Executive Director, Corporate Strategy
Estée Lauder Companies · New York City · $154,000–$264,750 (stated in the posting)
The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. is one of the world’s leading manufacturers, marketers, and sellers of quality skin care, makeup, fragrance, and hair care products, and is a steward of luxury and prestige brands globally. The company’s products are sold in approximately 150 countries and territories under brand names including: Estée Lauder, Aramis, Clinique, Lab Series, Origins, M·A·C, La Mer, Bobbi Brown Cosmetics, Aveda, Jo Malone London, Bumble and bumble, Darphin Paris, TOM FORD, Smashbox, AERIN Beauty, Le Labo, Editions de Parfums Frédéric Malle, GLAMGLOW, KILIAN PARIS, Too Faced, Dr.Jart+, the DECIEM family of brands, including The Ordinary and NIOD, and BALMAIN Beauty.
Description
The Executive Director, Corporate Strategy is a senior leader within The Estée Lauder Companies’ Corporate Strategy function, partnering closely with the Vice President, Corporate Strategy to shape and advance the Company’s enterprise strategy and long-term growth agenda. This highly visible role leads major components of the corporate strategy agenda, including the annual strategy process, development of enterprise strategic recommendations, and high-impact initiatives across Brands, Regions, and Functions.
The Executive Director brings an enterprise-wide perspective to complex business questions, translating market, consumer, competitive, and financial insights into clear choices and actionable recommendations for senior leadership. Operating with a high degree of independence, the Executive Director serves as a senior strategic partner to leaders across the organization, drives alignment around critical priorities and trade-offs, and ensures strategic initiatives move from insight to action.
The role also leads and develops strategy talent and plays an important role in strengthening the impact and capabilities of the Corporate Strategy function.
Key Responsibilities
Corporate Strategy & Strategic Planning (40%)
- Lead major components of ELC’s enterprise strategy and long-term growth agenda in partnership with the Vice President, Corporate Strategy.
- Play a leadership role in the annual corporate strategy process across Brands, Regions, and Functions, shaping strategic questions, priorities, and areas requiring enterprise-level decisions.
- Frame complex and ambiguous business questions, establish the analytical approach, and direct development of fact-based strategic recommendations.
- Develop and oversee executive-level content and strategic narratives for senior leadership discussions and enterprise decision forums.
- Partner with senior Brand, Regional, and Functional leaders to evaluate growth opportunities, strategic alternatives, business risks, and critical trade-offs.
- Continuously monitor and synthesize consumer, competitive, category, channel, technological, macroeconomic, and industry developments, translating emerging signals into implications for ELC’s strategy.
- Connect insights across markets, categories, channels, and business models to identify emerging opportunities and risks to long-term growth
- Decision-Making Scope:Leads development of recommendations on significant enterprise priorities and strategic trade-offs. Exercises judgment in determining how complex strategic questions should be framed and evaluated and influences senior leadership decisions, escalating issues requiring Vice President or Executive Leadership Team direction.
Strategic Initiatives & Enterprise Impact (35%)
- Lead complex, cross-functional strategic initiatives addressing critical enterprise growth opportunities and business challenges.
- Translate enterprise priorities into clear objectives, workplans, governance, milestones, and success measures.
- Mobilize Brand, Regional, and Functional stakeholders around strategic priorities and drive alignment where perspectives or objectives differ.
- Challenge assumptions, identify critical decisions and dependencies, and surface implications and trade-offs to senior stakeholders.
- Guide strategic initiatives from problem definition through recommendation and, where appropriate, into activation and execution.
- Monitor progress against enterprise priorities, identify risks or barriers to impact, and recommend course corrections.
- Support evaluation and prioritization of strategic initiatives and investments based on their potential contribution to sustainable growth and long-term value creation.
- Provides strategic and financial analysis that informs enterprise investment choices, resource allocation, prioritization, and evaluation of long-term value creation.
