Strategic Initiatives Manager

Ranked among the largest accounting and consulting firms in the country and consistently recognized as a Great Place to Work, Cherry Bekaert is also the US’s fastest growing accounting firm, transforming from a regional tax and audit services provider to a national firm advising the CFOs of mid-market organizations on how to modernize and operate their finance functions effectively.

We have recently refined our strategy to have greater focus. To help us implement our strategy, we are building a strategy and change leadership capability and are looking for a highly skilled, motivated individual to join our team as a Strategic Initiatives Manager, reporting to the Director of Strategic Planning and Initiatives. Our ideal candidate will have a proven track record of leading and managing successful strategy and transformation initiatives in medium to large organizations, translating firm level strategy into actionable, high impact initiatives.

In this role, you will design, manage, and execute strategic programs that balance near term results with long term scalability. Working closely with senior leaders across the firm, you will help activate our strategy in a way that is aligned, collaborative, and deeply embedded in how we operate. This role is ideal for someone who thrives in ambiguity, enjoys solving complex business challenges, and will provide the flexibility to work in a hybrid/remote capacity.

As a Strategic Initiatives Manager, you will:

Be responsible for translating strategy priorities into well-defined strategic initiatives that balance short- term impact with setting the business up for scalable, long-term success You will be part of a team whose mandate is to help the organization activate its strategy in a way that is aligned across the organization and encourages collaboration and cross-functional engagement. Some examples of initiatives you might lead include:

• Establishment of a new function, capability, or set of operating best practices to support our strategy

• Creation of internal programs that drive mindset and behavior change in alignment with our strategy

• Development of client-facing solutions or experiences to build lasting relationships and serve the needs of our target clients

• Deployment of a new digital tool that changes the way our teams do their work in service of improving efficiency and client service outcomes

• Development and execution of an acquisition integration strategy and plan, balancing business needs with employee experience

• Design and leadership of an annual strategic planning process that drives alignment of activities with strategy, and encourages collaboration and accountability

The ideal candidate will have demonstrated experience in two or more of the following areas: 

• Leading the implementation of strategic initiatives, including development of initiative goals, key activities, workplan and milestones; taking intellectual leadership of the solution while engaging the input of key stakeholders; managing and influencing resources across the firm to ensure smooth implementation; building behavior change and change management plans that drive adoption

• Overseeing the development and launch of new digital tools or platforms and ensuring strong implementation and change planning (similar to above) 

• Leading the design and market launch of new offerings or services

• Leading a strategic consulting engagement

• Leading the integration of a merger or acquisition, including contribution to the development of the integration strategy and oversight of the commercial and internal workstreams required to execute the integration. 

• Leading an annual strategic planning process across a medium or large sized organization; especially engaging stakeholders collaboratively in a matrixed organization, synthesizing business unit and function inputs into executive summaries and dashboards for tracking, designing and running quarterly review meetings that facilitate cross-functional collaboration and drive accountability 

What you bring to this role:

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university

• 7+ years of progressive experience with a minimum of 2 years at the Manager+ level

• Experience with the professional services industry is a strong plus 

• Ability to translate business strategy into focused initiatives that drive successful activation of the strategy

• Project, process and people management skills to lead and manage the detailed work required to produce high-quality outcomes

• Strong user-centered / stakeholder engagement and change management skills to ensure buy-in and drive adoption of new ideas 

• Intellectual curiosity/horsepower, problem-solving orientation and business acumen to assess current state and develop creative, high-quality ideas across a diverse range of challenges and opportunity areas

• High degree of emotional intelligence to collaborate, earn trust and build credibility/confidence in approach and solutions 

• Ability to effectively communicate with and influence professionals at all levels within the Firm (verbal, written and PowerPoint slides)

• Strong qualitative and quantitative analytical skills ability to use data and perform analysis to inform solution design

• Ability to operate in an ambiguous and rapidly changing environment

What you can expect from us:

• Our shared values that foster inclusion and belonging including uncompromising integrity, collaboration, trust, and mutual respect

• The opportunity to innovate and do work that motivates and engages you

• A collaborative environment focused on enabling you to further your career growth and continuous professional development

• Competitive compensation and a total rewards package that focuses on all aspects of your wellbeing

• Flexibility to do impactful work and the time to enjoy your life outside of work

• Opportunities to connect and learn from professionals from different backgrounds and with different cultures

Benefits Information:

Cherry Bekaert cares about our people. We offer competitive compensation packages based on performance that recognize the value our people bring to our clients and our Firm. The salary range for this position is included below. Individual salaries within this range are determined by a variety of factors including but not limited to the role, function and associated responsibilities, a candidate’s work experience, education, knowledge, skills, and geographic location. In addition, we offer a comprehensive, high-quality benefits program which includes annual bonus, medical, dental, and vision care; disability and life insurance; generous Paid Time Off; retirement plans; Paid Care Leave; and other programs that are dedicated to enhancing your personal and work life and providing you and your family with a measure of financial protection.

Pay Range: