Director, Strategy & Innovation

Director, Strategy & Innovation

The Director, Strategy & Innovation will play a critical role in shaping and advancing the organization's long-term direction. Reporting to the Chief Strategy Officer (CSO), this leader will drive strategic planning, foster a culture of innovation, and translate high-level priorities into actionable initiatives. They will act as a strategic advisor to senior and business leaders, identifying growth opportunities, incubating new ideas, and ensuring the organization remains competitive and committed to long-term priorities. This position is ideal for a forward-thinking leader who thrives at the intersection of strategy, execution, and innovation.

1) Strategic Planning and Execution : Lead quarterly, annual, and long-term planning aligned with enterprise and business function priorities and ensure progress tracking. Ensure assigned business units are operating efficiently and reliably, are in compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and rules, have appropriate operating controls to mitigate risk, and are performing at a high level. (35%)

2) Product Strategy : Lead product managers, ensuring products are aligned with members' needs, strategically positioned, competitive, simple, and differentiated. Oversee product roadmaps, performance tracking, pricing strategies, and innovation initiatives to drive growth, member engagement, and long-term profitability. (20%)

3) Advisory and Collaboration : Act as trusted advisor to senior leadership and business unit leaders by translating strategic priorities into actionable initiatives. Facilitate alignment across business units to accelerate decision-making. Build strong partnerships across all Corporate Functions (e.g., Finance, Compliance, IT, HR, Marketing, etc.) to integrate strategy into daily execution. (20%)

4) Innovation Leadership : Drive the Credit Union's innovation agenda by identifying emerging opportunities, technologies, and business models that provide the maximum member value. Establish frameworks to evaluate, test, and scale new ideas from concept through pilot and enterprise rollout. Collaborates across business units and corporate functions to foster a culture of experimentation, and track ROI on innovation initiatives to ensure direct support to our members' needs, and the Credit Union's strategic priorities and long-term growth. (15%)

5) Governance, Reporting and Communication : Drive the design and delivery of executive dashboards, board reports, and enterprise scorecards that provide visibility into progress against strategic priorities. Establish governance routines for monitoring initiatives, escalating risks, and ensuring accountability. Craft clear and compelling communications for senior leadership and the Board, ensuring that complex strategies, innovation pilots, and product initiatives are conveyed in a concise and actionable manner. (10%)

Required Skills

1) Bachelor's degree in Business, Finance, Economics or related field; MBA or advanced degree preferred.

2) 10+ years of progressive experience in strategy, innovation, management consulting, corporate development or product strategy leadership.

3) Demonstrated success in shaping enterprise strategy, leading innovation initiatives, and delivering measurable business outcomes.

4) Proven ability to build, lead, and inspire high-performing teams by recruiting top talent, developing leadership capabilities, and fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement that aligns with enterprise strategy.

5) Proven track-record of developing board ready materials and senior leadership level communications.

6) Ability to define vision, prioritize initiatives, and align cross-functional teams around enterprise priorities.

7) Strong understanding of strategic planning frameworks and enterprise execution models.

8) Ability to connect strategy and product management to deliver differentiated value to members and partners.

9) Excellent at building relationships across business units, fostering alignment, and driving accountability without direct authority.

10) Demonstrated ability to deliver measurable impact through strategy execution, product innovation, and organizational alignment.

11) Knowledge of emerging trends, technologies, and market dynamics that impact member experience and differentiation.

12) Experience with data-driven decision making, including comfort with insights from Data & Analytics, financial modeling, and business case development.