They advertised on Movemeon for a Strategy & Operations Director.
The successful member previously worked at Deloitte.
About the role
Reporting to the SVP Global Operations, this is a newly established role. The International Strategy & Operations Director will be a key member of the Discovery Education International senior leadership team, responsible for overseeing successful development and implementation of Discovery Education International’s strategy. The role will act as the right-hand person to the SVP Global Operations and will take on many of the responsibilities of managing the international business.
This role requires a highly varied skill set, the ability to work with a high level of ambiguity, the commitment to jump in and do what is necessary to deliver and a “can do” attitude.
An in-depth description of the role
About Us
Reporting to the SVP Global Operations, this is a newly established role. The International Strategy & Operations Director will be a key member of the Discovery Education International senior leadership team, responsible for overseeing successful development and implementation of Discovery Education International’s strategy. The role will act as the right-hand person to the SVP Global Operations and will take on many of the responsibilities of managing the international business.
This role requires a highly varied skill set, the ability to work with a high level of ambiguity, the commitment to jump in and do what is necessary to deliver and a “can do” attitude.
The role also requires coordination between several internal team members across different departments within Discovery Education UK and US offices, including finance, legal, product management, content production, web development, professional development, marketing and project management.
Also critical is the ability to manage relationships with external clients, vendors, and partners.
The role will initially have two reports: 1) Senior Manager Strategy & Operations (existing), and 2) Strategy & Operations Associate (new).
Specific responsibilities
The role will have four main responsibilities:
- Strategy development
- Operations & implementation
- Business development & account management
- Financial performance
- General responsibilities
Strategy development
- Present clear and quantifiable recommendations for business growth
- Develop strategic and financial business plans for new initiatives
- Develop PowerPoint presentations that are engaging and effective in telling a story
Operations & implementation
- Execute on the strategy to set up the processes, infrastructures and partnerships that are required to achieve high growth for the international business, including new market entry, new product launches and global content production
- Work closely with the Project Director to ensure that strategic growth initiatives are launched on-time and within budget
- Develop the project scope, deliverables, and KPIS/goals at project initiation
- Working across DE teams globally, ensure delivery triggers recognition of revenue
- Work with Legal to ensure contract fulfilment and to manage program compliance
- Identify and resolve issues as they arise in the project, enrolling functional leads and notifying key stakeholders as necessary
Business development & account management
- Manage relationships with partners during the post-sell phase; these tend to be senior levels within governments (Ministers of Education) and industry (CEOs)
- Ensure contract renewals
- Identify and pursue upsell and cross-sell opportunities
- Attend meetings on behalf of the company both in person and via electronic means, as required
- In conjunction with business development team, create business cases and cost analysis for new proposals
Financial performance
- Manage budget development, reconciliation of costs, and forecasting
- Work with Finance/Accounting for revenue recognition and other budgetary requirements
General responsibilities
- Take the lead on ad hoc requests that are relevant and necessary for profitable growth
- Demonstrate exceptional interpersonal, organizational and presentation skills
- Maintain an understanding of industry trends, current events, anything that may impact the business by reading professional publications, researching all available prospect/product resources and participating in professional organizations
- Understand new technologies and industry trends and be able to speak to how they impact Discovery Education
Basic Qualifications
- University degree required; MBA strongly preferred
- 8-12 years of work experience
- A minimum of 5 years’ experience in management/strategy consulting roles; this may be coupled with industry strategy and/or operational role(s)
- Experience in education, media, and/or digital industries
- Strong time management skills with the ability to adjust and adapt quickly
- Strong people management skills with proven success in developing teams
- Ability to manage virtual teams across functions, geographies and business units
- Strong stakeholder (internal and external) management skills
- High level of business and financial acumen
- Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and balance competing priorities
- Willingness to take “pitch in” and take on additional tasks as needed
- Ability to develop and cultivate relationships, navigate cultural and political sensitivities, and manage various input from external stakeholders
- Willingness to travel up to 30-40% of the time, including Asia and the Middle East and specifically Egypt,
- Saudi Arabia, UAE and China (and additional territories going forward)
- Excellent written/verbal communication skills
- Proficient in MS Office (XLS, DOC and PPT)
- Must have the legal right to work in the United Kingdom
- Experience working internationally, ideally Asia and/or Middle East
