This is a pivotal leadership role designed to propel key initiatives forward and accelerate the Research & Innovation (R&I) organization toward its future vision. The Chief of Staff will act as a strategic partner to the CRIO and the Executive team, elevating the effectiveness of R&I leadership for the benefit of the broader business. This position requires a highly resourceful individual with strong emotional intelligence, analytical rigor, and the ability to stay several steps ahead of the executive team.

Core Responsibilities

Strategic Planning & Performance Management

• Annual & Long-Term Planning: Lead the annual and long-term strategic planning process to align with broader enterprise strategies.
• Performance Dashboards: Partner with the data science team to build automated, consistent dashboards that track R&I performance measures and critical metrics.
• Data Validation: Identify and validate data sources in partnership with key leaders to ensure accuracy in exception reporting and trend analysis.
• Decision Support: Develop measures to add rigor to decision-making, helping leaders determine where R&I should spend time for the greatest impact.

Executive Advisory & Representation

• Right-Hand Advisor: Serve as a confidant and sounding board for the CRIO, offering objective, enterprise-wide perspectives without specific "turf" considerations.
• Executive Representation: Represent the CRIO in critical meetings, articulating their viewpoints and decisions while managing their agenda to maximize efficiency.
• Succession & Objectives: Advise the Head of R&I and project manage annual objectives to ensure all groups within the organization are successful.

Governance & Operating Model

• Leadership Forums: Drive agendas and content for R&I Leadership Team (LT) meetings and Townhalls, ensuring a focus on both strategic priorities and tactical updates.
• Meeting Management: Facilitate team communication, manage follow-ups on project metrics, and partner with EA support to maintain an accessible framework for prep materials and minutes.
• Way of Working: Implement standards for the division, such as email protocols (e.g., clear subject lines like "Decision Needed" or "Seeking Approval") to facilitate faster information assimilation.
• Prioritization: Challenge the leadership group on "go vs. no-go" initiatives, tracking deferred projects for future consideration.

Communications & Engagement

• Strategic Framework: Develop a communications cadence for engaging the broader team through town halls, recorded videos, and site visits.
• Executive Presence: Consolidate weekly reporting for the executive committee and partner with the CRIO on quarterly board documents and external communications.
• Culture & Engagement: Assess employee engagement survey results and sponsor action teams to drive meaningful change in organizational culture.

Strategic Transformation & Catalytic Leadership

• Agile Innovation Catalyst: Drive a cultural shift toward agile innovation and experimentation, championing a "test & learn/fail fast" mentality to accelerate speed-to-market.
• Organizational Transformation: Lead one or more high-priority strategic projects in direct partnership with senior leadership to fundamentally transform organizational capabilities.
• Cross-Functional Leadership: Work across the North America R&I Leadership team by partnering with other function leads towards the seamless execution of key organizational goals and collective success.
• Best-in-Class Talent Development: Create a superior team of associates by modeling and coaching high-level leadership behaviors and setting modern standards for excellence.
• Cross-Technical Synergy: Strengthen cross-technical collaboration and knowledge sharing to break down silos and leverage the full scale of the North America R&I expertise.
• Strategic Influence: Act as a change agent to influence and strengthen the R&I teams, ensuring the division is viewed as a high-impact, indispensable driver of enterprise growth.

Success Factors

• Professionalism: High level of executive presence, professionalism, and absolute respect for confidentiality.
• Analytical Thinking: Ability to rapidly assimilate complex data and present it in a consumable, articulated form.
• Collaboration: Strong alignment with data science, business operations, and leadership teams across the global and local organization.
• Adaptability: Proficiency in navigating fast-paced, complex environments while maintaining extreme attention to detail.

The salary range for this position is $149,000-214,000 USD. The exact salary offered will depend on several factors, including the candidate’s relevant experience, geographic location, internal equity, and market conditions.  Danone North America additionally offers a performance-based bonus and has a strong benefits package including Medical, Dental, Vision, Prescription Drug Coverage, 401k Plan, Wellness Program, Life Insurance, Tuition Reimbursement, Flexible Time Off, and Paid Parental Bonding Leave, among other benefit plan options. To give our employees flexibility, Danone is a hybrid work environment.

This role is considered a “hybrid” position that allows for flexible work, meaning it is a role where collaboration with key stakeholders in Danone Hubs occurs. While you may have the option to work from home on a schedule as agreed to with your supervisor, you are also expected to regularly report to your assigned office location at least 3 days per week.

Qualifications:

• Educational Background: Bachelor's degree in Business or related degrees; advanced degree preferred.
• Professional Experience: Minimum of 10 years of leadership experience, ideally within a large consumer packaged goods company or consulting firm.  Prior management consulting, internal consulting, or advisory experience with demonstrated success solving complex business challenges and influencing stakeholders strongly preferred.
• Strategic Collaboration: Proven ability to serve as a strategic partner to senior leadership, with experience in strategic workforce planning, performance management frameworks, and the development of metrics to measure business impact and drive data-informed decision making.
• Analytical Thinker: Ability to rapidly assimilate vital information and articulate appropriate responses in both written and oral communication.
• Dynamic Environment: Proficiency in navigating complex, fast-paced environments and coordinating with numerous stakeholders.
• Stakeholder Management: Demonstrable emotional intelligence and the ability to foster relationships within large organizations.
• Adaptability: Ability to acclimate to varying environments and effectively engage with individuals across all hierarchical levels.
• Project Management: Exceptional organizational and project management skills, with a keen attention to detail.

Life at Danone

With approximately 5,000 employees and 13 production locations across the U.S., our vibrant culture and endless growth opportunities are just a couple of the reasons our employees call themselves “Proud Danoners.” 

Learn more about Life at Danone

Our Brands

When you join us, you’ll work with some of the best-known food and beverage brands in the world, including Activia®, DanActive®, Danimals®, Dannon®, evian®, Follow Your Heart®, Happy Family® Organics, International Delight®, Light + Fit®, Nutricia ®, Oikos®, Silk®, So Delicious® Dairy Free, STōK® Cold Brew Coffee ®, Too Good & Co™, and YoCrunch®.

Our Purpose

We’re committed to making a positive impact on our world. Rooted in our mission to bring health through food to as many people as possible, we’re proud to be the world’s largest B Corp.

Learn more about our mission.

Our Benefits

Our commitment to making the world healthier starts with our employees. 

• Physical Wellbeing: We pay for the majority of your medical benefits – which include medical, dental and vision – with our competitive 80%/20% cost-sharing model.
• Mental Wellbeing: Danoners receive fitness discounts, unlimited flexible time off and hybrid work schedules. We also have a range of programs that support mental health and substance abuse.  
• Financial Support: We offer a performance-based bonus, a 401(k) plan, tuition reimbursement, employee discount programs and voluntary perks.
• Family Care: We offer caretaker benefits, 18 weeks of parental bonding, fertility, surrogacy, adoption benefits and pet insurance.

Learn more about our benefits.

Equal Opportunity Employer
Danone North America is proud to be an Equal Opportunity employer. It is our policy to give equal employment opportunities to all qualified persons without regard to legally protected characteristics, or any other consideration made unlawful by applicable federal, state/provincial and/or local law. For our EEO policy statement and your EEO rights under law click here.

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