Director of Strategy

Papa Johns•Atlanta, GA

About The Position

The Director, Strategy is responsible for driving enterprise-wide strategic planning, competitive insight development, and rigorous evaluation of strategic initiatives and investments. This role partners closely with Finance, FP&A, Consumer Insights, and cross-functional business leaders to translate market intelligence and financial analysis into clear strategic recommendations for senior leadership, the CEO, and the Board of Directors. The Director is responsible for combining structured problem solving, financial modeling, and strategic storytelling to inform decision-making at the highest levels of the organization. This position plays a critical role in shaping the annual and multi-year strategic agenda and ensuring disciplined execution across strategic initiatives.

Requirements

7+ years of experience in strategy, consulting, corporate finance, private equity, investment banking, or related fields
Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Economics, or related discipline required
Enterprise & corporate strategy development
Financial & business acumen; advanced modeling and analytical skills
Strategic problem solving and structured thinking
Executive communication and storytelling
Planning, prioritization, and cross-functional execution leadership
Ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced, ambiguous environment

Nice To Haves

MBA or equivalent graduate degree preferred
Experience in consumer-facing, retail, restaurant, or CPG environments preferred
Proven experience influencing senior leaders without direct authority

Responsibilities

Monitor the competitive landscape and track industry trends, synthesizing insights to inform enterprise strategic direction and key leadership decisions.
Support the annual and multi-year strategic planning process, including defining strategic priorities, sequencing initiatives, and aligning enterprise resources with long-term objectives.
Develop fact-based strategic recommendations, scenarios, and tradeoff analyses to address complex, ambiguous business questions.
Build, evaluate, and pressure-test financial models and business cases to assess strategic options, growth initiatives, and capital investments.
Partner with FP&A and Finance to ensure alignment between strategy, financial forecasts, and capital allocation decisions.
Translate financial outputs into clear, executive-level narratives and recommendations.
Prepare strategic recommendations, progress updates, and decision materials for senior leadership, the CEO, and the Board of Directors.
Facilitate executive discussions to drive alignment, decision-making, and commitment to strategic priorities.
Serve as a trusted advisor to leadership, providing objective, data-driven perspectives.
Partner closely with Consumer Insights and Analytics teams to identify research needs that deepen understanding of customer behaviors, preferences, and emerging trends.
Integrate market, customer, and financial insights into cohesive strategic perspectives.
Lead or support end-to-end planning for strategic initiatives, including defining scope, success metrics, timelines, and resource requirements.
Drive alignment across functions and business units, managing interdependencies and ensuring clear accountability.
Hold initiative owners accountable to milestones and outcomes, escalating risks and issues as needed.
Identify, manage, and mitigate strategic and execution risks through disciplined governance practices.