Director, Strategy Chief of Staff

Let’s be unstoppable together!

Circana is a leading provider of technology, AI, and data solutions for consumer packaged goods companies, manufacturers, and retailers. Our predictive analytics and Liquid Data® platform help clients measure market share, uncover consumer behavior, and drive growth—powered by six decades of expertise and an expansive, high-quality data set.

At Circana, we are fueled by our passion for continuous learning and growth, we seek and share feedback freely, and we celebrate victories both big and small in an environment that is flexible and accommodating to our work and personal lives. We’re a global company dedicated to fostering inclusivity and belonging. We value and celebrate the unique experiences, cultures, and viewpoints that each individual brings. By embracing a wide range of backgrounds, skills, expertise, and beyond, we create a stronger, more innovative environment for our employees, clients, and communities. With us, you can always bring your full self to work. Join our inclusive, committed team to be a challenger, own outcomes, and stay curious together. Circana is proud to be Certified™ by Great Place To Work®. This prestigious award is based entirely on what current employees say about their experience working at Circana. Learn more at www.circana.com

Role Overview

We are seeking an exceptional operator and trusted advisor to serve as Chief of Staff to Circana’s Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) and to lead our new Strategy Enablement team which will centralize strategic planning, coordination, and execution support across the Corporate Strategy team. You will be the connective tissue across Circana’s Executive Leadership Team (ELT), Commercial leadership, and the Corporate Strategy team, running the annual strategic planning and deployment cycle, supporting the ELT’s operating cadence, and leading strategic projects and initiatives directly on behalf of senior leaders. Reporting directly to the CSO, you will be a key member of Circana’s strategy leadership team, trusted to represent the CSO in rooms where strategy meets day-to-day execution.

As a leader within Circana, you will work closely with the ELT, Commercial leadership, and the CEO’s office to keep the strategic planning process, executive operating rhythm, and key leadership moments running smoothly. The successful candidate will interact daily with the CEO, CCO, and other executive team members, acting as an extension of the CSO — anticipating needs, protecting priorities, and making sure the right work reaches the right owner at the right time.

Circana is also rebuilding how the strategy function itself works, using AI tools like Claude as part of the day-to-day toolkit for synthesis, planning, and content creation. You will be expected to work fluently with these tools, not just strategize them, and to help the broader team build repeatable habits and workflows around them.

This is a critical leadership position within Circana. The ideal candidate will operate with sound judgment, discretion, and a calm, steady presence under pressure — someone who can move fluidly between the boardroom and the spreadsheet, and who makes the CSO’s job smaller, not bigger. They will have the maturity, confidence, and real-world experience to earn trust quickly across the ELT and to lead and develop a small, high-impact team. This candidate must have a genuine passion for enabling others’ success — translating strategy into action and consistently putting the mission of the team and the company ahead of personal credit.

Job Responsibilities

• Strategy Deployment & Annual Planning: Own and run Circana’s annual strategic planning and deployment cycle (heaviest September–December), partnering with the CSO and pillar pod leads to turn strategic priorities into an executable annual plan, with clear tracking and reporting cadence throughout the year.
• Strategy Enablement: Lead a small Strategy Enablement team that centralizes planning, coordination, governance, and execution support for the company’s highest-priority strategic initiatives.
• ELT Operating Cadence: Drive the day-to-day operating rhythm of the Executive Leadership Team, including agendas, materials, attendee coordination, and follow-through, so the ELT’s time is focused on the right priorities.
• Executive Strategic Projects: Lead strategic projects and initiatives sponsored by the CEO, CCO, CSO, and Commercial leaders, from time-sensitive requests to multi-week, cross-functional efforts, bringing judgment, discretion, and a steady hand to each.
• Chief of Staff Partnership: Act as a trusted sounding board and extension of the CSO, representing their priorities and voice in day-to-day interactions across the organization.
• Initiative Tracking & Reporting: Maintain visibility into strategic initiative progress across the organization, keeping reporting and tracking tools current so the ELT and CSO always have an accurate, real-time picture.
• Board-Level Content Preparation: Work closely with the CSO and senior management to coordinate and develop Board decks and Board letters in support of key strategic outputs.
• AI-Enabled Ways of Working: Use AI tools (e.g., Claude) as part of the daily toolkit for synthesis, planning, and content creation, and help build repeatable playbooks that the broader strategy team can reuse.

