Skip to main content

Strategy Director

Commercial Banking

Johnston, Rhode Island

Description

Strategy Director

At Citizens, we’re more than a bank — we’re a team of forward-thinking professionals committed to helping our customers, colleagues, and communities reach their full potential.

The Strategy Director plays a critical role in bridging business and technology, translating strategic priorities into actionable execution plans, and ensuring alignment with enterprise objectives and measurable outcomes. This role drives day-to-day operational execution while contributing to longer-term strategic planning across Commercial Operations.

This individual partners closely with senior leadership to support business growth, optimize performance, and advance innovation, including automation and AI-driven initiatives.


Primary Responsibilities

  • Develop, implement, and monitor business strategies, ensuring performance is measured and outcomes are effectively tracked
  • Translate enterprise and business strategies into clear, actionable execution plans across business units (“the how”)
  • Manage and evaluate strategic growth, diversification, and financial business plans, including support for mergers, acquisitions, and divestitures
  • Analyze market trends, business drivers, and performance metrics across lines of business and geographies to inform strategy optimization
  • Lead integration strategy for new business initiatives and verticals, ensuring operational scalability, process alignment, and seamless execution
  • Partner with senior leadership to drive strategic initiatives and support business growth objectives
  • Communicate strategy, priorities, and key decisions effectively across a wide range of stakeholders
  • Support the development and articulation of the Commercial Operations brand narrative
  • Help frame and communicate the Commercial Operations journey, including key milestones, achievements, and overall strategic impact
  • Support Commercial Operations financials, including planning, forecasting, tracking, and performance management
  • In partnership with the Operational Excellence team, drive operational improvement initiatives, including:
    • Process re-engineering
    • Information management enhancements
    • Technology implementation
    • Business transformation efforts
  • Promote and advance innovation across business areas, with a focus on automation and AI capabilities
  • Build and apply expertise across business verticals, including emerging areas such as Stablecoin and other evolving financial products, to enable scalable and sustainable operations

Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s degree in Business, Finance, Strategy, or a related field required; advanced degree preferred
  • 7+ years of experience in strategy, operations, consulting, or financial planning (level may be adjusted based on experience)
  • Proven ability to translate strategic vision into operational execution
  • Strong analytical, financial modeling, and problem-solving capabilities
  • Experience supporting senior leadership and collaborating across cross-functional teams
  • Demonstrated knowledge of business transformation, process improvement, and organizational change
  • Familiarity with innovation, automation, and emerging technologies (e.g., AI) preferred
  • Experience working with new or evolving business verticals or products is a plus
  • Excellent communication, presentation, and stakeholder management skills

Hours & Work Schedule

  • Hours per Week: 40
  • Work Schedule: 4 days in-office, 1 day remote

Some job boards have started using jobseeker-reported data to estimate salary ranges for roles. If you apply and qualify for this role, a recruiter will discuss accurate pay guidance.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Citizens, its parent, subsidiaries, and related companies (Citizens) provide equal employment and advancement opportunities to all colleagues and applicants for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, citizenship, physical or mental disability, perceived disability or history or record of a disability, ethnicity, gender, gender identity or expression, genetic information, genetic characteristic, marital or domestic partner status, victim of domestic violence, family status/parenthood, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, pregnancy/childbirth/lactation, colleague’s or a dependent’s reproductive health decision making, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or any other category protected by federal, state and/or local laws. At Citizens, we are committed to fostering an inclusive culture that enables all colleagues to bring their best selves to work every day and everyone is expected to be treated with respect and professionalism. Employment decisions are based solely on merit, qualifications, performance and capability.

Background Check

Any offer of employment is conditioned upon the candidate successfully passing a background check, which may include initial credit, motor vehicle record, public record, prior employment verification, and criminal background checks. Results of the background check are individually reviewed based upon legal requirements imposed by our regulators and with consideration of the nature and gravity of the background history and the job offered. Any offer of employment will include further information.

Benefits

We offer competitive pay, comprehensive medical, dental and vision coverage, retirement benefits, maternity/paternity leave, flexible work arrangements, education reimbursement, wellness programs and more.

View Benefits

Awards We've Received

2026 Glassdoor Award

Glassdoor
Best Place to Work in Consulting, Finance & Insurance

2025

Human Rights Campaign Corporate Equality Index 100 Award

2026

Newsweek America's Most Charitable Company

2025

The Banker's
US Bank of the Year

2025

Dave Thomas Foundation’s Best Adoption-Friendly Workplace

2024

Disability:IN Best Places to Work for Disability Inclusion

Apply
  • Citizens Teller Newport, Rhode Island Newport, Rhode Island
    View Job
  • Citizens Banker Brooklyn, New York Brooklyn, New York
    View Job
  • Principal Red Team Operator Iselin, New Jersey; Johnston, Rhode Island; Chicago, Illinois; Boston, Massachusetts; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Iselin, New Jersey, Johnston, Rhode Island, Chicago, Illinois, Boston, Massachusetts, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
    View Job