Strategy and Development Lead

Lyka; Sydney; Hybrid; AUD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

L&D budget

Parental leave (up to 18 weeks)

Wellbeing programs

Hybrid work in Sydney/Melbourne

Pet-friendly offices

Diversity & inclusion emphasis

Job summary

Lyka, an Australian pet wellness company, seeks a senior strategy leader to drive long-range planning with the VP of Strategy and founders. You will build the analytical backbone for major bets, shape market-sizing, benchmarking, and business cases, then translate insights into board-ready recommendations.

You’ll guide cross-functional execution, partner with Finance on financial models, and support growth initiatives as Lyka expands into new geographies and partnerships.

Qualifications

• 3+ years’ experience in strategy consulting, investment banking, private equity, or in-house strategy.
• Advanced financial modelling and scenario planning; excellent Excel and analytical craft.
• Ability to frame ambiguous problems into structured, decision-ready recommendations.
• Experience with market entry, geographic expansion or new channel launches.
• Confident communicator; able to influence at board/exec level and with delivery teams.

Responsibilities

• Shape Lyka’s longer-range strategy with the VP of Strategy and CEO/COO founders.
• Build the analytical backbone behind major portfolio bets: market sizing, scenario planning, benchmarking, and business case development.
• Translate long-range thinking into executive- and board-ready analysis and recommendations.
• Lead launch support as bets move from strategy to execution; plan milestones and cross-functional cadence.
• Partner with Finance to maintain Lyka’s long-range financial model and capital planning.

Skills

Strategy consulting

Investment banking

Private equity

Corporate development

Financial modelling

Advanced Excel

Executive communication

Education

Master's in Finance

Tools

Excel

PowerPoint

Job description

Who are we?

Lyka is an Australian founded pet wellness company that’s shaking up an outdated industry and paving the way for happier, healthier pets. Despite medical advancements, animal lifespans are on the decline. Today, the average pet only reaches 37% of their full potential lifespan and statistics have shown us that many suffer from dental disease, cancer, and obesity. Simply put, the status quo is not enough.

As humans, we’ve experienced firsthand the positive impact fresh wholefoods can have on our health and wellbeing, and we believe our furry friends deserve the same. We’re on a mission to do just that, starting with nutritionally balanced, wholefood meals delivered direct to doors around Australia. As the world’s most sustainable pet wellness company, we’re putting pets and our planet first - one bowl at a time.

Today, we are proud to share we’ve served over 100 million meals to puppers and their parents across Australia, and this is just the beginning. Our vision is to create multiple nutritional products, adding disease prevention meals and supplements, and expand into new markets.

Currently, we have a team of 250+ pet-obsessed people, and we’re continuing to grow (yes, looking at you!). These carefully selected people are dedicated to building the next generation of technology and products to help empower pet parents to take control over their pet’s wellbeing.

Our Mission

The time we share with our pets is being cut short. Despite medical advancements, they’re getting sicker earlier. They’re dying prematurely. The industry has it backwards - prioritising treating symptoms instead of addressing the root cause. That’s where we come in.

At Lyka, we take a preventative, holistic and personalised approach to pet care. We look at the full picture, factoring in the diet, lifestyle and environment of each individual animal.

We don’t stop at symptoms, instead we dig for the root cause. We create nutrition plans unique to each pet, because it’s not just about living longer, but living well too.

Our mission is to increase the lifespan of dogs and cats.

The Role

This role gives Lyka a rigorous, data-led view of where to place its biggest bets - and the hands-on capability to turn those calls into results. Partnering closely with the VP of Strategy and CEO/COO founders, you’ll build the analysis behind major strategic decisions (market sizing, scenario planning, business cases), then lead execution once approved.

What you’ll do:

• Partner directly with VP of Strategy, and the CEO/ COO founders to shape and pressure-test Lyka’s longer-range strategy

• Build the analytical backbone behind major portfolio bets - market sizing and prioritisation, scenario planning, competitor and comparable-company benchmarking, and business case development - to inform go/no-go and sequencing calls

• Translate long-range strategic thinking into clear, executive- and board-ready analysis and recommendations

• Lead launch support as an approved bet moves from strategy into execution. Examples could include standing up the plan, milestones and cross-functional cadence as Lyka enters a new geography, or sourcing, negotiating and mobilising new strategic partnerships

• Partner with Finance to maintain Lyka’s long-range financial model, including scenario planning around capital needs, timing and major assumptions

• Track progress of key strategic bets against milestones, surfacing risks, trade-offs and recommendations to leadership

• Support fundraising, M&A activity and IPO-readiness needs as they arise (e.g. benchmarking, data-room/diligence prep, positioning), in partnership with Finance and the exec team

• 3+ years’ experience in strategy consulting, investment banking, private equity, or in-house strategy, strategic finance or corporate development roles

• Advanced financial modelling and scenario-planning skills; excellent Excel and analytical craft

• Track record of framing ambiguous, 0-to-1 problems and turning them into structured, decision-ready recommendations

• Experience with (or strong interest in) new market entry, geographic expansion or new channel launches

• Confident, clear communicator - comfortable operating and influencing at board/exec level as well as with delivery teams

• Comfortable moving between “big picture” strategic thinking (multi-year, company-shaping bets) and hands‑on execution support

• Highly organised and self‑directed, able to manage multiple concurrent strategic priorities

• Proficient with, and curious about, emerging AI tools to accelerate analysis

• Passionate about Lyka’s mission to improve the healthspan of pets, with a connection to our vision of changing the status quo for pet wellness

• Work in a fast-growing start-up, experiencing what goes behind the scenes to sustain hyper-growth for a start-up with a physical product!

• Growth and Development - Lyka is growing extremely quickly, which means you will have the opportunity to experience different challenges every day and progressively acquire more responsibilities as our facility and team expands. We provide an annual L&D budget for you to continue your personal development.

• Work for a sustainability focused company - we care about the health of our dogs and our planet. We’re proud to be Australia’s only carbon-negative and plastic-negative pet company and we’re always looking at ways for us improve sustainability practices.

• Be part of a diverse top talent team, coming from widely different backgrounds and geographies.

• Up to 18 weeks of paid parental leave top‑up.

• Wellbeing assistance and tools to take care of your mental and physical wellbeing so you can do your best work.

• Hybrid working - 3 days per week in office. We have pet-friendly offices and industrial kitchens in Sydney and Melbourne. Onsite days are required during your onboarding.

• Pupper parent support to care for your furry friends - flexible arrangements for new pets, pet-friendly offices, discounts, and financial allowance for dog training & care to help them live their best life!

We are committed to building inclusive and diverse teams

Lyka is an equal opportunity employer devoted to providing a working environment that embraces and values diversity and inclusion.

We celebrate diversity, are devoted to creating an inclusive environment for all staff and encourage people of all backgrounds to apply. If you have any support or access requirements, we encourage you to advise us at the time of application.