Strategy & Operations Director

Career Guide

Leads company-wide planning and execution by turning strategy into operating plans, metrics, and cross-functional initiatives. Owns annual planning, OKRs, business reviews, and process improvement to drive growth, efficiency, and accountability.

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Key Responsibilities

Lead annual and quarterly planning, budgeting, and OKR setting
Develop business cases and financial models for strategic initiatives
Build KPI dashboards and run cadence of business reviews
Drive cross-functional programs from scoping through execution
Identify and improve core processes and operating model
Partner with executives on portfolio prioritization and resourcing
Manage and mentor strategy & operations team members

Career Progression

Can Lead To

Senior Director/VP, Strategy & Operations

Head of Business Operations (BizOps)

Chief Operating Officer (COO)

Transition Opportunities

Program Management Office (PMO) Director

Corporate Strategy Director

Revenue Operations Leader

General Manager / Business Unit Director

Common Skill Gaps

Often Missing Skills

Financial modeling and forecastingKPI/OKR design and performance managementSQL and BI tools for analytics (Tableau/Power BI)Enterprise change management

Development SuggestionsComplete a financial modeling course (e.g., CFI) and build a 3‑statement model; take an intermediate SQL + Tableau course and publish a KPI dashboard; pilot an OKR rollout for a team and document change plan using ADKAR.

Market Intelligence Report

Strategy & Operations Director is part of the Business Operations category.Explore our market intelligence report to see how AI and hiring demand are shifting for these roles.

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Salary & Demand

Median Salary Range

Entry Level$130,000–$170,000

Mid Level$160,000–$210,000

Senior Level$200,000–$260,000

Growth Trend

stable

Companies Hiring

Major Employers

GoogleAmazonSalesforce

Industry Sectors

TechnologyHealthcareFinancial ServicesConsumer & RetailProfessional Services (Consulting)

Recommended Next Steps

Build a portfolio: one strategic memo with business case, one KPI dashboard, and an OKR rollout plan based on a real or volunteer project.

Earn a recognized credential aligned to gaps: CFI FMVA (finance) or Prosci Change Management; optionally Lean Six Sigma Green/Black Belt.

Network with BizOps/Strategy leaders; request reverse‑shadowing during quarterly planning and volunteer to run a cross‑functional program to gain end‑to‑end execution experience.