Director, Business Operations and Strategy

Gartner; Stamford (CT); On-site; USD 120,000 - 167,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work environment

Competitive compensation

401k match up to $7,200 per year

Stock purchase program

Generous PTO

Job summary

Gartner is seeking a Director, Strategic Initiatives – Conferences Strategy to lead two high-impact teams and partner with senior leaders across Conferences and Gartner. You will drive strategy, problem solving, and execution to accelerate growth and operational excellence in our Conferences portfolio.

The role requires 7–10+ years in strategy or consulting, a Bachelor's degree, and exceptional communication.

Qualifications

• 7–10+ years of progressive business experience, preferably in a strategy or consulting role.
• Exceptional problem-solving capability with data-driven decision making.
• Outstanding verbal and written communication, with executive-level facilitation.
• Strong relationships with senior leaders to drive consensus and influence.
• Execution-focused in a fast-paced environment, transitioning strategy to action.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Problem Solving: facilitate Strategy Meetings and Key Initiative Meetings to align stakeholders and deliver outcomes.
• Innovation & Intelligence: collect and translate market insights into strategic priorities for growth and innovation.
• Initiative Management: scope, prioritize, and track complex cross-functional initiatives with measurable impact.
• Lead two high-impact teams: direct Strategic Initiatives and Innovation & Intelligence teams with coaching and development.
• Stakeholder Management & Influence: build partnerships with senior leaders across functions and Gartner.
• Thought Partnership: advise VP and Global Leadership with insights and recommendations on critical priorities.
• Talent Development: coach and develop teams into effective problem solvers and future leaders.
• Travel: ability to travel up to 10%.

Skills

Strategic problem solving

Stakeholder management

Executive presence

Leadership

Communication

Data-driven insights

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

The Director, Strategic Initiatives – Conferences Strategy is a pivotal leadership role responsible for driving innovation, strategic problem-solving, and operational excellence across the Conferences business. This leader will oversee two critical teams focused on Strategic Initiatives and Innovation & Intelligence designed to advance the Conferences’ top priorities through structured problem-solving forums, including Strategy Meetings and Key Initiative Meetings.
About the team: The Conferences Strategy team is trusted advisors and strategic partners for the Conferences business. We work across all functions—including sales, marketing, product, and operations—as well as with key stakeholders throughout Gartner. Our mandate is to accelerate growth, solve complex operational challenges, and ensure our portfolio remains at the forefront of the industry.
Growth strategy – Leading the end-to-end conference launch process including roadmap planning, opportunity assessment, financial assessment and facilitating the decision-making process to support our overall growth priorities in close partnership with stakeholders across the business.
Strategic Initiatives – Enabling our growth strategy by problem-solving operational priorities required to scale the business with cross-functional leaders by leveraging our problem-solving forums—Strategy Meetings & Key Initiative Meetings.
Innovation & Intelligence – Analyzing competitive insights and market trends to uncover opportunities for innovation and adaptation, ensuring we stay ahead in any environment. By collaborating with leaders across corporate development, product, program, sales, and conferences leadership, we keep the organization informed and aligned on high-impact initiatives to strengthen our portfolio.
What you will do:

• Strategic Problem Solving: Serve as an “engagement manager,” facilitating Strategy Meetings and Key Initiative Meetings to align stakeholders, solve business challenges, and deliver actionable outcomes for the Conferences Business.
• Innovation & Intelligence: Guide the process to gather and synthesize competitive & market insights and translate insights into strategic priorities to support growth & innovation of the Conferences business.
• Initiative Management: Identify, scope, prioritize, and track all complex and cross-functional initiatives, ensuring timely delivery and measurable impact aligned with business needs.
• Lead two high-impact teams: Oversee the Strategic Initiatives and Innovation & Intelligence teams, providing clear direction, coaching, and development to foster a collaborative, high-performance culture.
• Stakeholder Management & Influence: Build trusted partnerships with senior leaders across Conferences functions (product, sales, marketing, operations) and broader Gartner, driving consensus and alignment through expert facilitation and communication.
• Thought Partnership: Act as a strategic advisor to the VP, Conferences Strategy and Global Leadership Team providing insights, recommendations, and support on the most critical business priorities.
• Talent Development: Coach, develop, and manage high impact teams, inspiring them to become effective problem solvers, storytellers, and future leaders of the organization.
• Travel: Ability to travel up to 10% of the time.

