14371 - Sr Strategic and Operations Lead
Together we change lives.
Kelly is a team of experts driven by our belief that the impact of the right person in the right job is limitless.
No matter where you are in your career journey you can apply your knowledge and passion to move people, organizations, and communities forward. You’ll have opportunities to grow your expertise and capabilities, both professionally and personally. As a team we celebrate inclusion, caring and collaboration. As a company we value your contribution, we work with integrity, and we always put people first – so your impact really will change lives.
This is an exceptional opportunity for a senior strategy and operations executive to shepherd Kelly’s enterprise direction — combining strategic planning, corporate development leadership, and transformation governance under a single remit.
The Interim Strategy Leader will serve as a key strategic advisor to Kelly’s Senior Leadership Team (SLT), leading the long-range planning effort, overseeing corporate development activity, ensuring Kelly’s global transformation agenda is aligned to its strategic priorities, and providing governance and execution support on key initiatives.
Operating at the intersection of strategy, operations, finance, and enterprise execution, this executive will partner closely with the Sr. Director of Corporate Strategy, the Enterprise Management Office, the IT PMO, Business Unit Presidents, the Growth Office, and other senior leaders across Kelly.
Our Interim Strategy Leader is accountable for:
Enterprise Strategy Leadership (Priority One)
Lead the 2026 enterprise-wide strategic planning cycle in partnership with the Strategy Director. Drive competitive and market analysis, assess the broader industry landscape, and overlay Kelly’s internal capabilities. Define organic growth priorities and capital allocation recommendations that align the enterprise behind a clear, multi-year direction.
2. Corporate Development Oversight
Sustain a baseline level of corporate development activity, including monitoring inbound M&A activity, managing external advisors, and responding to transaction-related requests as they arise. Ensure any active opportunities are evaluated against strategic fit and enterprise priorities.
3. Global Transformation Alignment
Participate in and provide strategic input to Kelly’s enterprise transformation roadmap, working closely with the EMO, IT, and other cross-functional teams. Ensure the transformation portfolio is sequenced and resourced in alignment with strategic priorities, and engage actively in cross-BU change programs and initiative delivery.
4. Cross-Functional Governance
Provide input into enterprise-wide strategic initiative governance forums. Support alignment across Business Unit leaders on shared priorities. Assist in defining and tracking KPIs for strategy execution and accountability. Partner with Finance, HR, and Operations on integrated planning processes.
Key Competencies:
1. Strategic Architecture
- Leads structured, hypothesis-driven strategic planning processes that produce actionable, CEO- and Board-ready outputs
- Translates ambiguous enterprise conditions into clear strategic choices with defined trade-offs
- Connects organic growth priorities to capital allocation decisions and resource deployment
- Produces multi-year strategic plans with measurable milestones and executive sponsorship structures
2. Corporate Development Acumen
- Identifies and qualifies strategic acquisition, partnership, or divestiture opportunities aligned to enterprise priorities
- Structures compelling investment theses with rigorous financial and strategic analysis
- Leads or coordinates cross-functional due diligence teams, managing external advisors effectively
- Oversees post-merger integration planning and tracks progress against defined synergy commitments
3. Transformation Sponsorship
- Partners with EMO and IT PMO to assess portfolio interdependencies and initiative prioritization
- Identifies and escalates misalignments between transformation activity and strategic direction
- Ensures transformation KPIs reflect strategic intent, not merely operational activity
- Engages credibly with technology and operations leaders on transformation sequencing and delivery
4. Enterprise Integration & Influence
- Builds trusted working relationships rapidly across a complex, matrixed organization
- Mobilizes senior stakeholders through credibility, sound judgment, and compelling communication rather than positional authority
- Designs and maintains governance structures with clear decision rights, accountability, and escalation paths
- Navigates organizational complexity and competing priorities with integrity and executive composure
5. Executive Communication & Presence
- Prepares and delivers Board- and CEO-ready strategic materials that reflect rigor and narrative clarity
- Distills complex analysis into concise, well-structured executive recommendations
- Engages effectively across multiple levels of the organization with appropriate tone and framing
- Earns confidence from senior stakeholders quickly through preparation, precision, and presence
6. Operational & Financial Fluency
- Develops financial models and investment cases that integrate strategic and operational assumptions
- Understands the cost and capability implications of strategic choices at an operational level
- Partners effectively with Finance, HR, IT, and Operations on integrated planning
- Demonstrates credibility with operators and technologists as well as strategists
Essential Skills, Knowledge, & Experience:
- 20+ years of senior leadership in corporate strategy, M&A, global operations, and/or enterprise transformation
- Demonstrated experience leading enterprise-wide strategic planning cycles (LRP, annual strategy refresh, or equivalent)
- Full M&A lifecycle experience: origination, due diligence, negotiation, and post-close integration
- Direct experience with large-scale enterprise transformation programs and their governance structures
- Background in or exposure to staffing, professional services, or workforce solutions industries
- Experience operating in publicly traded, globally matrixed organizations
- Track record of engaging with Boards and senior executive teams
Base pay rate for this position is $100 - $110/hr. Final hourly compensation will be based on experience and may vary by geographic location.
Total compensation package including benefits as applicable to the position – understanding that each person has unique professional and personal needs focused on your total well-being. Explore our range of benefits at: Kelly Services | People Regular Staff
Kelly is an equal opportunity employer committed to employing a diverse, equitable and inclusive workforce, including, but not limited to, race, gender, individuals with disabilities, protected veterans, sexual orientation, and gender identity. Equal Employment Opportunity is The Law.
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