Strategy Manager, NA Strategy - RTD (New York or Chicago)

What makes this a great opportunity?

The alc/bev industry is an exciting, dynamic, and fast-paced business. Beam Suntory is a top player in the spirits business and focused on becoming a leader within the Ready to Drink (RTD) category in the United States • This individual will have a material impact in shaping Beam Suntory’s long-term ambitions and near-term capability development in the Ready to Drink space, a priority category for growth in North America.  The role will collaborate with the sales, marketing, innovation, insights, supply chain and finance functions on a variety of high-impact, high-profile projects to deliver our Ready to Drink growth aspirations, paving the way for future career opportunities.  This role provides the opportunity to help define winning strategies that impact C-level conversations, with timely implementation of recommendations.

Role Responsibilities

The Ready to Drink (RTD) Strategy team is expanding to better support our US RTD and North America leadership in shaping the organization’s RTD agenda in line with Beam Suntory’s ambition to take a leadership position in this rapidly evolving category. This role will support the highest-priority strategic initiatives for the RTD business, including identification of continued near and long-term growth opportunities.

This position will report to the Director, Ready to Drink Strategy and will have significant exposure to the US RTD leadership as well as North America Strategy leads.

This role will drive RTD strategy development and implementation, inclusive of the following responsibilities:

• Lead and shape major strategic initiatives, including: portfolio optimization, brand growth strategies, new routes to market, brand investment allocation, and cross-functional implementation efforts
  • Test hypotheses through analytical rigor, collaborating cross-functionally across the company to ensure inclusion and integrity
  • Develop storyboards and presentations for projects, adapting for varying levels within the organization (e.g., commercial team vs. executive leadership)
  • Assess success of initiatives and refine as needed
• Help drive annual strategic planning and ongoing strategy development
  • Review sector dynamics and trends, including assessment of current performance and commercial strategies
  • Identify key portfolio opportunities and risks
  • Conduct financial and commercial assessments of various growth options
• Assess and optimize organizational and operating model effectiveness
  • Conduct interviews and develop materials for workshops with cross-functional teams to evaluate capability / resource gaps
  • Develop frameworks / solutions that drive “out of the box” solutions for the gaps
• Support driving alignment with key stakeholders across Suntory on RTD priority workstreams •
• Support M&A activity and integration within the Ready to Drink space
  • Evaluate acquisition and partnership opportunities and support negotiations
  • Aid cross-functional integration efforts resulting from M&A and partnership activity
• Develop and deliver data-driven insights for delivery to executive teams
• Work effectively in a team environment both within the RTD team and with business unit partners/stakeholders throughout the organization
• Execute ad hoc strategy initiatives – this team is the one-stop-shop for developing Beam Suntory’s US RTD strategy, meaning new / interesting projects are constantly surfacing!

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or higher
• 3-5 years in management consulting, depending on experience
• Strong analytical and strategic thinking skills
  • Ability to develop methodologies and execute analysis independently
  • Ability to quickly adapt and execute feedback
  • Ability to identify interesting and actionable findings within analysis and develop recommendations, including to redirect project focus, as needed
• Financial modeling capabilities – understanding of basic financial principles and P&L structure to develop business case for recommendations
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
  • Ability to lead structured meetings based on findings
  • Ability to synthesize findings clearly and concisely in written communication
• Exceptional project management skills (must have led multiple workstreams)
• Ability to handle ambiguity and unstructured work situations • Ability to influence and build relationships across diverse stakeholder groups spanning functions and levels • Experience working cross culturally and/or desire to learn about different cultures
• Skilled in MS Office Suite for analysis and presentations
• The salary range for this role, based in Chicago, is $125,00-$138,000, along with an annual bonus, 401K match, profit sharing, and medical and wellness benefits. The salary range is commensurate with the candidate’s location, experience, and skillset. The range will vary if outside of this location.