Job Overview:
The Senior Vice President, Investor Relations & Corporate Development leads UNFI's investor relations strategy and serves as the primary liaison to the investment community. This role is responsible for shaping and communicating the company's investment narrative, providing strategic insights to senior leadership, and driving engagement with investors and analysts. The SVP oversees earnings communications, investor outreach, and shareholder targeting initiatives while serving as a trusted advisor to the CEO, CFO, and leadership team on market perception, investor sentiment, and capital markets strategy.
In addition to leading investor relations, the SVP partners closely with the CEO, CFO, and executive leadership team to evaluate strategic growth opportunities, including mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, strategic partnerships, and portfolio optimization initiatives. The role provides leadership on capital markets strategy, shareholder engagement, capital allocation priorities, and enterprise value creation, ensuring alignment between UNFI's strategic objectives and investor expectations.
Job Responsibilities:
• Lead a best-in-class IR function:
o Continue to build and evolve the Investor Relations function into a highly strategic capability, aligned with best-in-class public company practices.
o Bring new ideas and innovative approaches to how UNFI engages with investors and communicates its equity story.
o Design, articulate, and execute a comprehensive IR strategy, including messaging, investor engagement plans, earnings communications, and investor events.
o Establish metrics to evaluate the effectiveness of the IR program, including analyst coverage, quality of research, shareholder composition, and valuation relative to peers.
• Manage relationships with external constituents:
o Develop strong, credible relationships with buy-side and sell-side investors and analysts, ensuring consistent, transparent, and proactive communication.
o Actively monitor and shape UNFI's shareholder base through targeted engagement strategies.
o Serve as a primary point of contact for the investment community, delivering clear and timely insights into company performance and strategy.
• Coordinate and lead key investor events:
o Lead planning and execution of quarterly earnings, investor days, roadshows, and conference participation.
o Identify opportunities to enhance investor understanding of UNFI's strategy, transformation progress, and long-term value creation.
o Ensure effective coordination between senior leadership and the investment community.
• Drive strategic communications and messaging:
o Develop a deep understanding of UNFI's business model, financial drivers, and transformation initiatives.
o Lead the development of investor materials, earnings scripts, Q&A preparation, and other key communications.
o Ensure consistency and clarity across all external messaging.
• Drive Corporate Development and Enterprise Value Creation:
o Partner with the CEO, CFO, and Board to evaluate strategic growth opportunities, including mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, joint ventures, and strategic partnerships.
o Lead financial and strategic assessment of potential transactions, including valuation, market positioning, synergy opportunities, and shareholder impact.
o Partner with executive leadership to articulate UNFI's capital allocation framework and long-term value creation strategy to investors and stakeholders.
o Support integration and value realization communications following strategic transactions.
• Partner with UNFI's Senior Leadership Team:
o Serve as a trusted advisor to the CEO, CFO, and executive team on investor sentiment and market dynamics.
o Provide insights on how strategic decisions may be perceived by investors and recommend effective communication strategies.
o Deliver regular updates to leadership and the Board on investor feedback, shareholder trends, and market positioning.
Performs other duties as assigned.
Job Requirements:
Education/ Certifications:
• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Finance, Economics, or a related field
• MBA or advanced degree preferred.
Experience:
• Minimum of 15+ years of progressive experience in investor relations, corporate development, investment banking, or a related field.
• 7+ years in executive-level leadership positions with enterprise-wide strategic influence.
• Significant experience leading investor relations at a public company, with a strong track record of managing investor communications and engagement.
• Experience in industries such as consumer goods, food distribution, retail, or industrial sectors is strongly preferred.
• Prior experience on the sell-side is advantageous but not required.
• Demonstrated experience supporting companies through periods of transformation, including communicating evolving strategies and financial narratives.
Knowledge/Skills/ Abilities
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills
• Excellent communication and presentation abilities
• Proven track record of driving strategic initiatives.
• Visionary thinker with a strategic mindset.
• Strong business acumen and understanding of market dynamics.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
• High level of integrity and professionalism.
Work Environment:
Remote Role:
• This position is classified as remote where the associate will perform remote work from their primary residence. Remote associates are welcome to work from the office but are not required to do so. While remote associates are not required to work from an office on a regular basis, they may be required to come to the office or other UNFI locations for necessary business reasons or if directed to do so by their manager.
Travel (minor):
• This position may require the associate to travel to company offices, distribution centers, or other locations for specific meetings or other business reasons.
Compensation:
UNFI anticipates paying the above-referenced pay rate (or within the above-referenced pay range) for this position. Actual Pay, where applicable, will depend on a number of factors, including, but not limited to, education, experience, training, and any requirements under applicable collective bargaining agreements. UNFI is committed to transparency in pay in compliance with applicable state and local laws.
Benefits:
For Washington positions (or positions that may be performed remotely from Washington), https://www.unfi.com/jobs-more-info-wa.html for Washington-specific paid time off details.
Candidates hired into this position will also be eligible to participate in the following benefits programs: Paid Time Off; Sick Time; paid holidays and parental leave; 401K Program; medical, dental, vision, life, and accidental death/dismemberment insurance; short-term and long-term disability insurance program, Flexible Spending Account and/or Health Savings Account, subject to meeting the eligibility requirements and the terms and conditions of these programs, and subject to any requirements under applicable collective bargaining agreements.
UNFI's compensation, benefits, and paid time off policies are subject to change in the Company's sole discretion, consistent with applicable law. This job posting should not be construed as an offer of employment with certain terms, nor should it be construed as a guaranteed minimum.
