Chief of Staff Customer Officer

Role Description

The Hershey Company is seeking our next Chief of Staff to the Chief Customer Officer (CCO). This role serves as a strategic right-hand to the CCO, acting as a force-multiplier in driving Hershey’s global brand agenda. The Chief of Staff Customer Officer orchestrates the execution of the strategic plan and top-priority initiatives, ensuring they progress efficiently across the U.S. business. By coordinating cross-functional teams and business processes, this leader enables the CCO to focus on high-impact decisions while maintaining momentum on key projects. In essence, the role bridges strategy and execution – improving decision quality and speed and optimizing how global brand strategies are implemented enterprise-wide.

Accountabilities

• Strategic Planning Liaison: Lead the Customer Officer annual planning process and strategy on behalf of the CCO, aligning business unit plans with enterprise objectives and preparing strategy reviews.
• Program Leadership & Execution: Oversee and drive execution of the CCO’s highest-priority initiatives and strategic projects, including setting up project structures, tracking milestones, and resolving roadblocks.
• Operational Excellence: Ensure effective processes for strategic initiatives by coordinating across different functional areas within the Company.
• Decision Support & Governance: Act as a proxy for the CCO in leadership forums and decision meetings, preparing agendas and briefing materials for executive meetings.
• Communication & Alignment: Serve as a communication hub to align the Customer Office with other parts of the business, ensuring that everyone is informed of strategic priorities.

Qualifications

• Strategic Agility
• Program Management Excellence
• Influence & Collaboration
• Business Acumen
• Adaptability & Problem-Solving
• A bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Commercial Management, or a related field is required; an MBA or similar advanced degree is strongly preferred.
• 10+ years of experience in strategic planning, business operations, or marketing leadership roles.
• Experience leading cross-functional initiatives and partnering closely with senior executives on strategic decision-making.
• Experience within a top-tier consulting firm or corporate strategy function is highly desirable.
• Track record of developing and launching growth initiatives within a consumer-focused organization.
• People management experience or significant project team leadership experience.
• Demonstrated ability to drive organizational change, improve processes, and deliver measurable business results.

Requirements

• 10+ years of experience in strategic planning, business operations, or marketing leadership roles.
• Experience leading cross-functional initiatives and partnering closely with senior executives on strategic decision-making.
• Experience within a top-tier consulting firm or corporate strategy function is highly desirable.
• People management experience or significant project team leadership experience.

Benefits

• Equal Opportunity Employer status.
• Opportunities for reasonable accommodations for applicants with disabilities.