Strategic Planning Manager

Fixed Term Contract initially until end of April 2026, with potential to go permanent

About us

With over 200 brands sold in nearly 180 countries, we're the world's leading premium drinks company. Bring your passion and use your curiosity as you explore, collaborate, and innovate to build brands consumers love. Together with passionate people from all over the world, you'll test new ideas, learn and grow, and unlock a brighter, more exciting future. Join us to create a career worth celebrating.

About the Function

Our Finance team deliver sustainable growth for our business, customers, and much-loved brands. We're part of a $12.2 billion gross profit organisation, responsible for driving an exceptional level of performance and creating the potential for future growth.

Whether we're utilising our digital capabilities and analytics to inform our business strategy or creating capacity to invest in the future - no two days are the same in our Finance team. Wherever your skills lie, we'll help you to learn and develop, supporting you along the way in our inclusive culture.

About the Role

• The remit of the team is huge: working across Corporate and Market strategy agendas you will drive strategic financial planning for the Group but also be involved in global market strategies by framing strategic questions to drive aligned and thorough answers.

• It requires the confidence to bring constructive challenge to the top management and deliver outcomes whilst building alignment and understanding of the strategy across the senior leadership team.

• You will report to the Strategic Planning Director to deliver the group 3-year financial plan, as well as working with the broader Strategy team on corporate strategy, market and global category strategies, and functional transformation projects.

What you'll gain from Diageo & the Strategy team

• You'll join a Purpose led organisation with a dynamic ESG track record and vision, from sustainability to a world leading Diversity & Inclusion agenda

• Winning formula: Global #1 premium spirits company with world-famous share winning brands in an exciting, growing, profitable industry

• Growing & Learning: Learning and development from a FTSE 10 business that uses CPG standard processes and a highly experienced Group Strategy team

• Exposure & Network: work cross functionally and collaboratively with senior leadership across the business, with exposure to the Executive Committee and close interaction with Regional FDs & the CFO leadership team.

• Career building: we have a track record of placing strategists into the commercial business, with recent placements into leadership roles across marketing, finance, planning, sales, digital and innovation.

• Variety: we work on projects across the full E2E value chain. From global D2C platform visions, to market commercial strategies, to supply chain efficiency; and to financial planning

• Impact: work on the most pressing strategic issues, driving strategy to execution to enable positive change

Leadership Responsibilities

• The ideal candidate will have a pro-active attitude, be highly numerate commercially savvy to apply strong judgment in a fast-paced decision-making environment.

• These are high profile, global processes with senior partners so absolute rigour is required. The team has a stretching pipeline and therefore high levels of energy, positivity, and should be able to prioritise opposing demands effectively.

• The individual will be intellectually curious with confidence and capability to explore new ideas and develop creative solutions.

What we're looking for

• Analytical: Working on strategic planning involves a highly numerate mentality capable to design and deliver key analysis for strategic modelling. The ability to combine analytical thinking with commercial skills is fundamental to the role.

• Positivity: Our job means we're often answering tough questions, our role is ambiguous, and we have to break down barriers to do it well. We believe in bringing energy, courage and an optimistic attitude to this journey.

• Collaboration: We believe that we do our best work together with others across the business, sharing thoughts, challenging perceptions and attitudes.

• Future-focused: We ensure Diageo is taking the actions required to deliver against long term goals. We do this by being the businesses external radar, continually assessing the wider environment, searching for, and understanding potential disruption.

• Owners: We are proud of our work and hold ourselves to the highest standards. We are conscientious, thoughtful and precise. We take ownership of our projects and lead the relationships with the most senior partners in the business

Qualifications and Experience required

• 3+ years' experience in analytical financial roles

• High strategic ability with a passion for consumer, shopper, customer, competitor and marketplace insight

• High organisational agility to navigate a sophisticated organization

• Strong intuition for business with a "commercial first" mentality

• Ability to embrace change and ambiguity

• Inclusive, collaborative mindset with global empathy

Flexibility is key to our success. Talk to us about what flexibility means to you so that you're supported to manage your wellbeing and balance your priorities from day one.

Our purpose is to celebrate life, every day, everywhere. And creating an inclusive culture, where everyone feels valued and that they can belong, is a crucial part of this. We embrace diversity in the broadest possible sense. This means that you'll be welcomed and celebrated for who you are just by being you. You'll be part of and help build and champion an inclusive culture that celebrates people of different gender, ethnicity, ability, age, sexual orientation, social class, educational backgrounds, experiences, approaches, and more.

Our ambition is to create the best performing, most trusted and respected consumer products companies in the world. Join us and help transform our business as we take our brands to the next level and build new ones as part of shaping the next generation of celebrations for consumers around the world.

Feel inspired? Then this may be the opportunity for you.

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