Senior Director, Strategic Initiatives

So what is the role all about? 

This role owns the execution of the highest-priority strategic programs at any given time — programs that don't fit neatly into a single function's scope, require cross-functional accountability, or carry CEO/COO-level visibility. It sits at the center of the TMO and operates in close partnership with the CEO, COO, and functional leadership. Where individual functions own their domain, this role owns the programs that cut across them — structuring ambiguous mandates into workable initiatives and driving them to a result. 

This is not a program management role. It is not a CoS role. It is a senior strategist and operator who can take an ambiguous mandate from the CEO or COO, structure it into a clear problem statement and workplan, align stakeholders with competing interests, and drive it to an outcome — repeatedly, across very different types of problems. Think of it as the TMO's internal consulting capacity: someone who can be deployed against the next critical problem without needing a new hire or scope definition every time the agenda shifts.

How will you make an impact? 

• Own the 1–3 highest-priority non-AI strategic initiatives at any given time, as defined by the CEO and COO — structuring vague mandates into clear problem statements, hypotheses, and workplans without being told how 

• Work alongside the AI Transformation lead on initiatives that require both AI deployment and broader strategic or operating model change 

• Drive accountability across functions and seniority levels without direct management authority — convening workstreams, aligning competing stakeholders, and holding the right people to the right outcomes 

• Move fluidly across problem types — org design one quarter, M&A integration planning the next, GTM strategy the one after — without losing rigor or credibility 

• Write and communicate at an executive level — recommendations that land with the CEO, CFO, or Chief People Officer, not just get presented to them 

• Actively shape the mandate as Year 1 priorities become clearer — this role should expect the agenda to shift and lean into that, not resist it  

Have you got what it takes? 

• 3–5 years at a top-tier management consulting firm (McKinsey, BCG, Bain, or equivalent) — the baseline for structured problem-solving, executive communication, and operating under ambiguity. The consulting background should be visible in how problems get framed, not just as a line on a resume. Substantive strategy and operating model work is a strong signal; years spent in process improvement are a weaker one 

• Meaningful industry experience after consulting, specifically within technology or software — the complexity and pace of a tech company is the most transferable context for what this role will encounter 

• Generalist depth across strategy, operating model design, M&A, GTM, cost transformation, or talent — not deep specialization in one domain. Candidates who have only ever done one type of work, however deeply, are a weaker fit 

• A track record of driving outcomes, not just running well-structured programs — knows the difference between a program that looks good in a status update and one that's actually delivering 

• Comfortable in front of senior stakeholders fast — can be in a room with a CFO or Chief People Officer on week two of a program and be taken seriously 
• Able to drive accountability across people they don't manage, including people senior to them in other functions — influence over mandate 

You will have an advantage if you also have: 

Experience inside a company navigating rapid growth, transformation, or a significant strategic shift — the best proxy for what this role will encounter 

A background that follows the ideal arc: management consulting (2–4 years, substantive strategy work) → strategy & operations, corporate strategy, or chief of staff role at a technology company → increasingly broad and complex mandates as a trusted generalist in a high-stakes environment where the agenda changes faster than org charts do 

What's in it for you? 

Join an ever-growing, market disrupting, global company where the teams — comprised of the best of the best — work in a fast-paced, collaborative, and creative environment. As the market leader, every day at NICE is a chance to learn and grow, and there are endless internal career opportunities across multiple roles, disciplines, domains, and locations. If you are passionate, innovative, and excited to constantly raise the bar, you may just be our next NICEr!