Manager, Strategy & Corp Development

James Hardie is the industry leader in exterior home and outdoor living solutions, with a portfolio that includes fiber cement, fiber gypsum, composite and PVC decking and railing products. Our family of trusted brands includes Hardie®, Timber Tech®, AZEK® Exteriors, Versatex®, fermacell®, and Stru Xure®. With over 8,000 employees and our U.S. operating entities headquartered in Chicago, we boast 31 operating sites, 6 recycling facilities, and 6 research and development centers globally.

Powered by a dynamic workforce, we’re united by our purpose of Building a Better Future for All™ through sustainable innovation, a Zero Harm culture, and a commitment to empowering our people and communities.

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The Manager, Strategy & Corporate Development is a key member of the newly formed strategy team, partnering with the organization leaders to drive growth and long-term value through world-class strategic execution. The Manager will lead high-impact strategic analyses and initiatives, support inorganic growth through M&A, and contribute to key transformation priorities — collaborating closely with corporate functions and business units to identify, evaluate, and pursue opportunities that enhance long-term value creation.

This position is ideal for a high-performing individual with experience in corporate strategy, management consulting, investment banking, or corporate finance who thrives in fast-paced environments, embraces ambiguity, and brings a proven ability to influence senior leaders and translate insights into action.

• Support enterprise-wide strategic initiatives — including corporate strategy, strategic planning, and portfolio strategy
• Build understanding of market trends, headwinds, tailwinds, risks, and competition; prioritize and weigh alternative courses of action to support senior decision-making
• Define, lead, and conduct analyses to assess the attractiveness of existing, adjacent, and white-space markets, customers, and growth vectors
• Synthesize findings and present recommendations clearly and effectively to senior leadership, translating strategic priorities into actionable roadmaps with clarity of vision and adherence to timelines
• Coordinate preparation and review of leadership meeting materials, executive strategy decks, scorecards, and strategic planning outputs
• Own and maintain internal strategy repositories, templates, and supporting materials

• Support end-to-end M&A processes, including target identification, evaluation, due diligence, deal execution, and integration planning
• Support the evaluation of acquisition opportunities through primary and secondary research, financial analysis, and assessment of strategic fit and value creation potential
• Identify new opportunities for inorganic growth (acquisitions, licensing, partnerships) and support development of relationships with external industry participants
• Assist with target screening, market mapping, and strategic fit assessments aligned with long‑term growth priorities
• Coordinate diligence efforts across internal functions and external advisors
• Support preparation of investment committee materials, board presentations, and transaction‑related communications
• Develop fact‑based, economically driven, outside‑in perspectives on new and adjacent market spaces; identify key market trends and value chain dynamics

• Support cross‑functional transformation programs and large‑scale change management initiatives across the global organization
• Independently manage strategic analyses, including scoping, planning, and conducting research to generate actionable insights for executive decision‑making
• Drive collaboration and consensus with business, sales, and operations leaders to support strategic decisions and execution against strategic plans; identify and drive linkages across functions
• Help ensure clarity of vision, adherence to timelines, and alignment of people and talent to key strategic activities

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Business, or a related field
• Minimu…