Requirements

• 5+ years of experience in a Chief of Staff, executive operations, corporate strategy, transformation, program leadership, or consulting role, ideally supporting a C-suite or senior executive leader. Candidates with different levels of experience may be considered based on the depth, pace, and relevance of their background.
• Bachelor’s degree required; MBA or other advanced degree a plus, but not required.
• Experience in consumer products, consumer services, retail, software, analytics, or business intelligence is a plus; candidates from other complex, strategy-intensive industries will also be considered.
• Strong program/project management skills — able to scope, sequence, and drive complex, cross-functional initiatives (such as an annual planning cycle) to a deadline with minimal oversight.
• Excellent people and leadership skills, with the ability to earn trust and credibility with senior executives quickly and lead and develop a small, high-performing team. Prior direct people management or comparable experience leading teams and complex work through influence is preferred.
• Hands-on fluency with AI tools (e.g., Claude, ChatGPT) as part of a daily workflow for synthesis, drafting, and planning — comfort building and reusing AI-enabled workflows is expected.
• Experience managing multiple concurrent programs across a large, cross-functional, global organization.
• Unquestionable discretion and judgment in handling sensitive, confidential, or politically-charged information.
• Strong financial and business acumen, with the ability to use Excel, PowerPoint, AI, and other tools to analyze information and develop executive-level reporting and presentations.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including executive storytelling — able to distill complex or ambiguous topics into clear, ELT- and Board-ready narratives.
• An entrepreneurial, creative thinker with an action-oriented approach characterized by speed and productivity.
• An ability to operate at the highest ethical levels and project this integrity to customers and employees.
• A calm, steady presence under pressure and tight, shifting timelines — particularly during the September–December planning cycle.

Circana Behaviors

Beyond technical skills, experience, and role-specific attributes, these shared behaviors are fundamental to our culture and success. We seek individuals who consistently demonstrate and champion these behaviors in their daily work:

• Stay Curious: Being hungry to learn and grow, always asking the big questions.
• Seek Clarity: Embracing complexity to create clarity and inspire action.
• Own the Outcome: Being accountable for decisions and taking ownership of our choices.
• Center on the Client: Relentlessly adding value for our customers.
• Be a Challenger: Never complacent, always striving for continuous improvement.
• Champion Inclusivity: Fostering trust in relationships engaging with empathy, respect, and integrity.
• Commit to each other: Contributing to making Circana a great place to work for everyone.

Location

This position can be located in the following area(s): Remote, US with a strong preference for candidates located in the New York or Chicago areas.

The below range reflects the range of possible compensation for this role at the time of this posting. We may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range. This range may be modified in the future. An employee’s position within the salary range will be based on several factors including, but not limited to, relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, seniority, geographic location, performance, shift, travel requirements, sales or revenue-based metrics, any collective bargaining agreements, and business or organizational needs. The salary range for this role is $140,000 to $180,000 USD. This role is also eligible for bonus pay.

We offer a comprehensive package of benefits including paid time off, medical/dental/vision insurance and 401(k) to eligible employees.

An offer of employment may be conditional upon successful completion of a background check in accordance with local legislation and our candidate privacy notice. Your current employer will not be contacted without your permission.

You can apply for this role through the Circana careers website or Intranet site for internal candidates. This role is subject to AI-assisted screening. Circana uses artificial intelligence (AI) to assess resumes for alignment with job requirements by helping locate details in resumes that relate to the job description.

This position is expected to remain open for approximately 30 days and may close earlier if sufficient qualified candidates are identified.

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