Chief of Staff - Columbia Brand

.

OUTGROWN YOUR OWN BACKYARD? COME PLAY IN OURS.

At Columbia, we're as passionate about the outdoors as you are. And while our gear is available worldwide, we're proud to be based in the Pacific Northwest, where natural wonders are our playground.

Every product we make and every task we undertake is inspired by the famous words of our founder Gert Boyle: "It's perfect. Now make it better." As pioneers of relentless improvement, we are constantly evolving.

We believe the outdoors is ours to protect and strive to keep our planet healthy. We believe in empowering people to experience the outdoors to the fullest.

And we believe in you.

ABOUT THE POSITION

In Global Brand Marketing, we focus on our consumers' behavior, and create experiences around the globe to build their connection to our brand. Whether it's media strategy, brand/product storytelling, content creation or partner activations, the consumer is at the heart of everything we do. And, we continue to stay true to our brand, even as we evolve to meet the demands of the ever-changing landscape.

As the Chief of Staff for our Columbia Brand President, you will be responsible for both advising and acting on behalf of our Brand President. You will work closely with our Brand President and Leadership Team to drive business operations, internal communications and organizational health. It will be your responsibility to oversee the business management functions that ensure effectiveness of the Columbia brand strategy and operations, including managing and executing on key initiatives, as well as providing insight and advice to our LT around operational excellence, headcount, resource and fiscal planning as well as participating in overall group strategy decisions. The success of your role will be of paramount importance as our Brand President transforms our Columbia business globally.

HOW YOU'LL MAKE A DIFFERENCE

• Coordinate the creation of an integrated strategic plan and key initiatives across the Brand
• Manage and maintain operational planning and tactics across the business for initiatives, staffing, operating model, and communications

• Partner with key leaders to ensure cross-functional accountability against strategic priorities, and personally drive priority projects, including conducting research and analysis, sharing findings, making recommendations and tracking results
• Run day-to-day processes on behalf of the Brand President when needed (e.g., setting meeting agendas, meeting preparation before key meetings, preparing PowerPoint presentations, following up on action items, etc.)
• Prioritize Brand President's time and attention (e.g., surfacing key issues while taking care of less important ones)
• Advise on high-level strategic or urgent matters
• Run ad-hoc analysis at the request of the Brand President (gathering facts and serving as an "honest broker")
• Convene important internal stakeholders and standi in for, negotiating, and/or making decisions on behalf of the Brand President as needed
• Partner with Finance and Procurement to ensure effective budget management, headcount management and forecasting
• Track financial results and dashboards, recommending course-corrections as appropriate
• Partner with Talent Acquisition to meet hiring requirements and elevate staffing conversations with the leadership team
• Work cross-division and cross-functionally to manage participation in key business events and planning (e.g., next fiscal year planning, running business reviews, etc.)
• Own the leadership and executive leadership team processes and agendas, including follow through and related communications that enable and foster successful leadership of our Columbia Brand and overall business
• Maximize the effectiveness of our Columbia Brand President by balancing priorities, communicating effectively, and participating in the most relevant meetings with the global team

YOU ARE

• Analytical, capable of breaking complex business problems into logical and actionable components to resolve business issues
• A strong leader, practiced at building effective relationships, influence and collaboration across organizations and with outside partners
• A skilled communicator, embracing a culture of collaboration
• Strategic and financially savvy, balancing short and long-term objectives while being a key driver to a global business
• Practiced at giving honest assessments, valuable advice and counsel while maintaining confidentiality at all times

YOU HAVE

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Finance, or equivalent; MBA highly preferred
• 10+ years of experience in management, leadership, consulting and/or strategic planning preferably in the retail industry and for a multi-national company
• Consulting experience, with demonstrated success in developing, articulating and championing strategy
• Exceptional communication skills, both in presentations to senior stakeholders as well as in individual and small group settings across geographically dispersed audiences
• Capacity to drive multifarious, multi-stakeholder processes and cross-team programs to desired results while managing and mitigating risk
• Experience working for a publicly traded, global company with success stories navigating matrixed environments or complex organizational structures

To learn more about our hiring process during COVID-19, click here .

#LI-SR1

Columbia Sportswear Company and our portfolio of brands, including Columbia, SOREL, Mountain Hardwear and prAna, know a thing or two about adventures. After all, we've been on one since 1938, working to perfect the art of enjoying the outdoors. Behind everything we make is an employee who's found that the greatest adventure starts with joining a company that strives to do the right thing.

This job description is not meant to be an all-inclusive list of duties and responsibilities, but constitutes a general definition of the position's scope and function in the company.

At Columbia Sportswear Company (CSC), we are committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants and teammates without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy (including childbirth, lactation and related medical conditions), national origin, age, physical and mental disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, military and veteran status, and any other characteristic protected by applicable law. CSC believes that diversity and inclusion among our teammates is critical to our success as a global company, and we seek to recruit, develop and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit, and business need.