Job Description

We are seeking a dynamic and results-oriented Senior Corporate Strategy Manager to join our team at Advance Auto Parts. The primary purpose of the role is to support the development and execution of the company's growth and performance improvement strategy. This role will work closely with senior leaders to define our strategy and develop multi-year plans and initiatives to realize our strategic and financial ambition. This position offers the opportunity to be involved in high-impact projects across multiple areas, including mergers & acquisitions (M&A), market expansion, competitive analysis, and long-term corporate strategy. This is a high visibility role, with frequent exposure to executives across the enterprise, including the CEO.

A successful candidate for this role thrives in a fast-paced environment and excels at breaking down ambiguous problems into structured, actionable insights. They demonstrate curiosity by asking thoughtful questions and have a natural ability to frame complex business challenges. This person is a self-starter who can independently identify the right analysis needed, navigate limited or incomplete data, and dig deep to uncover meaningful trends. They are comfortable working without defined ownership of specific business units, juggle multiple projects seamlessly, and are resilient in the face of uncertainty. They embrace the iterative process of learning from mistakes and refining their approach to deliver valuable insights. Above all, they are skilled at deriving actionable business recommendations from data and effectively communicating findings across all levels of the organization.

What will you do?

• Strategy development: Use problem-solving skillset to assist in the creation of multi-year strategic plans to support corporate objectives and growth. Collaborate with senior leadership and cross-functional teams to identify and evaluate new opportunities and develop strategic initiatives as part of our strategic business planning process.

• Corporate Development: Lead or support due diligence, financial analysis, and integration activities for mergers, acquisitions, partnerships, and other strategic investments. Work with internal teams to define strategic rationale in alignment with overall corporate strategy. Evaluate potential targets, create investment memo, develop valuation models, and present recommendations to executive leaders and business owners.

• Market and Competitive Analysis: Independently conduct in-depth market research and competitive intelligence and effectively synthesize to build a common understanding of our environment and provide actionable insights and recommendations. Analyze industry trends, macroeconomic environment, customer behavior, and competitor strategies to help shape strategic decision-making.

• Cross-functional collaboration: Build support and buy-in necessary for the successful execution of our strategic priorities. Partner with Transformation team and business leaders in support of strategic initiatives to ensure alignment to and delivery of strategic priorities. Maintain comprehensive understanding of the enterprise and functional areas. Be able to talk to explain business insights to all level of the business = including why and how the analysis was done, what does the data say about the topic at hand, and recommendations on how to move forward

• Analytical Problem Solving: Approach open-ended questions with a structured, hypothesis-driven mindset. Frame ambiguous business challenges, ask the right questions, and define the critical analyses needed to address them. Distill large, complex, and raw datasets into clear trends and actionable insights that drive business decisions.

Qualifications:

• Understands the fundamentals of financial performance (e.g., P&L drivers), collaborates effectively with finance partners, and knows when and how to apply statistical modeling or advanced analytical tools to test hypotheses.
• Adept at explaining not just the outcomes of analyses but also the 'why' and 'how,' ensuring alignment and understanding across all stakeholders, from executives to frontline teams.
• Exceptional analytical, problem-solving, and strategic thinking ability, including the ability to frame ambiguous problems, structure analyses to test hypotheses, take the lead on the analysis, and formulate specific recommendations for action
• Strong written and presentation skills to facilitate decision making and drive action
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to develop and manage relationships with cross-functional stakeholders
• Strong understanding of corporate finance, financial modelling, and valuation techniques
• Ability to build and maintain financial models to evaluate potential business opportunities, including investments, acquisitions, and joint ventures
• Knowledge of retail, distribution, and / or automotive aftermarket industry
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, especially Excel and PowerPoint. Familiarity with data analysis tools (SQL) is a plus.

Certifications, Experience, and Education:

• Experience: Minimum of 6 years of experience in corporate strategy, corporate development, management consulting, investment banking or related field, ideally within a retail or consumer-focused organization
• Education: Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Finance, Economics, or other relevant fields. MBA or relevant graduate degree preferred. Finance and consulting background preferred.

Location & Work Availability:

This position is Hybrid (4 days in office, 1 day remote), based at our corporate headquarters in Raleigh, North Carolina.

Benefits Summary:

We believe in supporting our Team Members and those they love through comprehensive health & wellness benefits. Learn more here: https://jobs.advanceautoparts.com/us/en/benefits