Company

Cox Automotive - USA

Job Family Group

Strategy & Corporate Development

Job Profile

Strategic Planning Director

Management Level

Director

Flexible Work Option

Hybrid - Ability to work remotely part of the week

Travel %

Yes, 25% of the time

Work Shift

Day

Compensation

Compensation includes a base salary of $156,200.00 - $260,400.00. The base salary may vary within the anticipated base pay range based on factors such as the ultimate location of the position and the selected candidate’s knowledge, skills, and abilities. Position may be eligible for additional compensation that may include an incentive program.

Job Description

The Strategic Planning Director- Product plays a critical role in identifying new opportunities and crafting long-term strategic plans for products and capabilities. By deeply understanding clients’ top needs, this leader will position Cox Auto to uniquely drive value in the marketplace.

This role requires direct interaction with customers, external business partners, and cross-functional internal teams to shape the strategic direction of the business. The Director will collaborate closely with Cox Auto's Executive leaders, business stakeholders, product teams, as well as corporate strategy teams. Through this collaborative approach, the Director will ensure alignment and shared methodologies in the design and development of our products.

The ideal candidate will possess a robust strategic formation background, demonstrating the ability to analyze market trends, assess competitive landscapes, and develop actionable strategies that propel the business forward. This leader will also be an expert at leveraging insights to inform product strategy plans, guiding teams through complex decision-making processes, and effectively communicating strategic initiatives across all levels of the organization. Experience in direct people management is not required for this role but it will involve high-level executive visibility and wide range of influence with cross functional teams across all of our CAI brands. (Individual Contributor Role)

The role supports the development of product strategies across Cox Auto by:

Collaborating with executive leader, cross-functional partners and business stakeholders to craft and refine product strategies that drive company and client growth.

Engaging with business leaders to analyze and uphold core revenue streams through alignment with foundational business strategies.

Conducting market and opportunity analysis to identify new growth avenues and assess potential for new product offerings and lines of business.

Directing the various workstreams to understand how initiatives may impact and benefit the business.

Aligning strategies across Cox Auto and ensuring  they contribute to shared end-state and market-oriented outcomes.

Coaching product leaders (AVPs, Directors, and Sr Managers) helping them lift out of the tactical to ensure their product lines have / are aligned to a strategic north star that is durable.

Developing and sustaining deep subject matter expertise in the evolving landscape of auto retailing, wholesaling, ownership, and fleet maintenance.

Identifying opportunities to consolidate /coordinate capabilities that cross-solution sets/delivery streams and build consensus to shift how we deliver value going forward.

The role is focused on developing winning product strategies, the ability to turn vision and concept into actionable, feasible plans in partnership with others is indispensable.

A qualified candidate will demonstrate advanced skills in the following critical, functional areas:

Analytical Thinking: Demonstrates advanced analytical skills to diagnose organizational challenges, identify root causes, and propose viable solutions. Employs logic and intuition to interpret data, using tools like flow charts and diagrams to evaluate various options effectively.Business Acumen: Understands economic, financial, and industry trends to enhance organizational performance. Analyzes market data to identify opportunities and articulate trends’ implications for the team and broader organization, ensuring alignment with overall business strategies.Consulting: Applies knowledge of consulting techniques to guide both internal and external clients. Understands client objectives and project scope, communicates requirements clearly, and keeps stakeholders informed on progress and challenges, fostering ongoing collaboration.Financial Acumen: Utilizes financial analysis tools and techniques to assess alternative scenarios and outcomes. Extracts relevant data to develop financial models for forecasting and performance analysis, identifying issues and recommending solutions to drive results.

Required Experience & Specialized Knowledge:

Bachelor’s degree in a related discipline and 10 years’ experience in a related field. The right candidate could also have a different combination, such as a master's degree and 8 years’ experience; a Ph.D. and 5 years’ experience in a related field; or 14 years’ experience in a related field

Strong Strategic Formation background- Must have experience developing long-term strategies or initiatives

Must be able to provide examples of transforming ideas into actionable plans; recognition for innovative thinking.

Experience in market analysis, data-driven decision-making, and performance metrics; proficiency in tools for data analysis and modeling. Must have experience working with more sophisticated frameworks such as Root cause analysis, Etc

Able to adapt the strategy based on real-time feedback and changing conditions.

Able to identify adequate resources—financial, human, and technological—that will support execution.

Develop a comprehensive product strategy that outlines capability, target customers, and positioning

Facilitate workshops with cross-functional teams (R&D, marketing, and other business leaders) to co-create a product roadmap aligned with business objectives.

Proficiency in data analysis tools and methodologies to support strategic decision-making.

Proven ability to lead using influence, within highly complex, matrixed teams

Proven ability to deliver high-impact presentations to C-suite executives, clearly articulating the product vision, strategic alignment with corporate goals, and expected ROI along with using data visualizations to convey complex information.

Ability to travel up to 25% of the time

Preferred:

Advanced degrees (e.g., MBA) or relevant certifications

Top Tier strategy consulting background (Bain, McKinsey, BCG, Etc)

People leader experience preferred as this candidate would be leading cross functional teams

Drug Testing

To be employed in this role, you’ll need to clear a pre-employment drug test. Cox Automotive does not currently administer a pre-employment drug test for marijuana for this position. However, we are a drug-free workplace, so the possession, use or being under the influence of drugs illegal under federal or state law during work hours, on company property and/or in company vehicles is prohibited.

Benefits

The Company offers eligible employees the flexibility to take as much vacation with pay as they deem consistent with their duties, the company’s needs, and its obligations; seven paid holidays throughout the calendar year; and up to 160 hours of paid wellness annually for their own wellness or that of family members. Employees are also eligible for additional paid time off in the form of bereavement leave, time off to vote, jury duty leave, volunteer time off, military leave, parental leave, and COVID-19 vaccination leave.

About Us

Through groundbreaking technology and a commitment to stellar experiences for drivers and dealers alike, Cox Automotive employees are transforming the way the world buys, owns, sells – or simply uses – cars. Cox Automotive employees get to work on iconic consumer brands like Autotrader and Kelley Blue Book and industry-leading dealer-facing companies like vAuto and Manheim, all while enjoying the people-centered atmosphere that is central to our life at Cox. Benefits of working at Cox may include health care insurance (medical, dental, vision), retirement planning (401(k)), and paid days off (sick leave, parental leave, flexible vacation/wellness days, and/or PTO). For more details on what benefits you may be offered, visit our benefits page. Cox is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer – All qualified applicants/employees will receive consideration for employment without regard to that individual’s age, race, color, religion or creed, national origin or ancestry, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, physical or mental disability, veteran status, genetic information, ethnicity, citizenship, or any other characteristic protected by law. Cox provides reasonable accommodations when requested by a qualified applicant or employee with disability, unless such accommodations would cause an undue hardship.