Team Leadership & Organizational Influence (25%)
- Lead and develop team members across multiple strategy workstreams, providing direction, coaching, feedback, and development opportunities.
- Set a high bar for strategic thinking, analytical rigor, executive communication, and quality of output across the team.
- Provide thought partnership and guidance to Directors and Senior Managers, helping teams navigate complex or ambiguous strategic questions.
- Build trusted relationships across Brands, Regions, and Functions and create alignment around enterprise priorities.
- Foster an inclusive, collaborative, intellectually rigorous team environment that encourages constructive challenge and learning.
- Contribute to the continued evolution of the Corporate Strategy function, including its capabilities, tools, ways of working, and strategic influence across the organization.
Qualifications
Education
Bachelor’s degree required; MBA or relevant advanced degree preferred.
Experience
8-10+ years of progressive experience in corporate strategy, strategic planning, business transformation, corporate development, management consulting, or a related strategic role, with demonstrated experience leading complex, enterprise-level strategic initiatives. Minimum of 3–5 years in a top-tier consulting firm; MBB preferred.
Experience within beauty, consumer products, prestige or luxury, retail, or another consumer-facing industry preferred.
Demonstrated experience developing enterprise-level strategies, leading complex cross-functional initiatives, and supporting senior executive decision-making within a large, matrixed, global organization.
Proven experience leading and developing high-performing teams.
Core Capabilities
- Enterprise mindset with exceptional strategic thinking and problem-solving capabilities
- Ability to frame ambiguous business questions, identify the critical issues, and translate complexity into clear strategic choices
- Strong business and financial acumen, including the ability to assess strategic alternatives, business trade-offs, and drivers of long-term value creation
- Ability to connect consumer, market, competitive, financial, and organizational insights into differentiated strategic perspectives
- Strong executive presence and judgment, with the ability to operate credibly with senior leaders
- Exceptional written, verbal, and executive storytelling capabilities
- Proven ability to influence without direct authority and build alignment across a highly matrixed global organization
- Ability to lead complex, high-visibility initiatives with significant organizational impact
- Strong people leadership, coaching, and talent development capabilities
- High learning agility and ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced, dynamic environment
Pay Range:
The anticipated base salary range for this position is $154,000.00 to $264,750.00. Exact salary depends on several factors such as experience, skills, education, and budget. Salary range may vary based on geographic location. In addition to base salary, this position is eligible for participation in a highly competitive bonus program as well as participation in the share incentive plan. In addition,
In addition to base salary, this position is eligible for participation in a highly competitive bonus program with the possibility for overachievement based on performance and company results. In addition, The Estée Lauder Companies offers a variety of benefits to eligible employees, including health insurance coverage (medical, dental, and vision insurance), wellness and family support programs, life and disability insurance, retirement savings plans, paid leave programs, education-related programs, paid holidays and vacation time, and many others. Many of these benefits are subsidized or fully paid for by the company.
Equal Opportunity Employer
It is Company's policy not to discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, age, sex or gender (including pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions), gender identity or gender expression (including transgender status), sexual orientation, marital status, military service and veteran status, physical or mental disability, protected medical condition as defined by applicable state or local law, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local laws and ordinances. The Company will endeavor to provide a reasonable accommodation consistent with the law to otherwise qualified employees and prospective employees with a disability and to employees and prospective employees with needs related to their religious observance or practices. Should you wish to apply for this position or any other position with the Company and you believe you require assistance to complete an application or participate in an interview, please contact USApplicantAccommodations@Estee.com.
Michigan Applicants: Persons with disabilities needing accommodations for employment must notify the company in writing of the need for an accommodation within 182 days after the date the person with a disability knew or reasonably should have known that an accommodation was needed.
Philadelphia Applicants: Philadelphia's Fair Chance Hiring Law
Rhode Island Applicants: The company is subject to chapters 29-38 of title 28 of the general laws of Rhode Island and is therefore covered by the state's workers' compensation law.
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