What we’re looking for:

• Experience: 7–10+ years of progressive business experience, preferably in a strategy or consulting role.
• Exceptional problem-solving capability: Proven track record in solving complex problems, thinking creatively, and using data to drive decisions.
• Purposeful Communication: Outstanding verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to deliver compelling presentations and facilitate executive-level discussions.
• Stakeholder Management & Influence: Demonstrated ability to build strong relationships with senior executives, drive consensus, and influence outcomes in a cross-functional environment.
• Execution Excellence: Operates with urgency and thrives in a dynamic, fast-paced setting. Demonstrates a relentless drive for results and the ability to move seamlessly from strategy to execution.
• Executive Presence: Poised, credible, and confident when engaging with senior leadership. Able to lead high-stakes conversations and drive alignment at the highest levels.
• Leadership: Experience leading cross-functional teams and initiatives, inspiring and developing talent, and fostering a collaborative, high-performance culture.
• Intellectual Curiosity & Passion: Eager to learn, grow, and proactively identify opportunities for impact across the business.
• Strong core values: Demonstrates integrity, collaboration, a no-limits mindset, objectivity, and consistent results using global best practices.
• Education: Bachelor's degree required

Who are we? At Gartner, Inc. (NYSE:IT), we guide the leaders who shape the world. Our mission relies on expert analysis and bold ideas to deliver actionable, objective business and technology insights, helping enterprise leaders and their teams succeed with their mission-critical priorities. Since our founding in 1979, we’ve grown to 20,000 associates globally who support over 13,000 client enterprises in ~90 countries and territories. We do important, interesting and substantive work that matters. That’s why we hire associates with the intellectual curiosity, energy and drive to want to make a difference. The bar is unapologetically high. So is the impact you can have here.
What makes Gartner a great place to work? Our vast, virtually untapped market potential offers limitless opportunities – opportunities that may not even exist right now – for you to grow professionally and flourish personally. How far you go is driven by your passion and performance. We hire remarkable people who collaborate and win as a team. Together, our singular, unifying goal is to deliver results for our clients. Our teams are inclusive and composed of individuals from different geographies, cultures, religions, ethnicities, races, genders, sexual orientations, abilities and generations. We invest in great leaders who bring out the best in you and the company, enabling us to multiply our impact and results. This is why, year after year, we are recognized worldwide as a great place to work.
Gartner is the world authority on AI At Gartner, you’ll join a company at the very center of the AI revolution. Gartner has proactive, objective guidance throughout clients’ AI journeys. We set the standard for how organizations leverage artificial intelligence to drive meaningful impact. You’ll have access to unmatched resources, expertise, and technology, and play a key role in helping Gartner and our clients innovate and grow as we leverage AI to transform business and technology landscapes. It’s an exciting time to be at Gartner, with limitless opportunities to make a real impact, grow your skills, and build a lasting, meaningful career in a field that’s reshaping the way we operate. If you’re passionate about AI and want to be part of a team that’s guiding the leaders who shape the world, Gartner is the place for you.
What do we offer? Gartner offers world-class benefits, highly competitive compensation and disproportionate rewards for top performers. In our hybrid work environment, we provide the flexibility and support for you to thrive — working virtually when it's productive to do so and getting together with colleagues in a vibrant community that is purposeful, engaging and inspiring. Ready to grow your career with Gartner? Join us. Gartner believes in fair and equitable pay. A reasonable estimate of the base salary range for this role is 120,000 USD - 167,000 USD. Please note that actual salaries may vary within the range, or be above or below the range, based on factors including, but not limited to, education, training, experience, professional achievement, business need, and location. In addition to base salary, employees will participate in either an annual bonus plan based on company and individual performance, or a role-based, uncapped sales incentive plan. Our talent acquisition team will provide the specific opportunity on our bonus or incentive programs to eligible candidates. We also offer market leading benefit programs including generous PTO, a 401k match up to $7,200 per year, the opportunity to purchase company stock at a discount, and more.
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