Overview:

The Manager - Business Strategy plays a leadership role in the business, leading the strategy team in developing strategic plans and objectives to improve business performance.  This role will collaborate with business leaders across the Business and oversee development of a strategic plan to sustain growth and profitability.  This role will also oversee the Market Planning function, working with key stakeholders to develop comprehensive market specific strategies that will enable us to achieve desired business results in each of our regions.  The incumbent will be responsible for driving trade-off decisions, selecting a portfolio of strategic initiatives, and re-prioritizing as needed.  The incumbent will also be responsible for overseeing efforts to mobilize large scale change requiring a high degree of coordination across M&T.

Primary Responsibilities:

• The strategy team will be at the forefront of a transformational change within the Business. The incumbent will challenge long held views and help business leaders understand the changing market environment and the implications on our current business model.  The incumbent will create and oversee a customer-centric strategy focused on evolving our internal operating model across all customer touch points, ensuring transparency, accountability, and ongoing alignment. The role will ensure that the vision, mission, desired outcomes, and chosen strategy are communicated clearly and concisely and that plans, or actionable goals are developed to translate the vision into tangible results.  The incumbent will seek opportunities to build synergies and alignment across the Division and other core business lines, including Wealth and Commercial.

• Leads the development of business cases and initial use cases of critical foundational capabilities needed to successfully execute the strategic plan (i.e. analytics, multi-channel servicing).  Explores and evaluates potential business partnerships with fintechs and other outside companies that may be able to advance critical capabilities faster and more effectively than if internally developed.  Engages and updates proper business teams regularly and transfers ownership of responsibility at proper time.

• Leads market planning group that develops comprehensive market specific strategies and investment plans.  Collaborates with stakeholders to define a holistic approach to continually assess markets and the efficacy of chosen strategies. 

• The incumbent will lead a team that partners with business leaders from all areas of the Bank o evaluate options, drive trade-off decisions, and develop an investment roadmap that supports the defined strategy and business outcomes.  Creates alignment among key stakeholders, oversees, and helps ensure appropriate execution and monitoring to achieve desired business outcomes (i.e., shift in operating model to drive efficiency, ensure a seamless experience for the customer across channels, retention, engagement, and cross-sell).

Scope of Responsibilities:

Leads development of frameworks and processes to facilitate strategy development, align on key decisions, and make corrective adjustments as needed.  Provides expertise to leadership in defining resource allocation and desired outcomes.  Fosters collaboration and connectivity between the Business strategy; identify areas of congruence and divergence and recommend appropriate action. 

Oversees process to evaluate trade-offs and prioritize investments.  Champions the investment roadmap.  Sponsors cross-functional change efforts related to strategic initiatives that may not be directly related to his/her area of responsibility.  Facilitates decision making and alignment across the organization to accomplish change.  
Leads strategy team in identifying and assessing capabilities & partnerships that enhance the strategy.  Oversees  vendor management activities associated with the job, including risk management, reviews, evaluations, and establishing new relationships as needed.
Facilitates data driven decisions, monitors efficacy of choices, and enables a culture of test & learn.  Oversees regular financial, competitive, performance, and market analyses to monitor trends.  Leads strategy team in evaluating customer and competitive behavior across all channels and identify emerging trends to improve performance (i.e., retention, engagement, and growth).  

Understands and adheres to the Company’s risk and regulatory standards, policies and controls in accordance with the Company’s Risk Appetite. Design, implement, maintain and enhance internal controls to mitigate risk on an ongoing basis. Identify risk-related issues needing escalation to management.

Supervisory/ Managerial Responsibilities:

Manages a team of managers and professionals

Education and Experience Required:

• Bachelor’s degree plus a minimum of 10 years banking or finance experience, or in lieu of a degree, a combined minimum of 14 years’ higher education and/or work experience.

• Proven Financial Modeling Skillset

• Proficient in MS Excel, Word, PowerPoint

• Candidate must have strong analytic, problem solving and critical thinking skills.

• Candidate should possess excellent interpersonal, written/verbal communication, leadership and project management skills.

Education and Experience Preferred:

• Able to present to executive management

• Ability to be a team player

• Ability to interact with all levels of personnel

• Ability to work individually as well as a member of a team

• MBA

• Tableau

Physical Requirements:

Periodic travel required

M&T Bank is committed to fair, competitive, and market-informed pay for our employees. The pay range for this position is $140,621.49 - $234,369.15 Annual (USD). The successful candidate’s particular combination of knowledge, skills, and experience will inform their specific compensation.

Location:

Buffalo, New York, United States of America