Strategic Initiatives Manager

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Location: Muntinlupa City, National Capital Region (NCR), PH, 1781

Company: W. R. Grace & Co.

Requisition ID:24229

Built on talent, technology, and trust, Grace is a leading global supplier of catalysts and engineered materials. The company's two industry-leading business segments—Catalysts Technologies and Materials Technologies—provide innovative products, technologies, and services that enhance the products and processes of our customers around the world. Grace employs approximately 4,300 people in over 30 countries.

Grace, a Standard Industries company, is a leading global supplier of specialty chemicals and solutions that enable industries to enhance modern life. Our customers use our catalysts, engineered materials, process technologies and fine chemicals to manufacture everyday products – like renewable fuels, pharmaceuticals and food packaging – better, faster and smarter. Our thousands of employees work to harness the power of science for a better world at our global headquarters in Columbia, MD and locations worldwide. For more information, visit .

The Strategic Initiatives Manager position is a key and trusted support role as the strategic and operational person to the Director, GBS Manila & Global Procurement Operations. This position is responsible for managing the implementation and tracking of the Global Business Services' (GBS) strategic plan while also serving as a lead project manager for high-priority initiatives. The Strategic Initiatives Sr Manager ensures that both long-term strategic goals and short-term projects are executed efficiently, on time, and within scope. This role requires strong cross-functional collaboration, exceptional organizational skills, and a commitment to equity-centered work.

Strategic Plan Implementation & Monitoring

• Supports the development and prioritization of strategic ideas and provides early facilitation of concepts.
• Oversee the rollout and integration of the strategic plan across all functions and programs.
• Develop and maintain tools and systems for tracking strategic priorities, KPIs, and progress toward goals.
• Coordinate quarterly strategic progress updates for leadership, GPOs, and functional leads.
• Identify roadblocks or misalignments and make recommendations for course correction.
• Coordinates connections and collaboration across the leadership team to ensure alignment of key processes, programs, and activities.
  • Manage cross-departmental projects that advance strategic priorities, such as new program launches, internal process improvements, and infrastructure initiatives.
  • Develop project scope, timelines, work plans, and communication plans.
  • Track milestones and deliverables; lead regular project check-ins and update relevant stakeholders.
  • Support teams in meeting deadlines, staying on budget, and achieving project outcomes.
  Responsibilities (2 of 3)

Internal Collaboration & Communication

• Serve as a key connector across departments to break down silos and promote shared ownership of strategic initiatives.
• Facilitate meetings, working groups, and planning sessions tied to strategic goals or complex projects.
• Partners with the leadership team to define, prepare, and communicate organizational plans and strategies.
• Improves current processes and coordinates organizational procedures for optimized efficiency and productivity.
• Partners with leadership to deliver, monitor, and communicate progress on key organizational metrics, processes, and programs.
• Supports Leadership team in meetings by setting agendas, recording minutes and assuming responsibility for follow up and completion of action items.
• Supports the Leadership team in the preparation of key meetings and executive presentations.
• Provide clear and timely communication around priorities, responsibilities, and timelines.

Data & Evaluation

• Collaborate with the leadership team and other members of GBS staff to collect, analyze, and report on key performance indicators.
• Design dashboards and reporting mechanisms to ensure transparency and informed decision-making.
• Translate data into actionable insights to guide continuous improvement.
• Analyze and report performance based on strategies and business goals and identify areas needing improvement.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Support internal and external communication of strategic plans and key organizational initiatives.
• Partner with the GPO community through listening efforts, strategic planning cycles, and engagement of board and partner stakeholders.
• Assists in the leadership and management of new business and operations processes throughout the organization.

• Bachelor's degree in engineering, Business or a related field of study. MBA is considered to be a strong asset.
• 10+ years' experience working for a multinational, preferably US-headquarter organization
• Over 5 years of experience in project management, business strategy execution, people leadership, and management within a GBS/Shared Service environment.
• Proven success in project management, role planning, and leading strategic initiatives. Certification in Project Management or a Certified Six Sigma Blackbelt are considered a strong asset.
• Excellent communicator in written and verbal form, with a strong focus on interdepartmental communication.
• Proven analytical and problem-solving skills to conduct data analysis, draw relevant conclusions, develop recommendations, and drive changes.

• Proven ability to develop and lead the implementation of strategy and operational plans to a successful outcome.
• Strong business and financial acumen with the ability to understand and interpret a variety of financial reports.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, independent environment and juggle multiple ongoing projects, responsibilities, and relationships.
• Ability to think and act creatively, championing and promoting new ideas that contribute to the goals of the organization.
• Ability to lead and manage through ambiguity and work independently with minimal direction
• Technical understanding of how AI and digitization tools will assist in process efficiencies across the organization.
• HMO coverage for employees on day 1 (with pandemic coverage)
• Free HMO coverage for up to 3 qualified dependents
• Educational Assistance
• Relationship building - The ability to build rapport, understanding and trust with all key stakeholders through ongoing dialogue and delivering results.
• Communication - A proven ability to communicate with stakeholders across the organization, including active listening to understand multiple viewpoints and their relevance to the success of GBS strategic initiatives.
• Conflict management - Understands organizational "hot spots" and focuses diverse groups on common organizational outcomes. Fosters productive dialogue and manages high-tension situations with diplomacy and tact to maintain credibility and influence.
• Collaboration/team dynamics - Demonstrates the ability to effectively collaborate with diverse teams, bringing together varying opinions and agendas to achieve unified outcomes, strategies, and plans. Fosters a sense of shared goals within the team, guiding them toward these objectives while managing trade-offs among different stakeholder communities.
• Priority setting - Focuses on most important and relevant topics through identification of impact on business results.
• Change agent - Drives change and engages with others to turn the vision into action.
• Detail orientation - Focused on ensuring that all data and activities are managed at an appropriate level of detail to ensure an accurate demand and supply plan.
• Process orientation - Understanding the connection between groups and activities and the ability to organize people and activities to achieve expected outcomes. Insight into opportunities to simplify and integrate process steps to maximum effect.

Grace is not accepting unsolicited assistance from search firms for this employment opportunity. Please, no phone calls or emails. All resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at Grace via email, the Internet or in any form and/or method without a valid written search agreement in place for this position will be deemed the sole property of Grace. No fee will be paid in the event the candidate is hired by Grace as a result of the referral or through other means.