Strategic Operations Manager

Walgreens; Deerfield (IL); On-site; USD 100,000 - 175,000; Full time

Job summary

Walgreens is seeking a Strategic Operations Manager to partner with leadership and own complex cross-functional programs from problem definition through execution.

You will drive business case development, manage milestones, surface risks, and translate program complexity into clear, executive-ready recommendations, enabling benefits realization across the enterprise.

Qualifications

• Experience in analytically intensive fields such as investment banking, management consulting, corporate development or business operations at a high-touch company.
• Experience applying project management methodologies including creating a project plan, charter, scope, and management plans with financials.
• Experience managing complex, cross-functional, enterprise-wide change.
• Experience presenting program plans and cost-benefit analyses to executives and senior management.
• Experience in identifying operational issues and resolving problems.
• Strong organizational, written, and verbal communication skills.
• At least 1 year of direct/indirect leadership or cross-functional team leadership.
• Willing to travel up to 10% for business purposes.

Responsibilities

• Leads, organizes, directs, manages and controls inter related program activities for transformation programs with most significant scope, benefits, and impact across business units.
• Executes prioritized transformation programs, setting program management routines and focusing the team on activities required to deliver planned benefits.
• Directs program activities to ensure high quality results within defined time and budget schedules, collaborating with leaders to develop end-to-end approach.
• Analyzes and shares program insights to achieve operational effectiveness and benefits capture; measures ongoing impact.
• Ensures programs are completed on time and budget and align with division standards and objectives.
• Manages prioritization of projects within the program and ensures each achieves overall benefits.
• Proactively identifies cross-functional complexities and resolves program risks and issues.
• Resolves high level conflicts and negotiates with stakeholders.
• Directs activities of project teams and, when required, oversees performance management of matrixed staff.
• Synthesizes transformation outputs into executive presentations, updates, risks, mitigations, and business recommendations.
• Develops and mentors staff, fosters a diverse, inclusive workplace, and ensures appropriate staffing.

Skills

Advanced Excel & Financial Modeling

Executive-Ready Presentation Dev

Healthcare or Pharmacy Industry Know

Strategic Planning Experience

Influence & Stakeholder Navigation

Project Management

Analytical & Data-Driven

Tools

Excel

Job description

Job Summary

As a Strategic Operations Manager, you will serve as a trusted, results-oriented partner to leadership; independently owning complex, cross-functional programs from problem definition through execution. You will facilitate business case and timeline development, manage progress to milestones, and challenge assumptions where needed to ensure benefits are captured. You will be a partner with business teams to actively manage, proactively surface risks, and translate program complexity into clear, executive-ready recommendations and insights. Programs in this role are cross-functional in nature, carrying significant organizational impact and direct connection to the execution of corporate strategy. Strong analytical instincts, effective communication skills, and the ability to build and maintain trust across stakeholder environments are key.

Job Responsibilities

• Leads, organizes, directs, manages and controls inter related program activities for transformation programs with most significant scope, benefits, and impact across business units.
• Executes prioritized transformation programs, setting program management routines and bringing focus to the team on the activities required to deliver on planned benefits.
• Directs program activities to ensure high quality results within defined time and budget schedules. Collaborates with business leaders and executive team to develop the end to end approach and evaluation of transformation programs.
• Analyzes and shares program specific insights and recommendations to achieve operational effectiveness and expected benefits capture. Assesses and measures ongoing impact and evaluates changes to key assumptions or planned impact.
• Ensures programs are completed according to time and budget schedules, and that objectives conform to division overall standards and operations objectives and project requirements.
• Manages prioritization of projects within the program, ensuring that each project achieves its overall benefits.
• Proactively works with program teams to identify cross functional complexities and resolve program level risks and issues.
• Resolves high level conflicts and negotiates with stakeholders.
• Manages the identification of needed expertise and requirements based on engagement model and functional expertise. When required, directs the activities of project teams through leadership and collaboration with other
• If needed, oversees the performance management of matrixed team.
• Processes and synthesizes transformation program outputs into executive level presentations, updates, risks, mitigations, and business recommendations.
• When required, develops and mentors staff through onboarding, open communication, training and development opportunities and performance management processes, builds and maintains employee morale and motivation, ensures the team is appropriately staffed with required competencies, fosters a diverse and inclusive workplace.

About Walgreens

Founded in 1901, Walgreens (www.walgreens.com) proudly serves nearly 9 million customers and patients each day across its approximately 8,500 stores throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Walgreens has approximately 220,000 team members, including nearly 90,000 healthcare service providers, and is committed to being the first choice for pharmacy, retail and health services, building trusted relationships that create healthier futures for customers, patients, team members and communities.

Basic Qualifications

• Experience working in an analytically intensive field investment banking, management consulting, corporate development or business operations experience at another high touch company.
• Extensive experience applying or executing project management methodologies and practices including developing a project plan, charter, scope, project management approach and management plans, including knowledge of complex project management financials.
• Experience managing complex, cross functional, and enterprise wide change.
• Experience presenting and reporting on program plans and cost benefit analysis to appropriate stakeholders, executives and senior management.
• Experience in identifying operational issues and recommending and implementing strategies to resolve problems.
• Strong organizational, written, and verbal communication skills.
• At least 1 year of direct leadership, indirect leadership and or cross functional team leadership.
• Willing to travel up to 10% of the time for business purposes (within state and out of state).

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced Excel & Financial Modeling — Demonstrated ability to build financial models, business cases, and cost-benefit analyses independently from raw data. Candidates should be comfortable with pivot tables, SUMIFS, VLOOKUP/XLOOKUP, and multi-tab model structures. The ability to structure and present a clean unit economics analysis without assistance is the baseline expectation.
• Executive-Ready Presentation Development — Demonstrated ability to design and produce executive-level presentations independently with clean structure, tight narrative, and professional formatting. Candidates should be able to present presentations they built from scratch and speak to the choices they made in structuring the story for a senior audience.
• Healthcare or Pharmacy Industry Knowledge — Familiarity with pharmacy economics, health system operations, specialty pharmacy programs, or related healthcare business models is a meaningful advantage. Understanding of how Walgreens generates revenue, through pharmacy, front‑end, and specialty channels, and the strategic pressures the business faces is a differentiator for internal and external candidates alike.
• Strategic Planning Experience — Experience supporting or facilitating strategic planning processes, including long‑range planning, initiative prioritization, or business case development for executive audiences.
• Influence & Stakeholder Navigation — Demonstrated ability to influence senior stakeholders without formal authority, building the business case, earning trust through credibility, and driving alignment across competing priorities.
• Project Management — Project management certifications or significant experience. Familiarity with PPM tools and project management techniques.

We will consider employment of qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

The Salary below is being provided to promote pay transparency and equal employment opportunities at Walgreens.

Salary Range: $100000 - $175,000.00 / Salaried