Manager, Strategy & Corp Development

James Hardie•Chicago, IL

11d•Onsite

About The Position

The Manager, Strategy & Corporate Development is a key member of the newly formed strategy team, partnering with the organization leaders to drive growth and long-term value through world-class strategic execution. The Manager will lead high-impact strategic analyses and initiatives, support inorganic growth through M&A, and contribute to key transformation priorities — collaborating closely with corporate functions and business units to identify, evaluate, and pursue opportunities that enhance long-term value creation. This position is ideal for a high-performing individual with experience in corporate strategy, management consulting, investment banking, or corporate finance who thrives in fast-paced environments, embraces ambiguity, and brings a proven ability to influence senior leaders and translate insights into action.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Business, or a related field
Minimum of 7-10 years of relevant experience in management consulting, investment banking, private equity, corporate strategy, or a high-growth corporate environment
Demonstrated success supporting complex, cross-functional initiatives and delivering measurable business impact
Strong M&A experience, including support for due diligence and integration
Exceptional analytical, strategic thinking, and financial modeling skills with structured and logical problem-solving ability
Strong executive presence with the ability to communicate effectively with senior leadership; high degree of professionalism, judgment, and discretion
Collaborative, entrepreneurial, and resilient mindset; strong bias for action in fast-paced, ambiguous environments
Experience in enterprise strategic planning, competitive analysis, and executive-level presentation development
Experience supporting M&A transactions or strategic investments
Advanced Excel and PowerPoint skills; experience with PitchBook, Capital IQ, or equivalent research and analytics platforms

Nice To Haves

Prior experience in building materials, manufacturing, or industrials is a plus, but not required

Responsibilities

Support enterprise-wide strategic initiatives — including corporate strategy, strategic planning, and portfolio strategy
Build understanding of market trends, headwinds, tailwinds, risks, and competition; prioritize and weigh alternative courses of action to support senior decision-making
Define, lead, and conduct analyses to assess the attractiveness of existing, adjacent, and white-space markets, customers, and growth vectors
Synthesize findings and present recommendations clearly and effectively to senior leadership, translating strategic priorities into actionable roadmaps with clarity of vision and adherence to timelines
Coordinate preparation and review of leadership meeting materials, executive strategy decks, scorecards, and strategic planning outputs
Own and maintain internal strategy repositories, templates, and supporting materials
Support end-to-end M&A processes, including target identification, evaluation, due diligence, deal execution, and integration planning
Support the evaluation of acquisition opportunities through primary and secondary research, financial analysis, and assessment of strategic fit and value creation potential
Identify new opportunities for inorganic growth (acquisitions, licensing, partnerships) and support development of relationships with external industry participants
Assist with target screening, market mapping, and strategic fit assessments aligned with long-term growth priorities
Coordinate diligence efforts across internal functions and external advisors
Support preparation of investment committee materials, board presentations, and transaction-related communications
Develop fact-based, economically driven, outside-in perspectives on new and adjacent market spaces; identify key market trends and value chain dynamics
Support cross-functional transformation programs and large-scale change management initiatives across the global organization
Independently manage strategic analyses, including scoping, planning, and conducting research to generate actionable insights for executive decision-making
Drive collaboration and consensus with business, sales, and operations leaders to support strategic decisions and execution against strategic plans; identify and drive linkages across functions
Help ensure clarity of vision, adherence to timelines, and alignment of people and talent to key strategic activities