culture.
Drive a cultural shift toward agile innovation and experimentation, championing a "test & learn/fail fast" mentality to accelerate speed-to-market.
Lead one or more high-priority strategic projects in direct partnership with senior leadership to fundamentally transform organizational capabilities.
Work across the North America R&I Leadership team by partnering with other function leads towards the seamless execution of key organizational goals and collective success.
Create a superior team of associates by modeling and coaching high-level leadership behaviors and setting modern standards for excellence.
Strengthen cross-technical collaboration and knowledge sharing to break down silos and leverage the full scale of the North America R&I expertise.
Act as a change agent to influence and strengthen the R&I teams, ensuring the division is viewed as a high-impact, indispensable driver of enterprise growth.