Senior Director, Strategy & Growth - Cheese

Gay Lea; Toronto; On-site; CAD 180,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

Gay Lea Foods seeks a Senior Director, Strategy & Growth to translate the company’s long-term ambitions into sustainable multi-year growth and value creation. The role steers the Cheese business strategy, builds an innovation pipeline, and leads cross-functional teams to deliver on financial commitments.

With an enterprise mindset, this executive aligns strategy, planning, and execution across Sales, Operations, Supply Chain, Procurement, R&D, Finance and Commercial Capabilities, while shaping

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business or related field.
• 10+ years in the CPG industry with at least 5 years in a leadership role and proven marketing experience.
• Willingness to travel as required.
• Hybrid work environment; minimum 3 days a week in office.
• Valid G driving license required.

Responsibilities

• Own the long-term strategy and growth agenda for the Cheese Business in alignment with the Company’s Strategic Plan.
• Develop and execute the Rolling 3-Year Strategic Roadmap.
• Translate market insights into strategic priorities, investments, and capabilities.
• Lead cross-functional programs to deliver business results and orchestrate enterprise alignment across functions.
• Lead marketing and brand leadership for the Cheese portfolio and ensure measurable business results.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Enterprise mindset

Cross-functional leadership

Change management

Education

Bachelor's degree in Business

Job description

Role Purpose

The Senior Director, Strategy & Growth is an enterprise-focused business leader responsible for translating Gay Lea Foods’ long-term strategic ambition into sustainable multi-year growth, profitability and value creation. The role contributes to the Enterprise 5-Year Strategic Plan, owns the Business’ Rolling 3-Year Strategic Roadmap and is accountable for the Annual Execution Plan.

Position Summary

With an enterprise mindset, the Senior Director, Strategy & Growth leads the Cheese business’ strategic agenda, ensuring clear visibility to priorities, sequenced initiatives, aligned resources and disciplined delivery against strategic and financial commitments.

The role leads the Cheese marketing organization and coordinates cross-functional resources to identify new sources of consumer demand, build a breakthrough innovation pipeline and recommend investments that shape the next phase of growth. It maintains a strong external orientation, grounded in consumers, customers, competitors, category dynamics and market trends.

This is an outcome-accountable leadership role focused on growing the business, not simply managing the portfolio. The role owns the 3-year roadmap, annual execution plan and business performance agenda, working through enterprise partners to mobilize the capabilities and resources required to deliver results.

Business Strategy & Growth Leadership

• Own the long-term strategy and growth agenda for the Cheese Business in alignment with the Company’s Strategic Plan.
• Develop and execute the Rolling 3-Year Strategic Roadmap.
• Translate market insights into strategic priorities, investments, and capabilities.
• Ensure alignment between strategy, financial plans, and enterprise initiatives.
• Lead key cross-functional strategic programs to deliver business results.

Enterprise Leadership & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Orchestrate and integrate the Cheese Business priorities across Sales, Operations, Supply Chain, Procurement, R&D, Finance and Commercial Capabilities.
• Build enterprise alignment around strategic priorities, sequenced initiatives and execution plans.
• Demonstrate enterprise thinking by understanding how business decisions impact milk utilization, manufacturing networks, capacity, by-product value streams, customers and overall enterprise performance.
• Foster strong working relationships to drive common outcomes and shared accountability.

Business Performance & P&L Accountability

• Accountable for Business performance including volume, revenue, profitability, market share, and strategic initiatives.
• Identify risks, opportunities, and performance gaps, leading corrective actions through enterprise governance and planning forums.
• Partner with Finance to evaluate performance drivers and optimize investment decisions. Stay informed on short-term performance and ensure it continues to support long-term strategic priorities and growth ambitions.
• Lead Quarterly Business Reviews and ensure alignment between strategy, IBP, and execution.

Marketing & Brand Leadership

• Provide leadership, coaching and development for the Cheese marketing team
• Build a culture of high-performance, accountability and high engagement.
• Ensure marketing investments deliver measurable business results and strengthen brand equity.
• Translate consumer, customer and market insights into strategic actions and growth opportunities.
• Champion a consumer-first and customer-focused culture across the organization.

Portfolio, Pricing & Innovation Leadership

• Own the Cheese portfolio strategy across brands, customers, and channels to drive sustainable growth and profitability.
• Lead where-to-play and how-to-win choices, including portfolio investment, optimization, rationalization, pack architecture, brand and channel priorities.
• Own the Cheese innovation strategy, pipeline, and prioritization process.
• Lead pricing strategy in partnership with Sales, Insights, and Finance.

Leadership Expectations and Qualifications

• Think(s) and acts with an enterprise mindset.
• Demonstrates strategic curiosity and external orientation.
• Leads through influence, collaboration and clear decision framing.
• Balances long-term vision with disciplined annual execution.
• Makes fact-based decisions using data, insights and financial analysis.
• Develops talent and future leaders.
• Creates alignment across diverse stakeholders.
• Challenges assumptions and drives continuous improvement.
• Focuses on outcomes, value creation and sustainable growth.
• Bachelor’s degree in Business or related field
• Minimum of 10 years of experience in the CPG industry, with at least 5 years in a leadership role and proven marketing experience
• Willingness to travel as required
• Hybrid work environment, minimum 3 days a week in office
• Valid G driving license required

Gay Lea Foods is a Canadian, dairy farmer owned co operative with a clear purpose: to enrich life with dairy. Founded in 1958, the co operative produces high quality dairy products while creating lasting value for farming families, meaningful opportunities for employees, and positive impact in communities across Canada. As a co operative, Gay Lea Foods believes that when the business succeeds, its members, people, and communities should succeed along with it. To learn more, visit gaylea.com.

Gay Lea Foods is an equal-opportunity employer and values diversity in our workplace.

Reasonable accommodation is available upon request throughout our recruitment and selection process.

Gay Lea Foods may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support aspects of the recruitment process, including screening and assessment.

We are currently accepting applications for this open position.

Thank you for your interest in Gay Lea Foods.

Wishing you all the best with your career search!