Sr Dir Corporate Strategy

UKG (Ultimate Kronos Group); Bismarck (ND); On-site; USD 207,000 - 296,000; Full time

Job summary

UKG is seeking a Senior Director, Corporate Strategy to lead high-impact, enterprise-wide initiatives. You will report to the Chief Strategy Officer and partner with executives across a $5B+ global business to frame questions, shape decisions, and drive activation.

You will own strategy development, analytics, and communication, guiding cross-functional teams and influencing outcomes that strengthen UKG’s competitive position and long-term value.

Qualifications

• 12+ years of experience in Corporate Strategy or related field.
• Experience in enterprise software, SaaS, HCM, AI-enabled software, or adjacent tech markets.
• Proven ability to advise C-suite or senior executives on complex, cross-functional decisions.
• Demonstrated ownership of major strategy engagements from problem definition to activation.

Responsibilities

• Shape UKG's enterprise strategy and multi-year agenda.
• Serve as trusted advisor to Executive Committee and leaders.
• Lead cross-functional strategy engagements across market entry, product strategy, and operating model.
• Identify and activate opportunities to accelerate growth and improve margins.
• Set analytical approach for complex questions including market sizing and business cases.
• Build coalitions across functions to move from recommendation to execution.
• Distill issues into compelling narratives for board or executives.
• Represent Corporate Strategy in external industry and customer forums.

Skills

Executive communication

Strategic leadership

Cross-functional leadership

Analytical thinking

Financial modeling

Market sizing

Problem solving

SaaS/Enterprise software

Ambiguity tolerance

Team leadership

C-suite advisory

Negotiation

Education

MBA or relevant graduate degree

Job description

Why UKG:

At UKG, the work you do matters. The code you ship, the decisions you make, and the care you show a customer all add up to real impact. Today, tens of millions of workers start and end their days with our workforce operating platform. Helping people get paid, grow in their careers, and shape the future of their industries. That’s what we do.

We never stop learning. We never stop challenging the norm. We push for better, and we celebrate the wins along the way. Here, you’ll get flexibility that’s real, benefits you can count on, and a team that succeeds together. Because at UKG, your work matters—and so do you.

Key Responsibilities

As Senior Director, Corporate Strategy, you will be a senior leader on the Corporate Strategy team reporting directly to UKG’s Chief Strategy Officer and a trusted advisor to executives across a $5B+ global business. You will own a portfolio of the company's highest-priority strategic questions from framing through executive decision and activation. This role requires equal strength in strategy, influence, analytics, executive communication, and team leadership - with the judgment to know when to go deep, when to simplify, and how to move a complex organization toward action.

• Enterprise strategy and strategic planning. Shape UKG's enterprise strategy and multi-year strategic agenda; translate market, customer, product, financial, and competitive insights into clear choices, priorities, and resource implications.
• Executive advisory. Serve as a trusted thought partner to the Executive Committee and functional leaders, bringing structured problem solving, independent perspective, and well-reasoned recommendations to ambiguous or high-stakes issues.
• Strategic initiative leadership. Sponsor and lead cross-functional strategy engagements across market entry, product and portfolio strategy, operating model, growth acceleration, strategic alliances, and other enterprise priorities.
• Value creation. Identify, size, prioritize, and help activate opportunities to accelerate growth, improve competitive position, expand margins, or strengthen long-term enterprise value.
• Decision framing and analytics. Set the analytical approach for complex strategic questions, including hypotheses, decision frameworks, market sizing, scenario modeling, business cases, primary research, and synthesis of imperfect data.
• Enterprise alignment and influence. Build coalitions across functions and levels, reconcile competing perspectives, and create the clarity and momentum required to move from recommendation to decision and execution.
• Executive communication. Distill complex issues into compelling narratives and board- or executive-ready materials that focus leaders on the decisions, tradeoffs, and actions that matter most.
• External perspective. Represent Corporate Strategy in selected industry, customer, partner, and market forums to strengthen UKG's outside-in perspective and strategic network.
• Team and talent leadership. Lead, coach, and develop strategy talent; raise the bar for problem solving, executive communication, and quality of output; create an inclusive, high-accountability team environment.

About You

• 12+ years of relevant experience in Corporate Strategy, management consulting, strategic finance, business operations, product strategy, or a related field, including significant experience leading enterprise-level strategic work.
• Experience in enterprise software, SaaS, HCM, workforce management, AI-enabled software, or an adjacent technology market.
• MBA or other relevant graduate degree preferred.
• Proven ability to advise C-suite or senior executive leaders on complex, ambiguous, and cross-functional business decisions.
• Demonstrated ownership of major strategy engagements from problem definition and analytical design through executive recommendation, alignment, and activation.
• Exceptional business judgment and commercial acumen, with the ability to connect market, customer, product, operational, and financial dynamics.
• Advanced quantitative and analytical capabilities, including experience overseeing complex market sizing, scenario analysis, business cases, financial modeling, primary research, and synthesis of large or imperfect data sets.
• Outstanding executive communication skills, including strategic storylining, concise writing, distinctive presentation development, and confident facilitation of senior-level discussions.
• Track record of influencing without direct authority and building trusted relationships across functions, geographies, and organizational levels.
• Demonstrated people leadership, including coaching and developing high-performing teams and setting a consistently high bar for quality and impact.
• Leadership style that combines low ego with high standards: intellectually curious, candid, collaborative, resilient, and focused on enterprise outcomes over individual credit.
• Comfort operating as a player-coach - able to move seamlessly between executive-level synthesis, hands-on problem solving, and team development.
• Entrepreneurial mindset and strong ownership orientation; energized by unstructured problems and able to create clarity amid uncertainty.

Company Overview:

UKG is the Workforce Operating Platform that puts workforce understanding to work. With the world's largest collection of workforce insights, and people-first AI, our ability to reveal unseen ways to build trust, amplify productivity, and empower talent, is unmatched. It's this expertise that equips our customers with the intelligence to solve any challenge in any industry — because great organizations know their workforce is their competitive edge. Learn more at ukg.com.

Equal Opportunity Employer

UKG is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, disability, religion, sex, age, national origin, veteran status, genetic information, and other legally protected categories.

View The EEO Know Your Rights poster (https://www.eeoc.gov/sites/default/files/2022-10/EEOC_KnowYourRights_screen_reader_10_20.pdf)

UKG participates in E-Verify. View the E-Verify posters here (https://www.e-verify.gov/sites/default/files/everify/posters/EVerifyParticipationPoster.pdf) .

It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.

Disability Accommodation in the Application and Interview Process

For individuals with disabilities that need additional assistance at any point in the application and interview process, please email [e-mail] .

The pay range for this position is $207,400 to $296,000. The actual base pay offered may vary depending on skills, experience, job-related knowledge and work location. In addition to base pay, employees may be eligible to participate in a performance-based bonus plan and to receive restricted stock unit awards as part of total compensation. Learn more about UKG’s benefits and rewards at https://www.ukg.com/about-us/careers/benefits

It is the policy of Ultimate Software to promote and assure equal employment opportunity for all current and prospective Peeps without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, disability, marital status, familial status, sexual orientation, pregnancy, genetic information, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, ancestry, citizenship status, veteran status, and any other legally protected status entitled to protection under federal, state, or local anti-discrimination laws. This policy governs all matters related to recruitment, advertising, and initial selection of employment. It shall also apply to all other aspects of employment, including, but not limited to, compensation, promotion, demotion, transfer, lay-offs, terminations, leave of absence, and training opportunities.