Strategic Planning Manager - CAI Marketplace Strategy & Initiatives

Cox Enterprises•Atlanta, GA

2d•$111,500 - $185,900•Hybrid

About The Position

Manheim's digital operations teams, spanning inventory management, trade desk consulting, operational support, and program management, are the engine behind millions of client interactions. As digital scales, we need someone who can modernize team processes end-to-end, driving greater internal efficiency through data, tooling, automation, and reporting, while supporting a heightened client experience. The Strategic Planning Manager will shape and execute strategic initiatives that redesign how internal operations run, designing future-state processes that raise the bar across the marketplace. This role involves digging into data to size up where current processes fall short, tracking trends as new solutions roll out, and owning the roadmap of process, reporting, and technology improvements. This is achieved by blending structured, data-driven problem solving with practical judgment to turn frameworks into realistic solutions for complex, cross-functional challenges. The ideal candidate will have a career built on untangling ambiguous problems and seeing recommendations through to real results.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in finance, accounting, business, or a related field and 6 years’ experience in consulting, process improvement, operations, or financial analysis. (Alternatively, a master’s degree and 4 years’ experience; a Ph.D. and 1 year of experience; or 10 years’ experience in a related field.)
Demonstrated experience leading cross-functional projects or programs in a complex, matrixed environment.
Proven experience building business cases and cost-benefit analyses that influence executive decision-making.
Strong process mapping and data analysis skills, including AI-driven analysis, to diagnose current-state processes, spot trends, and design future-state solutions.
Strong presentation and communication skills, with the ability to build polished, executive-ready materials.
Ability to manage multiple concurrent, complex initiatives and re-prioritize as business needs shift.
Must currently be authorized to work in the United States for any employer without current or future sponsorship. No OPT, CPT, STEM/OPT or visa sponsorship now or in future.

Nice To Haves

Background in management consulting (e.g., strategy or operations consulting), blended with industry experience.
Experience in the automotive or wholesale marketplace industry.
Lean, Six Sigma, or other formal process improvement certification.
Experience with process mapping, data visualization, or BI tools (e.g., Visio, Lucidchart, Tableau, Power BI).
Experience with Salesforce, and integrations such as Genesys.

Responsibilities

Map current-state, end-to-end business processes across impacted teams, identifying handoffs, dependencies, and points of friction, both internally and for the client experience.
Determine what additional data analysis is needed to confirm where gaps or challenges exist in current processes, and lead that analysis with process owners and boundary partners.
Design future-state processes that close identified gaps, using structured process design methods and tools.
Track trends and progress as new solutions are implemented, digging into the data to surface what's working, what isn't, and what to change next.
Document current- and future-state process maps and supporting materials for both technical and executive audiences.
Build quantified, well-supported business cases for process improvement initiatives, including cost-benefit analysis, resource requirements, and expected outcomes.
Partner with the business, finance, and analytics to validate assumptions and pressure-test the numbers behind each recommendation.
Align stakeholders and enable teams with clear written and verbal communications across customer, partners, and executives.
Own the roadmap of process, reporting, and technology improvements needed to close identified gaps, sequenced and time-bound against operational goals.
Conduct post-implementation reviews to assess impact against the business case, and recommend further changes based on the trends and results observed.
Build deep relationships with core business partners to anticipate their business needs and serve as a thought partner in building future processes and capabilities.
Own project plans, milestones, dependencies, and risks for assigned initiatives, keeping delivery on track and surfacing issues early.
Identify the stakeholders and teams impacted by each change, and work directly with them to design solutions that land well for everyone involved.
Influence cross-functional partners and stakeholders without direct authority, building trust through clear rationale and data-backed recommendations.
Lead change and execution thoughtfully balancing speed, discipline, measurement and tolerance for risk.
Manage change through education, training, and clear communication, then follow up post-implementation to confirm adoption and capture lessons learned.
Other Duties as Assigned