Manager, Strategy and Innovation

2 Lansing Square, North York, ON M2J 4P8, Canada Req #4863

December 9, 2024

The Manager, Strategy and Innovation plays a key role in designing and implementing marketing strategies aligned with medium and long-term business targets. Reporting to the Director, Strategy and Experience, this role combines strategic insight generation, market analysis, and innovation pipeline management to drive growth for Reliance. He/she will spearhead the annual marketing plan, manage the product innovation process to enhance revenue opportunities, launch products & services and conduct ad-hoc research to identify growth levers. This role will have one to two direct reports.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead the development of the annual marketing strategy which aligns with business targets, rooted in data-driven insights.
• Oversee a portfolio of ad-hoc special projects to test, experiment and validate growth recommendations.
• Business Insights and Market Opportunity Identification:
• Conduct market research, track HVAC market share, analyze industry trends and competitor activities to identify growth opportunities.
• Manage a team member to generate data driven analytics and insights to support business growth recommendations.
• Product Innovation Process Leadership:
• Manage the product innovation funnel from ideation through to launch, supporting the product team and other functional teams to bring new products and services to market.
• Marketing Innovation Pipeline:
• Research and develop innovative ideas to enhance the Reliance brand and expand product and service offerings, ensuring alignment with business objectives.
• Collaboration and Cross-functional Support:
• Partner with sales, product management, digital, marketing communications and finance to align on cross-functional strategies and initiatives.
• Support the needs and development of the Commercial B2B product portfolio and marketing initiatives.

Skills, Experience and Education Required:

• Postsecondary education in Business, Marketing, or a related field and equivalent work experience.
• Minimum 5-7 years of progressive experience in a marketing role, ideally within the customer-facing industries.
• Minimum of 3 years in a leadership role with experience in coaching and mentoring.
• Strong analytical abilities to identify market trends and develop growth strategies.
• Excellent verbal and written skills to effectively engage stakeholders and convey insights.
• Proven ability to plan, organize, and execute marketing projects.
• Proficient in leveraging data for informed decision-making.
• Ability to generate and execute innovative marketing ideas.
• Demonstrated success in working cross-functionally with diverse stakeholders.

Why Reliance?
As a leader in home services and energy efficient solutions for over 60 years, Reliance Home Comfort (Reliance) is committed to being the Destination of Choice by delivering exceptional experiences for customers seeking comfort and Team Members seeking a rewarding, inclusive workplace. With over 2 million customer relationships, Reliance is a trusted source and has become one of Canada’s largest providers of water heaters, furnaces, heat pumps, air conditioners, water purification, plumbing, protection plans, smart home, electrical, and EV chargers. Headquartered in Toronto, Reliance employs a workforce of over 2,700 Team Members across 28 branches in Canada and two locations in the United States. Reliance has been certified as a Great Place to Work in 2024 and has been recognized as one of Canada's Most Admired Corporate Cultures by Waterstone Human Capital, for four consecutive years since 2019. Reliance remains focused on sustainability, workplace safety, wellness, diversity, inclusivity, and prudent governance.

Reliance Home Comfort is an equal opportunity employer. We welcome and encourage applications from candidates of all backgrounds including minorities and those with disabilities. Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the selection process.

For more information, please visit www.reliancehomecomfort.com.