Senior Director, Strategy and Planning

Summary:

The ASPCA is seeking a Senior Director of Strategy and Planning to join our Strategy & Research team – a thoughtful and mission-driven team that collaborates across the organization to develop, refine, and execute the ASPCA’s organization-wide priorities through strategy, research, program evaluation, and planning. Our work addresses a wide range of topics that directly impact our internal programs as well as the field of animal welfare.

The ideal candidate will be a strategic thinker with experience in facilitating and developing insights and translating them into clear, actionable recommendations, and communications for internal and external audiences.  They will bring a passion for thinking critically, developing and executing structured approaches to problem solving, designing and facilitating efficient processes, connecting the dots between many different types of work, and gaining buy-in from cross-functional teams.

You will partner with the Vice President of Strategy and Research and the Senior Director of Strategy, Research, and Impact Measurement to develop, refine, and execute the ASPCA’s organization-wide strategic roadmap and plan, the outcomes of which drive the animal welfare movement forward. This position will lead our annual strategic planning process, aligning strategy across all departments throughout the organization partnering with our Project Management Office and budget teams.  In this role, you will have the unique opportunity to work on top strategic initiatives that are at the forefront of the ASPCA's innovation.

This remote-based position (which requires travel, as described below) is open to all eligible candidates based within the United States.

Compensation:

The target hiring range is based on where the employee works, which for remote roles is the employee’s primary location of residence, and its respective cost of labor.  You can view which zone applies to you based on your location (aspca.app.box.com/v/aspcazonetable). For questions regarding locations not on the list, please send an email to Careers@aspca.org for more information.
 

Starting pay for the successful applicant will depend on a variety of factors, including but not limited to education, training, experience, location, business needs, internal equity, market demands or budgeted amount for the role. The target hiring range is for new hire offers only, and compensation may increase beyond the maximum hiring range based on performance over time. The maximum of the hiring range is reserved for candidates with the highest qualifications and relevant experience. The expected hiring salary ranges for this role are set forth below and may be modified in the future. 
 

• Zone 1: $116,500 - $128,000 annually
• Zone 2: $128,000 - $138,000 annually
• Zone 3: $141,000 - $151,000 annually

Benefits:

At the ASPCA, you don’t have to choose between your passion and making a living. Our comprehensive benefits package helps ensure you can live a rewarding life at work and at home. Our benefits include, but are not limited to:

• Affordable health coverage, including medical, employer-paid dental, and optional vision coverage.
• Flexible time off that includes vacation time, sick and bereavement time, paid parental leave, 10 company paid holidays, and paid personal time off that allows you even more flexibility to observe the days that mean the most to you.
• Competitive financial incentives and retirement savings including a 401(k) plan with generous employer contributions — we match dollar for dollar up to 4% and provide an additional 4% contribution toward your future each year.
• Robust professional development opportunities including classes, on-the-job training, coaching and mentorship with industry-leading peers, internal mobility, opportunities to support in the field, and so much more.

For more information on our benefits offerings, visit our website.

Responsibilities:

Responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:

Organization-Wide Strategy Development and Implementation (50%)

• Partner with the Vice President of Strategy and Research and Sr. Director of Strategy, Research and Impact Measurement to develop and execute a process resulting in the organization’s three-year rolling strategy.

• Build strategic tools and processes as well as data-driven insights to enable key stakeholders to make strong, data-driven and timely decisions.

• Lead the collection of internal and external trends that both drive and inform our strategy, provide critical insights for a variety of our organizational work, and address priority strategic questions.

• Develop effective relationships with department leaders and key staff.

• Facilitate cross-functional collaboration to align strategies and implementation plans across departments.

• Develop recommendations when work, scope of work, or goals need to be revisited and problem-solve to generate appropriate solutions.

• Partner with the Vice President of Strategy and Research in providing reports and presentations for our Executive Leadership Team to monitor and measure organization-wide and team-level progress against strategic plans.

• Develop communication materials and presentations to internal and external audiences on our strategic initiatives and progress.

Enable a Thorough and Efficient Strategic and Operational Planning Process (30%):

• Lead an efficient, integrated strategic planning process across the organization.

• Outline our strategic planning objectives, critical tasks, and deadlines for departments.

• Ensure that department heads contribute effectively to the strategic planning process, helping think through strategy from all angles -- programmatic, infrastructure, development and communications perspectives.

