Senior Director of Strategy

About Ascend Wellness Holdings

Ascend Wellness Holdings (AWH) is a leading vertically integrated multi‑state cannabis operator focused on building strong brands, delivering best‑in‑class retail experiences, and operating with discipline  we grow, we invest in systems, processes, and leadership to run a complex regulated business with consistency, speed, and accountability.

Why This Role & Why Now

This is a role for someone who wants to leave their fingerprints on an organization. The Senior Director of Strategy will help write the operational playbook Ascend will follow for years to come, defining how we plan, execute, measure, and continuously improve across the enterprise. This opportunity is for someone who feels they haven’t yet tested their full potential and wants to be rewarded for the results they create.

You will have the authority and latitude to solve unstructured, high‑impact problems, shape executive decision‑making, and translate strategy into durable business outcomes.

The Senior Director of Strategy is a senior enterprise leader responsible for shaping, driving, and embedding operational strategy across Ascend’s vertically integrated platform. This role serves as a strategic extension of executive leadership and owns initiatives that materially improve performance, scalability, and profitability.

• Lead development of enterprise‑wide operational strategies aligned with Ascend’s long‑term growth objectives
• Design and evolve operating models, planning processes, and execution frameworks
• Translate strategy into clear priorities, roadmaps, and measurable outcomes

• Build and oversee KPI frameworks, dashboards, and management reporting used by executive leadership
• Identify performance gaps and improvement opportunities across cultivation, manufacturing, retail, supply chain, and corporate operations
• Use data‑driven insights to inform decision‑making and resource allocation

• Build analytical frameworks, including decision trees and routing matrices, to support complex operational and commercial decision‑making
• Lead key strategic initiatives, including COGs reduction efforts and supply chain continuity initiatives
• Bridge Operations and Commercial teams, including partnership on new product development and stage‑gate processes to ensure disciplined execution and value realization

• Serve as a trusted thought partner to senior and executive leadership
• Lead large‑scale, cross‑functional initiatives without direct authority
• Drive alignment across teams around shared goals, metrics, and execution rhythms

• Lead initiatives focused on efficiency, scalability, cost structure, and consistency
• Own ambiguous, high‑impact problems that lack predefined solutions
• Drive initiatives such as process standardization, organizational design, footprint optimization, and readiness for new capabilities or markets

• A clearly defined, scalable operational playbook adopted across the enterprise
• Improved visibility into performance and faster, higher‑quality decision‑making
• Measurable improvements in execution consistency, efficiency, and profitability
• Strong alignment between strategy, planning, and day‑to‑day operations
• Tangible business results directly tied to initiatives you lead

• MBA required from a top‑tier, nationally or globally recognized business school
• 4‑6+ years of progressive experience in operations strategy, management consulting, or senior operational leadership roles
• Experience in top‑tier or well‑regarded strategy consulting firms (e.g., MBB or Tier‑2) or equivalent internal strategy roles strongly preferred
• Proven track record of leading complex, cross‑functional, enterprise‑level initiatives with measurable results
• Understanding of P&L management, including methods for controlling and reducing COGs
• Exceptional analytical rigor and ability to translate complexity into clear, actionable recommendations
• Strong presentation development skills, including analyzing data…