Director of Strategic Initiatives & PMO

Description

Job Summary:

The Director, Strategic Initiatives & PMO will serve as a trusted advisor and strategic partner to the COO, driving the execution of high-impact initiatives that enhance profitability through operational efficiencies, scalable processes and growth strategies. This role combines responsibilities with leadership of the Project Management Office (PMO), ensuring alignment between strategic priorities and operational execution across the organization.

Acting as head of PMO, this role ensures alignment across functions, translates strategy into actionable plans, and drives disciplined execution with clear accountability, measurable outcomes, and sustained results.

Essential Functions and Responsibilities:

Strategic Execution & PMO Leadership

• Lead the PMO function, establishing governance and best practices for project delivery across the department.
• Translate strategy into actionable programs and projects with defined scope, milestones, KPI’s and ownership.
• Monitor and report on progress of strategic initiatives, providing insights and recommendations to senior leadership to ensure on-time and on-budget execution.

Operational Efficiency & Growth Initiatives

• Identify and implement operational improvements that drive cost savings and EBITA improvement.
• Partner with business units to develop and execute growth initiatives, including new service offerings and process optimization.
• Drive cross-functional collaboration to eliminate bottlenecks and accelerate execution.
• Partner with Finance to quantify financial impact, track ROI, and ensure initiatives deliver measurable profitability improvements.

Executive Advisory & Communication

• Serve as a liaison ensuring clarity of priorities and alignment of resources.
• Prepare executive-level presentations, dashboards, and reports to communicate progress and impact of strategic initiatives.
• Facilitate decision-making by providing data-driven insights and scenario analyses.

Leadership & Change Management

• Foster a culture of accountability and continuous improvement.
• Influence without authority to align leaders and teams around shared goals.
• Champion change management efforts to ensure successful adoption of new processes and initiatives.
• Mentor and develop talent across the organization.

Requirements

Expectations:

• Deliver measurable impact: Ensure strategic initiatives result in tangible improvements in profitability, cost optimization, and revenue growth.
• Maintain alignment: Keep company priorities synchronized across departments, ensuring resources are allocated effectively and projects stay on track.
• Drive accountability: Establish clear ownership for initiatives and hold teams accountable for milestones and outcomes.
• Communicate with clarity: Provide timely, transparent updates to leadership and stakeholders, highlighting risks, dependencies, and successes.
• Champion agility: Adapt plans quickly in response to changing business conditions while maintaining focus on long-term objectives.
• Foster collaboration: Build strong relationships across all levels of the organization to accelerate execution.
• Lead by example: Model a culture of operational excellence, strategic thinking, and continuous improvement.
• Ensure governance: Uphold PMO standards for project management, risk mitigation, and compliance throughout all initiatives.

• Bachelor’s degree in business or related field.
• 10+ years of experience in strategy execution, project management, or operations leadership.
• Proven track record of driving complex cross-functional initiatives that delivered measurable financial impact.
• Strong leadership, communication, and stakeholder management skills.
• Expertise in project management methodologies.
• Executive-level communication skills, with the ability to synthesize complexity into clear recommendations.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment and manage multiple priorities effectively.

Job Environment:

Location: Based out of Lawrence, MA.

Travel: Required to drive frequently to multiple convenience store locations across Maine, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire.

Work

Conditions:

• Frequent travel between sites in varying weather conditions.
• Work performed in both…