Chief Strategy Officer - Retail

Position CSO - Location Kinshasa (DRC) - up to 5000 USD per month

Reporting to Reporting to the SBU Head/GM, the CSO will be responsible to effectively implement and manage planning, business performance, strategic initiatives to ensure Company's success.

Position Objective & Responsibilities :

- Partner with Company's executive leadership to formulate and articulate strategic vision and business priorities, including review of the competitive environment and prioritization of financial/non-financial resources

- Develop strategy and key growth initiatives, with the support of other stakeholders, necessary to realize the strategic vision and build sustainable competitive advantage

- Act as a trusted advisor by providing value-added strategic insight, counsel, and management support Company's & Corporate Office's executive leadership

- Drive alignment around strategic plan, including Business Strategic Outlooks, Channel Strategic Plans, Annual Operating Plans, and other key activities

- Provide strategic oversight of business performance, customer analytics, including benchmarking, KPIs, competitor analysis, and execution monitoring, to ensure delivery of established business objectives

- Conduct strategic reviews of businesses, products, segments, and operations to identify opportunities and issues and recommend solutions that improve long term competitiveness

- Complete regular market, industry, and competitor analysis to support strategic planning

- Lead and implement strategic, cross-business projects, initiatives and processes, based on the LEAN/AGILE framework, that underpin the strategic direction of the business and operations

- Support identification, assessment and management of strategic partnerships, joint venture, acquisition, and/or disposal opportunities which support the strategic direction of the business, as required

- Optimize and lead, with appropriate processes and approvals, a disciplined proposal and offer management.

Leadership & Teamwork :

- Role is influence-based, placing an emphasis on working effectively with others in a leadership role through indirect influence and collaboration

- As required, lead working teams and develop both partners and team members through candor, communication, and coaching

- The job holder has substantial autonomy and authority and ensures that tough questions are raised and answered in a constructive environment focused on business success.

- Define and implement leadership governance, processes and frameworks

- Establish program-level routines that track these milestones and objectives, communicate progress, and help identify issues early without adding undue burdens or usurping the businesses and functions executing the work.

- Support senior managers on new processes that need to be implemented or existing processes that need to be changed to deliver against key milestones or metrics.

- Work with other internal resources to provide organization-wide understanding of and support for the capabilities required to deliver on strategic change initiatives. Actively consult with senior managers to build organization-wide support for and commitment to strategic initiative implementation and change management as a real competitive differentiator

- Manage, coach and grow highly skilled team members to ensure business, departmental and personal objectives are realized

Impact on the Business:

- Develop, maintain, and enhance business strategy in partnership and collaboration with key business stakeholders, including identifying key opportunities and threats, developing strategic initiatives, and facilitating a disciplined strategic planning process

- Support executive management, in particular the GM, as a strategic advisor to help ensure successful execution of business strategy, including:

- Track and evaluate business performance against financial targets, performance milestones, and external benchmarks

- Provide insight about business performance and outlook through routine strategic reviews of operations, competitors, and markets

- Serve as an independent voice in governance forums to support successful execution through critical challenge and holding leaders accountable to commitments

- Provide active guidance and input to business teams to support disciplined planning and execution of key initiatives and activities

- Work behind scenes to foster alignment and effective collaboration between businesses, functions, and operations at all levels

- Act as a center of excellence for strategic planning and decision-making embedded within businesses

- Become a trusted advisor to key business stakeholders and embed as a value-added contributor in key business governance forums

- Lead disciplined bid management practices

Qualification : MBA

Experience :

- Minimum of 10 years proven and progressive business, operational, and/or strategy management experience, relevant industry experience across the following areas: Strategic Planning, Product Management, Sales, Sales Operations, Marketing

Key Competencies :

- Self-starter, motivated and takes initiative;

- Strong interpersonal and problem-solving skills;

- Able to work collaboratively with all levels of staff to resolve problems and external partners to maximize performance, creativity, problem solving and results.

- Seek, learn, and apply new skills/knowledge to perform job responsibilities.

- Attentive to detail with a high level of accuracy; exercise sound judgment and strong project management skills.

- Resourceful, diplomatic and professional;

- Deliver outstanding customer service while managing relationships;

- A can-do attitude and work style that supports teamwork and lead teams when necessary, collaboration and positive relationships.

- Adaptable, be able to shift priorities and focus as departmental and/or business demands change including, but not limited to early/late hours and/or weekend hours.

- Strong analytical skills and organized; completes tasks ahead of schedule.

- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including excellent listening skills and presentation skills to communicate clearly, concisely and effectively.

Requirements :

- Knowledge of profit and loss, balance sheet and cash flow management and general finance and budgeting.

- Ability to build consensus and relationships among executives, partners, and the workforce.

- Understanding of human resources and personnel management.

- Experience with corporate governance.

- Proven negotiation skills.

- Ability to understand new issues quickly and make wise decisions.

- Ability to inspire confidence and create trust.

- Ability to work under pressure, plan personal workload effectively and delegate.