Strategy and Transformation Manager

Cengage Group

About The Position

We believe in the strength and happiness that come from learning At Cengage, our employees contribute directly to helping students across the globe experience the power and joy of learning. We are connected by a shared goal – promoting innovation that enables millions of learners to better their lives and fulfill their dreams through education. Our culture values diversity, engagement, and discovery Our company is driven by a strong culture. We believe an inclusive and diverse workplace is key to our success, our learners, and our well-being. We appreciate diverse perspectives in every aspect of our work. We encourage employees of every level and background to express ideas and bring their authentic selves. We promote this through inclusive programs, benefits, and initiatives woven into daily work. For more information, see https://www.cengagegroup.com/about/inclusion-and-diversity/. This role requires candidates to be located within reasonable traveling distance of Boston MA. Are we right for you: We seek a Strategy and Transformation Manager to guide key strategic and analytics initiatives throughout the company. The role centers on advancing our ambitious growth plans and enhancing operational efficiency. It demands strong business insight, a data-driven method, external comparisons, competitive analysis, and the skill to counsel executive leaders. You thrive when embracing the unknown, applying critical thinking, clear problem structuring, confident communication and presence, and an ability to influence across diverse teams. What you will do here: Lead important strategic and operational improvement projects to support growth goals and new corporate priorities across Cengage Group. Address risks within business unit operating models. As needed, lead integrations of acquisitions, including developing and maintaining Cengage’s integration playbook, and leading cross-functional integration teams. Lead analyses, workshops, and project teams to identify improvement areas and develop solutions to increase business efficiency, carrying out large scale projects that span across Cengage Group. Work hand-in-hand with external research or consulting teams, bolstering work with relevant internal analysis or process understanding to provide well-rounded recommendations. Provide impactful strategy recommendations and analysis on new and proposed commercial models. Drive analysis and thought leadership on improving our overall services to our internal and external customers, ensuring we remain best in class. Identify and unlock sources of efficiency, alignment, simplicity and scale for the entire organization. Identify and track interesting adjacencies and important macro-trends. Coach and mentor analysts for project success and their professional development.

Requirements

A four-year college degree with high achievement and/or previous experience with the following:
5+ years of professional experience, including corporate experience, professional services organization (consulting) and/or cross-functional leadership roles (strategy, business operations, transformation).
Track record of achievement in delivering large, complex projects and influencing business outcomes as a highly collaborative partner.
Demonstrated ability to frame, visualize and contextualize complex and ambiguous problems.
Ability to lead a high-impact agenda with a diverse group of executives and business collaborators.
You can guide the right changes in a fluid and dynamic environment.
Ability to challenge ideas and norms with thoughtful arguments; is a leader with a point of view who is creative and confident in identifying solutions and persuading others to a course of action.
Intellectual curiosity to quickly become a crucial advisor within the areas of investigation; understanding strategic objectives, internal process flows, external benchmarking, and relevant performance indicators.
Highly developed analytical skills and data savvy; strong quantitative and problem-solving toolkit; comfortable using different sources of data, qualitative inputs, and assumptions to quickly test and prioritize hypotheses.
Strong interpersonal skills and emotional intelligence; proven record as a great teammate with an understanding of how to deliver both personal and team goals.
Capacity to work independently or as part of a team with a “roll up your sleeves” approach.
Passion for identifying and championing sources of business value.
Prior experience leading successful business transformation projects.
Excellent written, oral, presentation, and facilitation skills.

Responsibilities

Lead important strategic and operational improvement projects to support growth goals and new corporate priorities across Cengage Group.
Address risks within business unit operating models.
As needed, lead integrations of acquisitions, including developing and maintaining Cengage’s integration playbook, and leading cross-functional integration teams.
Lead analyses, workshops, and project teams to identify improvement areas and develop solutions to increase business efficiency, carrying out large scale projects that span across Cengage Group.
Work hand-in-hand with external research or consulting teams, bolstering work with relevant internal analysis or process understanding to provide well-rounded recommendations.
Provide impactful strategy recommendations and analysis on new and proposed commercial models.
Drive analysis and thought leadership on improving our overall services to our internal and external customers, ensuring we remain best in class.
Identify and unlock sources of efficiency, alignment, simplicity and scale for the entire organization.
Identify and track interesting adjacencies and important macro-trends.
Coach and mentor analysts for project success and their professional development.