Sr. Director, Corporate Strategy

Baltimore, MD

The Senior Director, Corporate Strategy has a unique opportunity to drive our portfolio strategy, through analysis and integration of consumer segmentation, the competitive landscape, and market dynamics. This role directly creates strategy and informs the more detailed business planning carried out by our cross-functional partners. This role is engrained in strategically manifesting the Vision, Mission, Values, Positioning, and Purpose of Under Armour into a comprehensive long-term strategic plan, answering “Where To Play” and “How To Win” relative to each aspect of our business. The role is also at the forefront of evolving the Under Armour strategy to continuously evolve and respond to the consumer’s needs and more, differentiating the consumer experience as part of the Company’s brand value and appeal. As central to this effort, this role will support business model development and analysis for strategic shifts (e.g., evolved product lines, new points of distribution, new consumer services and experiences). Additionally, the Senior Director, Corporate Strategy will lean into business planning where needed, to help teams effectively execute in-season strategies in alignment with the longer-term strategic plan. The role partners with regional and functional strategy leads to refine and ensure alignment with the plan and its execution.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities

Corporate Strategy: Work collectively with Corporate Strategy colleagues, the Under Armour Executive Leadership Team, and key cross-functional partners (i.e., consumer insights; corporate development, consumer experience teams) to lead, develop, maintain, and evolve the Under Armour long-term (5+ years) portfolio strategy. With Corporate Strategy colleagues, own and drive adherence to this corporate strategy across the entire business. Key responsibilities include: (1) understanding and maintain the corporate strategy as it currently is in play; (2) pressure testing, analyzing, and pivoting aspects of the corporate strategy when appropriate; and (3) interpreting the corporate strategy for cross-functional teammates and communicating it effectively to them, to ensure alignment of strategic execution.

Long-Term Strategic Plan: Help manage a team of strategists to create the Under Armour long-range plan, in line with our corporate strategy guidelines. Creation of this plan involves close partnership with business execution colleagues across the Company. The key responsibility is to create a single strategic plan, aligned cross-functionally, which involves: (1) working with the global functions (product, merchandising, innovation, design, marketing) to develop a collective, global strategic plan; (2) aligning the strategic plan with the outlook of the regional commercial functions and capabilities of the enabling functions (IT, supply chain, etc) to support; and (3) getting support and buy-in on the final, recommended plan from the Executive Leadership Team.

Translation of Strategy to Go-To-Market and Business Plans: As a follow-on from strategic planning, help manage a team of strategists to lean into select aspects of the business (e.g., product, merchandising, innovation) to guide those teams in creation of their business plans, in alignment with the corporate strategy and long-term strategic plan. The key responsibility here is to partner with key leaders across the business to ensure coordination of revenue and investment across business plans, in alignment with the long-range plan. In addition to strategic thinking and analysis, the ability to influence decisions and manage senior leaders across several functions is critical to success.

Strategic Project Work: Work collaboratively with strategy colleagues to manage and evolve strategy on an ongoing basis. This involves taking on or developing strategic questions or challenges, as relevant through identification of business improvement opportunities. In this sense, work is akin to an internal consulting team, ready to dive in to help business leaders evolve strategy when and where needed, with potential projects coming out of every aspect of the business, but most likely focused on our product, marketing, or commercial/sales functions. Key skills required for success include: the ability to break a challenge or problem down into the core elements to solve for; strong analytical skills; and a sophisticated perspective on the UA business, its industry, and key markets.

Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills & Abilities)

• Creative and strategic thinker

• Ability to look at and analyze a business from a portfolio perspective (including addressing tradeoffs and paradoxes)

• Strong, sophisticated analytical skills

• Skill in working with and influencing C-suite and senior level leadership

• Demonstrated ability to manage and lead teammates through their own strategy work, including problem solving, analytics, and communication

• Solid leadership skills

• Excellent presentation skills

• Strong writing and communication skills

• Detail Oriented

• Advanced project management skills

• Team focused

• Action oriented player who is comfortable driving projects independently, with senior guidance

• Ability to facilitate relations between business units and departments

• Work under pressure quickly, effectively and efficiently

• High relationship ability (able to understand and relate to different teammate audiences across the Company, at all levels – both very senior and junior)

• Experience at working both independently and in a team-oriented, collaborative environment is essential

• Can conform to shifting priorities, demands, and timelines through analytical and problem-solving capabilities

• Ability to read communication styles of project team leads, team members, and contractors who come from a broad spectrum of disciplines

• Persuasive, encouraging, and motivating

• Ability to defuse tension among and between project teams, should it arise

• Advanced interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills

• Adept at conducting research into project-related issues and products

• Ability to effectively prioritize and execute tasks in a high-pressure environment is crucial

• Tenacious

Education and/or Experience

• B.A required, MBA preferred

• Minimum of 15+ years of strategy and business planning experience, either in industry or consulting

• Experience effectively presenting to multiple levels of constituents, and tailoring presentation and communication accordingly

• Experience leading executives in high level idea generation and vision setting within an intense problem-solving environment

• Experience creating or executing strategy in a digital and / or omni-channel environment preferred

• Experience creating or executing strategy for a consumer-centric company or clients, or in the sports apparel and footwear space, a plus

• Knowledge regarding Project Management, and experience with setting up and managing projects in a complex, fast-moving environment

• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Microsoft PowerPoint, Outlook and Excel)