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Director Corporate Strategy & Business Development

Location: Brea HQ

Exemption: Exempt

OUR COMPANY:

Ventura Foods is a leading global manufacturer of branded and custom food products that proudly helps food providers in the U.S., Canada and more than 60 other countries earn a special place on consumers’ tables. We do this by continually crafting custom dressings, sauces, mayonnaises, and other food solutions that exceed peoples’ expectations for great-tasting flavors and high-quality ingredients.

Headquartered in Brea, California, Ventura Foods operates 14 manufacturing facilities, 3 culinary centers, and numerous distribution centers across North America. When you work in our manufacturing and distribution facilities, you get a strong foundation of training, a manager who cares about you and celebrates your success, a safe environment, and challenging work. As part of our team, your future is limited only by how much you’re willing to push yourself to get there. We invest in your growth, because you invest in ours.

Position Summary:

This role will be responsible for driving the strategic agenda and business development opportunities for the company. This role will support internal strategy definition and execution as well as external M&A targeting. Business development is a critical capability within the organization and the director will lead the adoption and implementation of VF's due diligence and integration work. This role will work closely with the Senior Leadership team to establish the right process for evaluating opportunities, assessing strategic fit, and ultimately aligning on key decisions regarding potential acquisition targets. This role will partner with our FP&A team to develop the financial model for target evaluation and drive the financial validation process from initial assessment through diligence and integration.

Major Duties and Responsibilities:

Corporate Business Development: Drive the adoption and implementation of Ventura's M&A Stage Gate and due diligence processes. This includes high-level assessment of potential acquisition targets, partnering with Senior Leadership to vet opportunities, and managing cross-functional teams and external consultants on executing the work.
Project Management: Being responsible for all aspects of a strategic project and diligence program management. This includes supporting initiatives from the planning stage, through execution, to completion and final handover to the process or functional owner. Will be the main point of contact through the entire lifecycle of the project by managing the day-to-day operational aspects of a project, assisting in the definition of project scope, schedule and budget, involving all relevant stakeholders and ensuring feasibility.
Strategy Support: Operates as an in-house business analyst for important projects designated by the CEO/SVP including analysis of acquisition targets, capital projects, investment / divestment work, make vs. buy decisions, and competitive assessments.
Business Unit Support: Keeps informed of and coordinates overall corporate plans and other planning studies being conducted within the Company. Assists other departments and divisions in their planning activities to ensure connectivity between overall corporate strategy and the individual business unit plans. Recommends strategies for operating units within the organization that do not consistently meet targeted objectives.
Performance to Corporate Goals: Develops reporting to monitor performance against short and long term strategic targets defined through our corporate long range plan.
External M&A Activity: Monitors news and recent transactions within the food industry and provides regular updates on market trends to the SLT / ELT.

Education and Experience:

Bachelor's degree and 5+ years of progressively responsible experience where duties involve professional consulting for a recognized firm, and/or industry experience exploring business development opportunities, acquisitions/mergers, and directing integration activities.
MBA is highly preferred.
Good working knowledge of market analysis, financial analysis, and operations, and issues affecting business merger, acquisitions, and joint ventures.
Food industry experience will be significant plus, as will operating experience as a high level consultant working for a major consulting firm.
Ability to manage in an ambiguous environment.
Ability to travel 25%.

Knowledge and Skills:

Well developed skills in the areas of planning, organizing, prioritizing, negotiating, and communication.
Must be decisive and demonstrate sound judgment.
Must possess outstanding analytical skills.
Must have excellent interpersonal skills that enable good communications and selling of ideas.

Why Join Us:

Ventura Foods offers career growth opportunities as well as competitive compensation and benefits:

Medical, Prescription, Dental, & Vision – coverage beginning on your 1st day for eligible employees
Profit Sharing and 401(k) matching (after eligible criteria is met)
Paid Vacation, Sick Time, and Holidays
Employee Appreciation Events and Employee Assistance Programs
Salary Base Range of $157,000 – $209,000 for Employees Located in California*
Annual bonus (based on the incentive program terms and conditions)

*The “base salary range” provided above is a good faith estimate of what we expect to pay for this position. The range provided is for California-based employees as Ventura Foods is required by California State Law to post pay rates. Ventura Foods reserves the right to pay outside of the given range based on a variety of factors including but not limited to: candidate skills and experience, complexity of the job, budgetary factors, and location/geography. Ventura Foods conducts regular reviews of compensation ranges and therefore reserves the right to alter this range at any given time.

Diversity & Inclusion:

Our commitment to a diverse and inclusive environment in which all employees are treated with respect is evident in our company culture and values. We believe that fostering an environment of inclusion and a focus on diversity across our organization is vital to attracting top talent, driving innovation, and meeting the high expectations of our customers in a rapidly evolving global marketplace.

Ventura Foods is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law.

Nearest Major Market: Orange County
Nearest Secondary Market: Los Angeles

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