Head of Salty Strategy

Job Location: Hershey, PA

Note: This position can be remote.

The Hershey Company is seeking our next Head of Strategy to lead strategic thinking, direction setting, and complex problem solving to enable Hershey’s Salty snacks strategic growth agenda as well as business model innovation as a pursuit of this agenda. He/she will oversee multiple initiatives simultaneously and will need to operate at both a detailed, analytical level and a broad, strategic, general manager level. This role will also provide strategic direction and problem solving for our emerging growth areas and M&A.

KEY RESPONSIBLITIES

-Developing the 3-year Salty Division Strategic plan
-Developing the 3-year Strategic plan and direction for the emerging growth areas (including, but not limited to, eCommerce and emerging brands) of the business annually
-Setting M&A Strategy and evaluating new M&A and business development opportunities in partnership with the M&A team
-Leading cross-functional initiatives and priorities for the division
-Leading complex problem solving and addressing strategic issues/decisions as needed
-Supporting divisional strategy development, business development, scenario modeling, etc.
-Developing executive-level presentations for the President Salty Snacks and CEO (EC updates, Board presentations, external speaking engagements, etc.)
-Developing process and framework for evaluation of business model innovation initiatives
-Progressing business model innovation initiatives from idea to evaluation to pilot, and then transferring to relevant node in commercial business to launch

Emerging Growth Strategy: 

-Identify key strategic issues (both top and bottom line) facing Hershey in the emerging strategic areas (including M&A strategy, eCommerce, and emerging brands) and work towards “cracking the case”. 
-Serve as the Project Lead for all strategic initiatives, including detailing the problem, organizing a cross-functional team, and proposing and managing a timely analysis with predetermined milestones.
-Ultimately the Director will establish well-supported solutions with specific recommendations that will enable the executive management team to make critical go/no go decisions.  
-Provide the vision and leadership in his or her area of responsibility including recommending future strategies and plans to senior management and communicating the direction for the business to the managers that report directly and indirectly to them. 
-Provide leadership role for company/business strategy within the wider business framework.  Provide functional and category expertise for use in everyday business processes and decision making.
-Evaluate, recommend actions, and guide implementation of new business development opportunities; includes acquisitions and/or partnerships, new products and customer/channel development
-Assess (externally and internally) the business environment, competitors, customers, market trends and the linkage to Hershey’s capabilities and strategies.

Strategic Partnerships

-Partner with the Commercial New Models group designed to holistically identify, evaluate, and execute strategic partnerships that will drive incremental growth 
-Develop, implement, and lead a partnership strategy to increase the reach and impact of our ongoing efforts to achieve vision of being an Innovative Snacking Powerhouse 
-Develop partner networks and strategic partnerships across Consumer-Packaged Goods, as well as other sectors in the US and systems and procedures in support of the identification, engagement and development of strategic partnerships.
-Collaborate with cross-functional teams to structure and execute business initiatives, lead analysis and develop and communicate final recommendations for growing partner relationships
-Develop and manage reporting and financial tracking of strategic partnership activities and partner agreements
-Provide timely and accurate reporting of pipeline, strategic partnerships and management activities
-Research trends, competition and funding sources to strategically drive business development pipeline related to partnerships 

IDEAL EXPERIENCE 

Education:  Bachelor’s degree required, MBA or equivalent marketplace experience highly preferred

Experience:  

10+ years of combined experience in leading CPG company or strategic consulting firm.  

Management expertise.  Experience leading strategic and data-driven recommendations and decisions.  

Understanding of market research and techniques.  Experience driving change in a complex business environment.
 

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