Assistant Manager, Strategic Planning & Innovation

The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) is seeking a dynamic and analytical professional to join our Strategic Planning & Innovation team. This role plays a key part in shaping NKF's strategic direction, driving organizational transformation, and supporting innovation initiatives that enhance healthcare delivery, operational excellence, and long-term sustainability.

In this role, you will work closely with senior leadership and cross-functional teams to shape strategic direction, identify opportunities for improvement, and deliver impactful initiatives that support NKF's mission and future growth.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Planning

• Support the development, review, and implementation of NKF's strategic plans and organizational priorities.
• Conduct environmental scanning, benchmarking, market research, and trend analysis to identify emerging opportunities, risks, and best practices.
• Lead and coordinate annual workplan presentations and strategic planning exercises across departments.
• Analyse internal and external data to generate insights that support strategic decision-making.
• Develop and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) and organizational performance metrics.
• Prepare strategic reports, dashboards, presentations, and papers for senior management and key stakeholders.
• Facilitate strategic planning workshops, discussions, and alignment sessions.
• Ensure departmental initiatives and projects are aligned with NKF's overall strategic objectives.

Innovation & Continuous Improvement

• Identify, evaluate, and drive innovation initiatives to improve processes, services, and operational efficiency.
• Foster a culture of innovation by engaging stakeholders and encouraging continuous improvement across the organization.
• Lead or support pilots, proof-of-concepts, and new solution implementation initiatives.
• Assess the feasibility, impact, scalability, and sustainability of innovation opportunities.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams to translate ideas into actionable projects.
• Monitor and evaluate innovation outcomes to ensure alignment with strategic goals.

Project Management

• Lead and manage strategic and innovation-related projects from initiation through implementation.

• Develop project plans, timelines, resource requirements, and governance frameworks.

• Monitor project progress, risks, dependencies, and issues, implementing mitigation plans where required.

• Ensure projects are delivered on time, within scope, and within budget.

• Facilitate project meetings and prepare project status reports for stakeholders.

• Coordinate internal and external stakeholders to support successful project execution.

• Establish monitoring and evaluation frameworks to assess project outcomes and impact.

Stakeholder Engagement & Governance

• Partner with internal departments, senior leadership, and external stakeholders to support strategic initiatives.
• Communicate project updates, insights, recommendations, and outcomes effectively.
• Support governance processes through proper documentation, reporting, and approval management.

Other Responsibilities

• Provide ad-hoc analytical, planning, and coordination support as required.
• Support organizational transformation and change management initiatives.

Requirements

Qualifications & Experience

• Degree in Business, Strategic Management, Healthcare Management, Public Policy, Economics, Data Analytics, or a related discipline.
• Minimum 5 years of relevant experience in strategic planning, corporate planning, business transformation, management consulting, policy development, project management, healthcare strategy, or related fields.
• Experience in healthcare, social service, non-profit, or public sector environments will be an advantage.
• Proven experience in managing cross-functional projects and driving organizational initiatives.

Skills & Competencies

• Strong analytical, critical thinking, and problem-solving abilities.
• Ability to conceptualise strategies and develop compelling business cases.
• Excellent project management and stakeholder management skills.
• Strong presentation, facilitation, and communication skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint, including data analysis and presentation development.
• Meticulous, resourceful, self-driven, and able to work independently.
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to collaborate effectively across teams and levels.