• Partner with department heads to develop robust operating plans with clear objectives and measurable results.

• Partner with the Vice President of Strategy and Research in providing regular reflection points for our Executive Leadership Team to monitor and measure organization-wide and team-level progress against strategic plans.

• Partner with the EPMO to monitor org wide work, streamline process and systems, and measurement of our strategic metrics.

• Partner with the Finance team to set the schedule and integration of the budget and planning process.

Staff & Team Leadership (20%)

• Manage one direct report to succeed in their role by communicating clear expectations, providing opportunities for learning & development, and building a positive and trusting relationship.

• Support your direct report by holding regular effective feedback conversations, career conversations, annual performance evaluations, and ongoing check-in conversations on a cadence that’s appropriate for their role.

• Set the vision and strategy for the department, aligned with organizational priorities, in partnership with the Vice President of Strategy and Research, Vice President of Research, Senior Director of Impact Measurement and Data Science and the Senior Director of Strategy, Research and Impact Measurement,

• Manage the S&R Team portfolio in partnership with the leadership team to ensure that the team is focusing on the most impactful work which is aligned with organizational strategies.

• Partner with the VP to manage the S&R budget annually.

• Identify and pursue opportunities for the team to further integrate impact. measurement, research and strategy within the department.

• Serve as a strategic thought partner within the department and with key organizational stakeholders.

Exemplifies the ASPCA’s Core Values: 

• Has Commitment and dedication to improving the lives of animals 

• Demonstrates Ownership and feels responsible for outcomes 

• Believes in Team – that we are stronger together 

• Seeks to Elevate others and reimagine what is possible. 

• Focuses on Impact, specifically making change for animals 

Education:

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent professional experience required; advanced degree a plus

Qualifications:

• Practiced in big-picture and strategic thinking, planning, and implementation.

• Strong presentation skills with the ability to effectively convey strategic direction and complex data insights to diverse audiences.

• Strong project oversight and management skills including the ability to manage activities without direct authority.

• Strong planning and organizational skills

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills (written and oral) with the ability to connect to and build relationships with a wide range of audiences of varying professional backgrounds and levels as

• Strong financial management skills.

• Must be a self-guided, creative, highly organized, and motivated individual requiring minimal supervision.

• Must be nimble and able to rapidly re-prioritize own work as well as that of direct reports.

Work Experience

• Minimum of 6 years’ experience supporting the development of enterprise-wide strategies and proven track record of implementation in a corporate, Non-governmental organization (NGO), or similar nonprofit setting. This experience should include some of the following work: developing multi-year org-wide strategy, creating internal presentations/communications, and supporting the development and execution of programmatic operating plans.

• At least 6 years’ experience analyzing business data, identifying trends, and developing strategic recommendations to improve organizational performance and achieve business objectives. 

• At least 2 years’ experience managing direct reports, temp employees, and/or contractors.

• At least 2 years’ experience with project management and data visualization software and systems.

• Experience developing and managing a budget is a preferred

Additional Information:

• Must be able to work confidently in a remote office.

• Ability and willingness to travel up to 20% of the time as needed.

Stay Connected – Join Our Talent Community:

If you are interested in joining our team but do not see a position listed that fits your experience or interests, please join our Talent Community to stay connected to future opportunities with the ASPCA.

Qualifications:

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Education and Work Experience:

Our EEO Policy:

The ASPCA is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer.  All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, gender, gender identity or expression, age, marital or domestic partner status, citizenship status, sexual orientation, disability, genetic information, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local laws, regulations or ordinances.

Applicants with disabilities may be entitled to a reasonable accommodation under the terms of the Americans with Disabilities Act and certain state or local laws.  A reasonable accommodation is a change in the ASPCA’s standard application process, which will ensure an equal employment opportunity without imposing undue hardship on the ASPCA.  Please inform the ASPCA’s People Team if you need an accommodation in order to complete any forms or to otherwise participate in the application process.

Individuals seeking employment are considered without regards to race, color, creed, religion, sex, national origin, ancestry, gender, gender identity or expression, age, marital or domestic partner status, citizenship status, sexual orientation, disability, genetic information, military or veteran status,  or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local laws, regulations or ordinances.

ASPCA is an Equal Opportunity Employer (M/F/D/V).