Director, Strategic Initiatives (Bethesda, MD)
Hybrid
SNI is working exclusively with a large and leading Financial Services company looking to add a Strategic Director to their HQ!
The company is a leader in strategies such as crypto-linked, dividend growth, interest rate hedged bond and geared (leveraged and inverse) ETF investing.
The ideal candidate will have a marketing background (ideally within ETFs, but also channel marketing) with proven experience within go-to-market strategies and executing product launches.
Position Summary:
This role offers the opportunity to lead some of the company’s highest-impact, cross-functional initiatives aligned with the firm’s strategic growth agenda. This role is tailored for a seasoned, business-oriented leader with a proven track record of driving complex programs from concept through execution. The ideal candidate will work closely with senior executives and stakeholders across functions—including product, distribution, marketing, and operations—to identify opportunities, remove barriers, and deliver meaningful results.
This position plays a central role in shaping outcomes, enabling change, and accelerating the next phase of growth for one of the industry’s most innovative ETF issuers.
Responsibilities:
- Lead Strategic Programs: Drive end-to-end execution of non-technology business initiatives, such as go-to-market strategy rollouts, organizational design changes, front-office process improvements, and distribution optimization efforts.
- Serve as a Strategic Partner: Act as a trusted advisor to senior leadership, guiding cross-functional teams through the design and delivery of mission-critical programs.
- Frame and Solve Complex Problems: Collaborate with initiative sponsors to clarify ambiguous challenges, define objectives, and create actionable execution plans from inception to completion.
- Manage Cross-Functional Execution: Provide structure and alignment in fast-moving environments, managing scope, timeline, and risk while ensuring forward momentum.
- Drive Accountability and Transparency: Communicate clearly across levels of the organization, including steering committee updates and risk mitigation strategies to keep programs on track.
- Apply Adaptive Methodologies: Use agile principles and pragmatic project management tools to tailor approaches based on initiative size, complexity, and pace.
- Resolve Execution Barriers: Proactively address roadblocks by building consensus, aligning stakeholders, and fostering a culture of urgency and action.
- Bring a Consulting Mindset: Leverage frameworks and tools to support execution- such as strategy development, process redesign, operating model creation, vendor evaluations, and go-to-market planning.
- Foster Ownership and Results: Promote shared accountability while owning delivery timelines, executive expectations, and program success.
- Champion a Culture of Excellence: Encourage transparency, collaboration, and high standards in execution across teams and initiatives.
Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree required.
- MBA or equivalent graduate degree preferred.
- 10-12+ years of relevant experience, including time in management consulting, business transformation, or enterprise program management within the asset management or financial services industry.
- Proven success leading large, complex business programs with cross-functional scopes especially in front-office, product, investment, or distribution settings.
- Familiarity with ETFs, mutual funds, or other investment vehicles strongly preferred.
- Experience working directly with executive leadership and influencing senior stakeholders across departments.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
- Expertise in change management, program/project management, stakeholder alignment, including the ability to manage complex business processes through influence when all the resources necessary for a successful outcome are not directly under the individual’s control.
- Executive-level communication: able to synthesize issues and present clearly to C-suite stakeholders.
- Strong strategic and analytical thinker with a high level of business judgment.
- Self-starter with exceptional ownership and follow-through; thrives in ambiguity and fast-paced environments.
- Skilled in management consulting-style problem solving and structured execution frameworks.
- Balanced orientation to detail and big-picture thinking.