Director, Strategic Business Planning

Transamerica • Cedar Rapids, IA

5d • $130,000 - $145,000 • Hybrid

About The Position

Provides overall business and strategic guidance in alignment with company-wide objectives. This role involves championing organizational change, promoting a culture of accountability, collaboration, and customer service excellence. The Director will coordinate strategic business initiatives across functional groups and teams, and facilitate the project portfolio management process in partnership with the PMO and IT teams. This includes project prioritization, business case development, resource planning, and benefits realization analysis. The role also involves managing interdependencies and common critical path milestones across initiatives, facilitating risk management, issue escalation/resolution, scope change, and implementation planning. A key responsibility is managing a dashboard of strategic initiatives and process improvements, continually seeking program process improvements. The Director will define and direct formal communication methods, establish open and consistent communication with all levels within the organization, and provide portfolio reporting and facilitate inter-program communication. Furthermore, the role involves providing direction and defining, cataloging, and implementing program management methodologies, tools, and governance. The Director will direct and oversee activities of process improvement initiatives within the program, holding teams accountable for meeting goals and objectives. Finally, the role requires directing problem resolution, decision making, communications, and other associated activities during all phases of large and complex projects using a pro-active and constructive approach, and driving and managing project intake, prioritization, discovery, demand capacity modeling, budget, and benefits realization.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in a business related field or equivalent experience.
• Ten years of strategic planning experience, including five years managing complex multisystem and/or multiple department projects.
• Experience utilizing interviewing/negotiation skills; coordinating and facilitating small and large group meetings; utilizing planning/organization skills and techniques; managing multiple priorities and project staff; and utilizing analysis and problem solving skills.
• Ability to communicate with all levels of the organization to guide in strategic planning fundamentals and plan execution.
• Proficiency using MS Office and project development/management tools.
• Applicants must possess legal authorization to work for our company in the U.S. without the need for immigration, sponsorship or otherwise serving as an employer of record for immigration employment purposes. At this time, this role is not eligible for immigration-related employment authorization sponsorship.

Nice To Haves

• Expert level skills relating to project management theory, tools and practice.
• Change management experience.

Responsibilities

• Champion organizational change and promote a culture of accountability, collaboration and customer service excellence.
• Coordinate strategic business initiatives across functional groups and teams.
• Facilitate the project portfolio management process in partnership with the PMO and IT teams, including project prioritization, business case development, resource planning and benefits realization analysis.
• Manage interdependencies and common critical path milestones across initiatives, facilitating risk management, issue escalation/resolution, scope change and implementation planning.
• Manage dashboard of strategic initiatives and process improvements.
• Continually seek program process improvements.
• Define and direct formal communication methods and establish open and consistent communication with all levels within the organization. Provide portfolio reporting and facilitate inter-program communication.
• Provide direction and define, catalog and implement program management methodologies, tools and governance.
• Direct and oversee activities of process improvement initiatives within the program; hold teams accountable for meeting goals and objectives.
• Direct problem resolution, decision making, communications and other associated activities during all phases of large and complex projects using a pro-active and constructive approach.
• Drive and manage project intake, prioritization, discovery, demand capacity modeling, budget and benefits realization

Benefits

• Competitive Pay
• Bonus for Eligible Employees
• Benefits Package
• Pension Plan
• 401k Match
• Employee Stock Purchase Plan
• Tuition Reimbursement
• Disability Insurance
• Medical Insurance
• Dental Insurance
• Vision Insurance
• Employee Discounts
• Career Training & Development Opportunities
• Paid Time Off starting at 160 hours annually for employees in their first year of service.
• Ten (10) paid holidays per year (typically mirroring the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) holidays).
• Be Well Company holistic wellness program, which includes Wellness Coaching and Reward Dollars
• Parental Leave – fifteen (15) days of paid parental leave per calendar year to eligible employees with at least one year of service at the time of birth, placement of an adopted child, or placement of a foster care child.
• Adoption Assistance
• Employee Assistance Program
• Back-Up Care Program
• PTO for Volunteer Hours
• Employee Matching Gifts Program
• Employee Resource Groups
• Inclusion and Diversity Programs
• Employee Recognition Program
• Referral Bonus Programs

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director
• Education Level: Associate degree