Manager, Business Strategy

When you join Sallie Mae, you become a champion for all students.We're on a mission to power confidence as students begin their unique journey. To help them plan their higher education, successfully finish, and prepare for life after school. To help them Start smart. Learn big.Students need guidance navigating this important time in their life. They need someone who acknowledges that their education path is unique. They need a partner willing to evolve and not only meet but surpass their expectations. We're changing. Because students need a better way.We're looking for people who are excited to drive this transformation. To break barriers and think of new ways to adapt, help, and create better experiences for students-and for each other.This is where diverse backgrounds, beliefs, and perspectives matter. It's where you're empowered to bring your authentic self to work.Feeling your best allows you to do your best. Our benefits take care of the whole you-from physical and mental to financial and professional. You'll get opportunities to further your education and career, support for you and your family (including your pets!), paid time off to volunteer for the things that matter to you, and more.We're obsessed with impact and making a real difference. For us, that means putting relationships first, asking "why not?" when tackling challenges, and continuously learning new skills.Come do more than join something, change something. For students, for future generations, for the future of education.What You'll ContributeAs a Manager of Business Strategy, you will play a critical role in supporting strategic initiatives for our flagship Private Student Loan & Retail Deposits businesses. Your primary responsibility will be to conduct comprehensive industry and market research, assess competitor activities, and analyze business performance metrics to provide actionable insights and support strategic decision-making. You will assist with developing robust business cases, creating detailed reports, and writing effective business presentations that effectively communicate key findings and recommendations.In this position, you will leverage your strong analytical skills and ability to operate autonomously to manage multiple projects simultaneously, supporting senior leadership across several key engagements. Your role will require you to deliver high-quality analyses and actionable recommendations in tight timeframes while maintaining clear and effective communication with stakeholders. You will operate as an internal consultant within Sallie Mae, collaborating across multiple functional teams to solve complex business problems.What You'll Do:- Conduct comprehensive industry and market research, analyzing trends, opportunities, and competitive dynamics to inform strategic decision-making and business planning.- Perform detailed business performance analysis, including financial metrics and customer experience and operational data, to assess current performance and identify areas for improvement.- Develop and present business cases, using quantitative analysis and data-driven insights to support strategic initiatives and investment decisions.- Create and deliver impactful presentations, summarizing research findings, strategic recommendations, and project updates supporting senior leadership within the Strategy team and other stakeholders.- Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including Finance, Marketing, Product, Analytics, Credit, and Operations, to gather relevant data and insights for strategic projects.- Monitor and evaluate competitor activities, assessing their strategies, strengths, and weaknesses to inform competitive positioning and strategic responses.- Manage multiple projects simultaneously, ensuring timely and high-quality delivery of analysis, reports, and recommendations while supporting senior leadership.- Leverage advanced analytical tools, techniques, and resources as needed, including statistical analysis and data visualization, to generate insights and drive strategic decisions.The above information is intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by employees assigned to this job; it is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities and qualifications required of employees in this role.What You Have:Minimum education, skills and experience required.- Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Finance, Economics, or a related field; relevant certifications or advanced coursework in strategy or financial analysis is a plus.- 5 years of experience in Corporate or Business Strategy roles within a Financial Services company, or a strategy consulting associate role in a Management Consulting firm required.- Strong analytical skills, with demonstrated experience in conducting detailed research, performing financial analysis, and developing business cases.- Proficiency in data analysis tools and techniques, including Excel (advanced functions, pivot tables) and data visualization software (e.g., Power BI, Tableau).- Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to create and deliver clear, persuasive presentations to senior leadership and other stakeholders.- Proven ability to operate autonomously, manage multiple projects simultaneously, and meet deadlines while maintaining high-quality work.- Strong problem-solving abilities, with a track record of using data-driven insights to address complex business challenges and support strategic decision-making.- Experience with competitive analysis, including assessing market trends, evaluating competitor strategies, and providing actionable recommendations for competitive positioningThe Americans with Disabilities ActThe Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) prohibits discrimination by employers, in compensation and employment opportunities, against qualified individuals with disabilities who, with or without reasonable accommodation, can perform the "essential functions" of a job. A function may be essential for any of several reasons, including: the job exists to perform that function, the employee holding the job was hired for his/her expertise in performing the function, or only a limited number of employees are available to perform that function.Feeling your best helps you do your best:Our benefits take care of the whole you-so you can build your work around your life (not the other way around!).- Competitive base salaries- Bonus incentives- Generous PTO, Floating Holidays and 12 Federal Holidays observed- Support for financial-well-being and retirement 401k with employer match- Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, hospital indemnity, critical illness, pet insurance and more- Employer paid short-term/long-term disability and basic life insurance- Flexible hybrid working arrangements.- Paid parental leave and adoption reimbursement programs- Free access to on-site staffed fitness centers (in Delaware) and gym subsidy (for locations outside Delaware)- Confidential counseling support (EAP), Health Advocacy services and Wellness program with financial incentives- Tuition Reimbursement and Family Scholarship Programs- Career development and training opportunitiesNot the right fit? Let us know you're interested in a future opportunity by clicking Introduce Yourself in the top-right corner of the page or create an account to set up email alerts as new job postings become available that meet your interest!Sallie Mae is proud to be an equal opportunity (EEO) employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, genetic information, gender identity, disability, Veteran status or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. Click here (https://salliemae.com/legal/pay-transparency-policy/) to view the U.S. Pay Transparency Policy, here (https://mandatoryview.com/productview) for federal job applicant notices, and here (https://acrobat.adobe.com/link/review?uri=urn%3Aaaid%3Ascds%3AUS%3A5637b18d-10f3-4877-a3fe-481683f1eb1c) to view the California Employee Privacy Notice.Reasonable accommodations are available for applicants with disabilities in all phases of the application and employment process. To request an accommodation please call (855) 756-2007 and choose option 9. All information you provide will be kept confidential and will be used only to the extent required to provide needed reasonable accommodations.Sallie Mae is proud to be an equal opportunity (EEO) employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, genetic information, gender identity, disability, Veteran status or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local law. If you'd like more information about your EEO rights as an applicant, please click https://https/www.eeoc.gov/employees-job-applicants. https://https/www.dol.gov/sites/dolgov/files/ofccp/regs/compliance/posters/pdf/OFCCPEEOSupplementFinalJRFQA508c.pdf. Click https://https/www.salliemae.com/legal/pay-transparency-policy/ to view the U.S. Pay Transparency Policy.