Alcoa Corporation is a global industry leader in the production of bauxite, alumina and aluminum, enhanced by a strong portfolio of value-added cast and rolled products and substantial energy assets. Alcoa Corporation draws on the innovation culture, customer relationships and strong brand of Alcoa Inc.  Previously known as the Aluminum Company of America, Alcoa Inc. pioneered the aluminum industry 128 years ago with the discovery of the first commercial process for the affordable production of aluminum. Since the discovery, Alcoa aluminum was used in the Wright brothers’ first flight (1903), Alcoa Inc. helped produce the first aluminum-sheathed skyscraper (1952), the first all-aluminum vehicle frame (1994) and the first aluminum beer bottle (2004).Today, Alcoa Corporation extends this heritage of product and process innovation as it strives to continuously redefine world-class operational performance at its locations, while partnering with its customers across its range of global products. We believe that the lightweight capabilities and enhanced performance attributes that aluminum offers across a number of end markets are in increasingly high demand and underpin strong growth prospects for Alcoa Corporation.Alcoa Corporation’s operations encompass all major production processes in the primary aluminum industry value chain, which we believe provides Alcoa Corporation with a strong platform from which to serve our customers in each critical segment.

The corporate strategy team is responsible for leading Alcoa’s annual strategic planning process, implementing key strategic initiatives, contributing to business development activities (mergers, acquisitions, JV formation, and divestitures), and supporting strategic problem solving across the businesses.  To complete its mission, the corporate strategy team collaborates closely with business and functional teams
across Alcoa.

The Director, Strategy, reporting to the VP, Strategy, has responsibility for building and leading strategy project teams (typically comprising part-time resources from across Alcoa businesses and corporate
resource units) and conducting strategic analyses in support of Alcoa’s overall strategy and business priorities.  

Areas of Accountability:

1. Leading projects and teams, collaborating as “one-team” with business units

2.Conducting analysis and generating insights to create actionable recommendations on specific strategic   questions, for example:

    • Evaluating the business case for a major investment

    • Evaluating the competitiveness of an industry player relative to Alcoa

    • Identifying investment/partnership opportunities

    • Assessing financial performance of industry segments and/or potential acquisition candidates

3.Organizing and managing Alcoa’s annual strategic planning process and supporting Alcoa’s Executive Team 

4.Managing the work of others, including project team members and corporate strategy staff, without direct supervision

5.Raising awareness of key competitive developments that could impact Alcoa’s competitive position

Basic Qualifications: 

• University degree in business, economics, or engineering

• Experience applying business analytics to strategic questions

Preferred Qualifications:

Proven ability to, and passion for, leading practical business research and analysis.  In particular, must:

Be able to lead primary and secondary strategic business research and analysis, including problem structuring/survey design, data gathering from internal and external sources, financial analysis, market analysis, recommendation development, etc.

Possess a driving curiosity that leads naturally to building fact-based knowledge and insights

Have a pragmatic problem solving approach that is able to cut through ambiguity and uncertainty

Industry knowledge/familiarity

Broad knowledge of upstream aluminum value chain and global industry landscape

Specific experience in strategic analyses in basic materials industries (that compete on asset deployment and cost competitiveness)

Proven people leadership and people development skills

Good interpersonal and communication skills to deal effectively with (1) all levels of the business from executive management to functional experts within regions, and (2) external business community including potential partners and government officials

MBA or an equivalent level of experience

Additional Assets:

Broad familiarity of Alcoa's organizational structure and business goals

Experience managing consultants and external research services, including proposal evaluation and supplier management

Experience working in a strategy and/or business development environment

A working familiarity of planning, operations, technology, legal, tax, personnel-related and other matters would be an asset, particularly in regard to acquisitions and ventures development