Director, Business Planning and Innovation

Graybar Electric Company, Inc.; Chesterfield (MO); On-site; USD 125,000 - 150,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Employee stock ownership plan

Medical, dental, vision

Life Insurance

401(k) with company match

Paid vacation & sick days

Paid holidays

Educational reimbursement

Job summary

Graybar is seeking a Director of Business Planning and Innovation to advance strategic priorities across an executive’s area of responsibility. You will translate priorities into action, align leaders, improve decision making, and deliver measurable business results.

You will lead cross-functional initiatives from planning through implementation, develop business cases, manage risks, and communicate complex insights clearly.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.
• Preferred: PMP, Lean, Six Sigma, or related certification.
• Advanced degree.
• Experience supporting a senior executive or leadership team.
• Broad exposure across multiple business functions.
• Experience leading innovation or business change involving new technology, services, or operating models.
• Experience with enterprise systems, reporting tools, and project management tools.

Responsibilities

• Translate executive priorities into action plans with clear owners, timelines, and measures.
• Anticipate risks, address execution gaps, and oversee project management.
• Identify and evaluate opportunities for new ways of working, services, and business approaches.
• Develop business cases that assess expected value, feasibility, resource needs, and risks.
• Develop executive communications and organizational messaging that translate complex information into clear insights, recommendations, and actions.
• Collaborate with corporate communications, human resources and change management to ensure consistency in communications.
• Lead strategic and cross-functional initiatives from planning through implementation, aligning business units and corporate functions, resolving competing priorities and dependencies, managing risks, and delivering measurable results.

Skills

Strategy

Operations

Project management

Leadership

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent

Advanced degree

PMP/Lean/Six Sigma certification preferred

Tools

Enterprise systems

Reporting tools

Project management tools

Job description

Make a difference. The Director, Business Planning and Innovation will advance strategic priorities and innovation across an executive’s area of responsibility by translating priorities and ideas into action, aligning leaders, strengthening decision-making, and delivering measurable business results. Increase executive effectiveness while leading the evaluation, testing, and implementation of new approaches. In this role you will:

• Translate executive priorities into action plans with clear owners, timelines, and measures.
• Anticipate risks, address execution gaps, and oversee project management.
• Identify and evaluate opportunities for new ways of working, services, and business approaches.
• Develop business cases that assess expected value, feasibility, resource needs, and risks.
• Develop executive communications and organizational messaging that translate complex information into clear insights, recommendations, and actions.
• Collaborate with corporate communications, human resources and change management to ensure consistency in communications.
• Design and lead functional planning and review processes, including staff meetings, business reviews, and planning sessions, with focused agendas and pre-reads that align priorities, assess results, and support timely decisions.
• Establish accountability and follow-through by clarifying ownership, documenting decisions, tracking commitments through implementation, and escalating unresolved issues.
• Guide executive decisions by evaluating options, assessing risks and trade-offs, and recommending action.
• Clarify decision ownership, authority levels, and escalation paths.
• Represent the executive in designated forums, advancing priorities and exercising judgment within delegated authority.
• Analyze functional performance against strategic priorities, identify emerging trends and risks, and recommend actions to address gaps and improve results.
• Lead strategic and cross-functional initiatives from planning through implementation, aligning business units and corporate functions, resolving competing priorities and dependencies, managing risks, and delivering measurable results.
• Lead functional innovation efforts from concept through pilot and implementation within approved scope and resources.
• Establish success measures, test assumptions, and recommend whether to expand, refine, or stop based on results.
• Partner with pilot owners to support adoption and assess sustained business value.
• Identify and lead process improvements that simplify work, strengthen decision-making, and accelerate execution.
• Assess results against intended outcomes.
• Build trusted relationships across the organization to gain perspective, address critical and/or sensitive issues, and advance shared priorities with discretion and sound judgment.
• May lead other functional areas within a department, as assigned.

What you bring to the table:

• 7–10 years of experience in strategy, operations, project/program management, or related leadership roles
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience
• Preferred: PMP, Lean, Six Sigma, or related certification
• Advanced degree
• Experience supporting a senior executive or leadership team
• Broad exposure across multiple business functions
• Experience leading innovation or business change involving new technology, services, or operating models
• Experience with enterprise systems, reporting tools, and project management tools

Compensation Details:

The expected base salary for this position is $125,000 - $150,000 annually depending on experience.

The Value of Graybar:

At Graybar, we are known for our comprehensive benefits and our employee stock ownership plan!

• Multiple plan options for Medical, Dental, Vision, and Prescription Drug benefits.
• Life Insurance coverage for you and options for your family.
• Save on expenses with Flexible Spending Accounts.
• Enjoy our Disability Benefits at no cost to you.
• Share in our success with Profit Sharing Plans.
• 401(k) Savings Plan with company match to help secure your future.
• Paid Vacation & Sick Days to spend time away from work or in case of an illness.
• Rest and recharge during our Paid Holidays throughout the year.
• Take advantage of our Paid Wellness Day to focus on preventive care and prioritize your health.
• Volunteer with Community Time Off to give back to the community.
• Predictable Work Schedules to plan your life: no weekends or nights for most roles.
• Celebrate your and others' achievements with our Employee Recognition Program.
• Reach your career goals with our Educational Reimbursement and Career Development Programs.
• And More Perks that support your well-being and career growth.

Benefit eligibility may vary across locations and roles, so be sure to check in with your recruiter for more information.

Why should you join Graybar?

At Graybar, our employees are the heart and soul of our company. We believe that employees with diverse perspectives bring the ideas and innovative thinking we need to solve our biggest challenges and compete in an ever-changing world. Consistent with our values, we welcome people from all backgrounds, cultures and experiences into our company because we believe it’s the right thing to do and the right way to run our business. We want each of our employees to know that they matter and to feel a sense of belonging, ownership and inclusion at Graybar. We believe that everyone should be treated with dignity and respect, and we work to build a collaborative environment where our employees have the opportunity to grow, learn and make a difference, both as individuals and as part of the team. That’s what our employee ownership culture is all about: working as one team and moving forward together, while honoring the unique value each person brings to our company.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Vet/Disabled

Graybar, a Fortune 500 company, specializes in supply chain management services, and is a leading North American distributor of high quality components, equipment, and materials. We serve the construction market, the commercial, institutional, and government (CIG) market, and the industrial and utility markets. Graybar products and services support new construction, infrastructure updates, building renovation, facility maintenance, repair and operations, and original equipment manufacturing.