Sr Manager, Corporate Strategy

Ulta Beauty; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 119,000 - 175,000; Full time

Job summary

Ulta Beauty in Bolingbrook, Illinois, is seeking a Senior Manager of Corporate Strategy to lead long-term planning and build the framework for high-potential initiatives. You will partner with SVP/VP leaders to develop business cases and steer cross-functional workstreams with data-driven insights.

The role requires a strong strategic mindset, executive communication skills, and the ability to coach junior team members while aligning with enterprise priorities.

Qualifications

• 8+ years in Strategy with consulting and Corporate Strategy or Corporate Development experience.
• At least 4 years of consulting experience at a top-tier firm preferred.
• BA/BS required; MBA from a top-tier program preferred.
• Experience in retail or consumer products preferred.
• Strong written and verbal communication with executive presence.
• Highly collaborative and able to coach junior team members.

Responsibilities

• Lead long-term and annual strategic planning with VP, Corporate Strategy.
• Structure problems and develop frameworks for complex cross-functional issues.
• Lead cross-functional workstreams assessing strategic opportunities with minimal oversight.
• Support market and competitive intelligence using data-driven insights.
• Define and articulate strategic rationale grounded in data-driven insights.
• Collaborate across the organization to influence strategic priorities.
• Coach and develop managers and below-level team members.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Analytical thinking

Executive communication

Cross-functional leadership

Education

BA/BS

MBA

Job description

Bolingbrook, Illinois • Corporate Strategy • Full Time • 527767

OVERVIEW

Live the experience. From professional empowerment to continual learning opportunities. From ongoing investment in our strategic initiatives to a career of self-determination. At Ulta Beauty, our team is critical to our scalability—and is recognized that way. We’ve been defined as a “mature start-up.” A place where interdepartmental exposure, open doors, and genuine collaboration is ubiquitous. Where challenges come fast and furious, requiring agility, mental dexterity, and creativity. Where our passion for better solutions drives us and is core to who we are.

THE IMPACT YOU CAN HAVE

The Corporate Strategy team is responsible for developing the broad, strategic vision for Ulta and identifying, evaluating and executing new growth and strategic initiatives. The Senior Manager of Corporate Strategy will be responsible for working with and leading targeted conversations with functional leaders (SVP, and VP level) to support the long‑term and annual strategic planning processes, leading problem solving and opportunity evaluation, leading and performing strategic and financial analysis, visioning and creating business cases and executing efforts for high‑potential strategic opportunities with excellence. Because the work involves close partnership with cross‑functional leaders, this individual should also facilitate conversations with senior audiences, gather and facilitate alignment to key strategic decisions, and serve as a thought partner to both the leadership within the Corporate Strategy team and to level‑appropriate individuals throughout the enterprise. Further, this role should structure problems and be comfortable with developing approaches to framing ambiguous business issues. This individual also supports beauty and wellness market and competitive intelligence for the enterprise, including supporting structuring and execution of the comprehensive monitoring and codification of the competitive landscape, tracking the beauty market, and assessing dynamics and shifts in competitors’ strategies, connecting it back to the enterprise strategic imperatives.

YOU'LL ACCOMPLISH THESE GOALS BY

• Play a lead role in driving the long‑term and annual strategic planning processes, supporting the VP, Corporate Strategy
• Structure problems and develop frameworks and approaches to address complex, cross‑functional and ambiguous business issues for the core business and new growth
• Lead cross‑functional workstreams on initiatives to assess strategic opportunities, leveraging strategic, analytical, and financial frameworks, with minimal oversight
• Support market and competitive intelligence for both the enterprise and specific functional areas – bring an analytical mindset to strengthen our understanding of the competitive landscape through data‑driven and forward‑looking insights
• Define and bring forward creative, out‑of‑the‑box thinking to identify white space opportunities – assess and articulate the strategic rationale, grounded in data‑driven insights, in support of enterprise‑wide strategic plan
• Work and expand network and reach cross‑functionally to discover and influence strategic priorities throughout the organization
• Facilitate and lead discussions with the senior leadership of the enterprise, demonstrating subject matter expertise and ability to move work forward effectively
• Connect the dots across the organization to ensure effectiveness of work throughout the enterprise, and understand when to seek guidance
• Coach Manager and below‑level team members in driving strategic work and analysis

ESSENTIALS FOR SUCCESS

• 8+ years of professional experience in Strategy, with preference for combination of consulting and Corporate Strategy or Corporate Development industry experience
• At least 4 years of consulting experience at a top‑tier management consulting firm highly preferred
• BA/BS required and MBA from top‑tier program preferred
• Experience in retail or consumer products preferred
• Strategic mindset with the capability to think broadly, lead and facilitate the development and implementation of winning strategies
• Highly analytical with demonstrated ability to translate data into key insights to drive decisions
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with strong executive presence
• Highly collaborative and team‑oriented with a coachable, positive attitude
• Innate inquisitiveness and ability to challenge the status‑quo and drive the organization to think differently
• Desire to see personal and organizational effort lead to bottom line results
• Comfortable working independently and in collaborative manner in a cross‑functional environment
• Experience managing or coaching junior level team members
• #LI‑HYBRID

The pay range for this position is $119,300.00 - $175,000.00 / Year with the opportunity for eligible associates to earn additional compensation pursuant to the Company’s bonus plan. Exact pay will be based on factors including, but not limited to relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, level, shift, geographic location, and business and organizational needs. Full‑time positions are eligible for paid time off, health, dental, vision, life and disability benefits. Part‑time positions are eligible for dental, vision, life, and disability benefits. For additional information concerning our benefits, visit our Benefits and Career Development page: https://learn.bswift.com/ulta

ABOUT

At Ulta Beauty (NASDAQ: ULTA), the possibilities are beautiful. Ulta Beauty is the largest North American beauty retailer and the premier beauty destination for cosmetics, fragrance, skin care products, hair care products and salon services. We bring possibilities to life through the power of beauty each and every day in our stores and online with more than 25,000 products from approximately 500 well‑established and emerging beauty brands across all categories and price points, including Ulta Beauty’s own private label. Ulta Beauty also offers a full‑service salon in every store featuring—hair, skin, brow, and make‑up services.

We will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with arrest records, conviction records, or other criminal histories, in a manner consistent with the requirements of any applicable state and local laws, including the City of Los Angeles’ Fair Chance Initiative for Hiring Ordinance, the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, and the New York City Fair Chance Act.