MANAGING DIRECTOR, HEAD OF STRATEGIC INITIATIVES

Level: Management | Job Location: San Francisco Office - San Francisco, CA 94111 | Salary Range: $225,000.00 - $275,000.00 Salary/year

Job Summary

Reporting directly to the Chief Executive Officer, the Managing Director, Head of Strategic Initiatives drives enterprise-wide strategic planning, governance, alignment, and execution across Cresset. As a trusted partner and advisor to the CEO and senior leadership team, this individual works closely with leaders and team members across the firm to help define the firm’s short- and long-term strategic priorities, translate vision into actionable initiatives, and ensure disciplined execution against the firm’s most important business objectives. This role operates at the center of the organization, providing enterprise-wide visibility across key initiatives, business priorities, operational challenges, and growth opportunities. The Managing Director, Head of Strategic Initiatives facilitates alignment across leadership, helps surface and resolve complex organizational issues, and drives accountability for execution in a dynamic and fast-growing environment. The ideal candidate brings a combination of strategic rigor, executive presence, operational discipline, and strong business judgment, with prior experience in management consulting, financial services, or similarly complex, high-performance organizations. This individual must be highly collaborative, intellectually curious, exceptionally organized, and capable of influencing across teams without formal authority. The role requires regular travel with members of the executive leadership team and a high degree of discretion in handling sensitive and confidential business matters.

Key Responsibilities

Enterprise Strategy & Planning

• Partner closely with the CEO and Management Committee to develop, communicate, and execute Cresset’s enterprise strategy and long-term business priorities.
• Lead Cresset’s strategic planning process, including development of multi-year strategic objectives, annual goals, and enterprise-level initiatives.
• Partner with Finance and senior leaders to translate strategic priorities into measurable outcomes and scorecards.

Executive Governance & Decision Support

• Design and manage the operating cadence for the Board of Directors, Management Committee, Executive Leadership team, and other senior leadership forums.
• Develop agendas, materials, executive presentations, and follow-up processes that support focused discussion, clear decisions, and paths to execution.
• Synthesize complex business issues into clear recommendations, decision points, and recommended action plans.

Strategic Execution & Accountability

• Monitor progress against strategic initiatives, identify risks or execution gaps, and proactively escalates issues requiring leadership attention.
• Help establish governance structures, accountability frameworks, and operating rhythms for emerging initiatives and enterprise programs.
• Maintain an enterprise-wide view of priorities, organizational dynamics, and cross-functional dependencies.

Enterprise Initiatives & Cross-Functional Leadership

• Lead or support high-priority cross-functional initiatives, transformation efforts, and special projects on behalf of the CEO and executive leadership team such as AI enablement, data governance, operational scalability, and business continuity planning.
• Partner across Advisory, Investments, Technology, Operations, Finance, Marketing, HR, Legal, and Compliance to drive enterprise-wide coordination and execution.
• Support enterprise change management efforts and help drive organizational alignment during periods of growth and evolution.

Leadership Team Support

• Serve as a trusted, strategic thought partner to executive leadership on organizational priorities and business challenges.
• Represent the CEO and/or Management Committee in select internal and external meetings, as appropriate.

Qualifications

Education & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree required. MBA or other advanced degree strongly preferred.
• 10+ years of experience in management consulting, strategy, financial services, professional services, or related executive advisory roles.
• Prior experience working closely with senior executives and leadership teams in highly dynamic, fast-paced organizations.
• Demonstrated success leading enterprise-wide strategic initiatives and cross-functional execution efforts.

Strategic, Analytical, & Business Judgment

• Exceptional strategic thinking and problem-solving capabilities, with the ability to break down complex business issues into actionable plans.
• Strong organizational and operational discipline with exceptional attention to detail and follow-through.
• Strong analytical and financial acumen, including experience evaluating business performance, operational priorities, and strategic tradeoffs.

Executive Communication Skills

• Strong executive presence with the ability to influence, challenge, and collaborate effectively across senior leadership teams.
• Outstanding communication and presentation skills, including the ability to synthesize and distill complex topics for executive audiences.

Leadership Style

• Collaborative, low-ego leadership style with a strong orientation toward enterprise success and team alignment.
• Proven ability to drive accountability and execution across multiple stakeholders without direct reporting authority.
• Demonstrated ability to navigate ambiguity, shifting priorities, and complex organizational dynamics with sound judgment and composure.
• High level of discretion, integrity, and professionalism in handling confidential and sensitive business matters.

Additional Role Expectations

• Willingness to travel regularly in support of executive leadership and firm initiatives.

What We Offer

• Starting base salary range: $225,000 - $275,000, with additional annual incentive and equity.
• Benefits package includes medical, dental, vision, life insurance, 401(k) retirement plan, health savings accounts, short- and long-term disability insurance, voluntary critical and accident insurance, and pre-tax parking and transportation programs.
• All full-time employees receive equity in Cresset.

Equal Employment Opportunity

It is the policy of Cresset to ensure equal employment opportunity (EEO) for all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy (including childbirth, lactation, or related conditions), national origin or ancestry, age, disability, veteran status, uniformed servicemember status, sexual orientation, gender identity, status as a parent, genetic information (including testing and characteristics), or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law. It is Cresset’s policy to comply with applicable laws concerning the employment of persons with disabilities, including reasonable accommodation for applicants and employees with disabilities.