Product Strategy Director

Company

Cox Automotive

• USA

Job Family Group

Strategy & Corporate Development

Job Profile

Strategic Planning Director

Management Level

Director

Flexible Work Option

Hybrid

• Ability to work remotely part of the week

Travel %

Yes, 15% of the time

Work Shift

Day

Compensation

Compensation includes a base salary of $156,200.00 - $260,400.00. The base salary may vary within the anticipated base pay range based on factors such as the ultimate location of the position and the selected candidate's knowledge, skills, and abilities. Position may be eligible for additional compensation that may include an incentive program.

Job Description

The Product Strategy Director identifies new opportunities and develops long-term strategic plans for products and capabilities by understanding clients' top needs and how Cox Auto can be uniquely positioned to drive value. The Director will have direct interaction with our customers, external business partners, and matrixed internal teams to help drive the strategic direction of the business. Working closely with Cox Auto business, product and engineering leaders, enterprise architecture, and corporate strategy teams, this leader will ensure tight linkage and shared approaches to how we design and develop our products.

The role supports the development of product strategies across Cox Auto by:

• Partnering closely with corporate strategy, architecture, and product leaders to develop, deliver, and evolve product strategies that drive Cox Auto and our clients growth.

• Working closely with business leaders to understand foundational business strategies to protect existing, core revenue streams.

• Driving market and opportunity analysis, identifying new growth opportunities, including those associated with new offerings/lines of business.

• Provide the supporting fact base for top priorities and connection to business strategies.

• Directing the various workstreams to understand how initiatives may impact and benefit the business.

• Ensuring new opportunities are underpinned by thorough market analysis, business modeling, risk management, and other necessary considerations.

• Align strategies across Cox Auto and ensure they contribute to shared end-state and market-oriented outcomes.

• Coaching product leaders (Sr Managers, Directors and AVPs) helping them lift out of the tactical to ensure their product lines have / are aligned to a strategic north star that is durable.

• Build/maintain subject matter expertise - an expert in how auto retailing/wholesaling, ownership, and fleet maintenance is evolving

• Explore adjacencies, including supporting M&A and partner development

• Help identify opportunities to consolidate /coordinate capabilities that cross-solution sets/delivery streams and build consensus to shift how we deliver value going forward.

• The role is focused on developing winning product strategies, the ability to turn vision and concept into actionable, feasible plans in partnership with others is indispensable.

A qualified candidate will demonstrate advanced skills in the following critical, functional areas:

Analytical Thinking: Possesses the knowledge and ability to apply effective analytical techniques and tools. Analyzes organizational issues, determines the root cause, and creates alternative solutions that are in the best interest of the business. Approaches situations by defining the issue, determining its significance, and identifying the forces, events, and people impacting and impacted by the situation at hand. Uses logic and intuition to make inferences about the meaning of data and arrive at conclusions, applying flow charts, diagrams, and other tools as necessary. Able to systematically compare and assess varied alternative solutions.

Business Acumen: Applies knowledge of economic, financial, market, and industry trends to understand and improve individual, work group and/or organizational results. Demonstrates an understanding of major business functions, industry trends and own organization's position to contribute to effective business strategies and/or tactics. Analyzes economic, financial, market and industry information from multiple sources to identify trends, assess current business strategies and results and/or evaluate specific opportunities. Articulates the implications of trends for own department or team as well as for the broader organization. Understands the nature and interdependencies of the organization's departments and functions. Understands the industry and leverages that understanding to maximize results, limit risks and effectively contribute to the team, department and/or broader organization.

Consulting: Demonstrates knowledge of techniques, roles and responsibilities used to provide technical, process or business guidance to clients, both internally and externally, and the ability to apply this knowledge appropriately in diverse situations. Able to understand client's / customer's objectives and project scope. Explains assignment requirements, deliverables, costs and criticalities to team members, colleagues, management, and other stakeholders. Monitors performance versus expectations and uses formal and informal means to keep clients / customers informed on progress and issues. Participates in developing further opportunities or assignments.

Financial Acumen: Possesses the knowledge and ability to use processes, tools, and techniques for exploring and evaluating alternative financial scenarios and results. Extracts financial and non-financial data from relevant information (e.g., Sales records, information provided by clients, partnership agreements, loan agreements, letters of intent, etc.). Develops financial models for forecasting, trending, and results analysis. Identifies issues, anomalies, and other areas of concern, developing and recommending steps to resolution

Required Experience & Specialized Knowledge:

• Bachelor's degree in a related discipline and 10 years' experience in a related field. The right candidate could also have a different combination, such as a master's degree and 8 years' experience; a Ph.D. and 5 years' experience in a related field; or 14 years' experience in a related field

• Experience in automotive, consulting or corporate strategy preferred

• Entrepreneurial / start-up / early stage company experience preferred

• Experience in developing, communicating and executing on product strategies; must be able to clearly articulate an understanding of the issues and be able to present solutions that are clearly differentiated and client meaningful

• Experience of the full lifecycle of product conceptualization preferred (identify need, though POC, and ultimately a funded investment)

• Proven ability to lead using influence, within highly complex, matrixed teams

• Excellent communication skills, able to communicate clearly and succinctly, both verbally and written

• Ability to manage multiple tasks and priorities, analyze complex problems and suggest appropriate solutions, exhibiting good decision quality and strategic mindset

• Excellent organizational skills, business insight, and financial acumen

• Ability to travel up to 25-50% of the time

Drug Testing

To be employed in this role, you'll need to clear a pre-employment drug test. Cox Automotive does not currently administer a pre-employment drug test for marijuana for this position. However, we are a drug-free workplace, so the possession, use or being under the influence of drugs illegal under federal or state law during work hours, on company property and/or in company vehicles is prohibited.

Benefits

The Company offers eligible employees the flexibility to take as much vacation with pay as they deem consistent with their duties, the company's needs, and its obligations; seven paid holidays throughout the calendar year; and up to 160 hours of paid wellness annually for their own wellness or that of family members. Employees are also eligible for additional paid time off in the form of bereavement leave, time off to vote, jury duty leave, volunteer time off, military leave, parental leave, and COVID-19 vaccination leave.

About Us

Through groundbreaking technology and a commitment to stellar experiences for drivers and dealers alike, Cox Automotive employees are transforming the way the world buys, owns, sells - or simply uses - cars. Cox Automotive employees get to work on iconic consumer brands like Autotrader and Kelley Blue Book and industry-leading dealer-facing companies like vAuto and Manheim, all while enjoying the people-centered atmosphere that is central to our life at Cox. Benefits of working at Cox may include health care insurance (medical, dental, vision), retirement planning (401(k)), and paid days off (sick leave, parental leave, flexible vacation/wellness days, and/or PTO). For more details on what benefits you may be offered, visit our benefits page. Cox is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer

• All qualified applicants/employees will receive consideration for employment without regard to that individual's age, race, color, religion or creed, national origin or ancestry, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, physical or mental disability, veteran status, genetic information, ethnicity, citizenship, or any other characteristic protected by law. Cox provides reasonable accommodations when requested by a qualified applicant or employee with disability, unless such accommodations would cause an undue hardship.