VP of Automation Strategy & Planning

VP of Automation Strategy & Planning

Let’s be unstoppable together!

At Circana, we are fueled by our passion for continuous learning and growth, we seek and share feedback freely, and we celebrate victories both big and small in an environment that is flexible and accommodating to our work and personal lives.  We’re a global company dedicated to fostering inclusivity and belonging. We value and celebrate the unique experiences, cultures, and viewpoints that each individual brings. By embracing a wide range of backgrounds, skills, expertise, and beyond, we create a stronger, more innovative environment for our employees, clients, and communities. With us, you can always bring your full self to work.  Join our inclusive, committed team to be a challenger, own outcomes, and stay curious together. Circana is proud to be Certified™ by Great Place To Work®. This prestigious award is based entirely on what current employees say about their experience working at Circana.

Learn more at www.circana.com.

About the Function

Global Automation Strategy and Planning is responsible for overseeing the plan, implementation, and management of automation technologies. This function leads the development and scaling of transformative automation programs across all Global Operations, Service, and Delivery while working with global leaders across operations, commercial, product, and technology teams.

What will you be doing?

Circana is seeking a visionary and strategic leader to serve as the Vice President of Automation Strategy & Planning. This executive role is pivotal to the success of a transformative initiative aimed at building advanced automation capabilities and driving operational efficiency through integrated automation, micro-automations, and core technology upgrades. The VP will oversee the holistic execution of the program, championing innovation and capability development in automation while ensuring standardized, scalable approaches across the portfolio.

With a focus on the "art of the possible," this position will lead the exploration and adoption of cutting-edge automation technologies to enable transformative change. This role involves managing a multi-year program and coordinating cross-functional teams to deliver measurable value, with an emphasis on capability building and organizational transformation. The ideal candidate is a strategic thinker with a proven track record in program management, automation strategy, and organizational transformation, capable of navigating complex dependencies and driving competitive advantages for Circana.

Job Responsibilities

• Program Management and Oversight: Lead the overall automation program, including strategic prioritization of initiatives across core tech projects and micro-automations. Track progress and quantify benefits to ensure alignment with business objectives and timelines, with a primary focus on capability building and innovation.
• Innovation Leadership: Push the boundaries of innovation by exploring and advocating for the "art of the possible" in automation technologies. Identify and develop new capabilities and opportunities while fostering a culture of continuous improvement.
• Standardization and Governance: Manage the standardization of tools, methodologies, and approaches across the entire program portfolio to promote consistency, efficiency, and scalability. Oversee the development and sharing of best practices in automation.
• Stakeholder Coordination and Interlocks: Facilitate bi-weekly interlock calls between Operations, Technology Partners, and other key stakeholders. Coordinate dependencies between large-scale core tech projects and rapid micro-automation implementations to mitigate risks and ensure seamless integration.
• Risk and Issue Management: Proactively identify, assess, and manage portfolio-level risks and issues, implementing mitigation strategies to safeguard program delivery and value realization.
• Team Leadership and Resourcing: Build and lead a high-performing Leadership team to oversee the program and resource hub for automation initiatives.
• Performance Metrics and Reporting: Establish and track key performance indicators (KPIs) for program success, such as capability growth, automation velocity, and value creation.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Work closely with executive leadership to align program with broader organizational goals, including evolving operator roles from manual tasks to strategic activities like building automations and handling exceptions.

Requirements

• Experience: 10+ years of progressive leadership experience in program management, automation strategy, or digital transformation, with at least 5 years in a senior executive role (e.g., VP or Director level). Proven track record in managing large-scale initiatives in data-driven or operations-intensive environments, ideally within consulting, technology, or market research firms.
• Education: Bachelor’s degree in business administration, Information Technology, Engineering, or a related field; Master's degree (e.g., MBA) preferred.
• Technical Skills: Deep expertise in automation technologies, including RPA, ETL, ML/AI, and LLMs. Experience with leading automation platforms and agile methodologies for high-velocity delivery.
• Leadership and Soft Skills: Exceptional strategic thinking and innovation mindset, with the ability to "push thinking on the art of the possible." Strong communication and stakeholder management skills, including facilitating executive-level interlocks. Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams, manage risks, and drive standardization in complex portfolios.
• Other Requirements: Demonstrated success in building automation capabilities and delivering operational efficiencies. Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, ambiguous environment. Willingness to travel as needed (up to 20%).

Circana Behaviors

As well as the technical skills, experience and attributes that are required for the role, our shared behaviors sit at the core of our organization. Therefore, we always look for people who can continuously champion these behaviors throughout the business within their day-to-day role:

• Stay Curious: Being hungry to learn and grow, always asking the big questions.
• Seek Clarity: Embracing complexity to create clarity and inspire action.
• Own the Outcome: Being accountable for decisions and taking ownership of our choices.
• Center on the Client: Relentlessly adding value for our customers.
• Be a Challenger: Never complacent, always striving for continuous improvement.
• Champion Inclusivity: Fostering trust in relationships engaging with empathy, respect, and integrity.
• Commit to each other: Contributing to making Circana a great place to work for everyone.

Location

This position can be located in the following area(s): Remote

Prospective candidates may be asked to consent to background checks (in accordance with local legislation and our candidate privacy notice ) Your current employer will not be contacted without your permission.

The below range reflects the range of possible compensation for this role at the time of this posting. We may ultimately pay more or less than the posted range. This range may be modified in the future. An employee’s position within the salary range will be based on several factors including, but not limited to, relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, seniority, geographic location, performance, shift, travel requirements, sales or revenue-based metrics, any collective bargaining agreements, and business or organizational needs. The salary range for this role is $200,000 - $300,000.

This job is also eligible for bonus/incentive pay.

We offer a comprehensive package of benefits including [paid time off, medical/dental/vision insurance and 401(k)] to eligible employees.

You can apply for this role through methods such as (e.g., Careers website link and/or Intranet site for internal candidates).

You can apply for this role through methods such as our Careers website link and/or Intranet site for internal candidates. This role is subject to AI-assisted screening. Circana uses artificial intelligence (AI) to assess resumes for alignment with job requirements by helping locate details in resumes that relate to the job description.

The anticipated application deadline for this position is 12-25.