Commercial Strategy Manager (Sales Strategy)

Lumen is the trusted network for the AI‑powered world, connecting people, data, and applications through our expansive fiber network and connected ecosystem. We enable secure, high‑performance connectivity across cloud, edge, and AI workloads for enterprises, governments, and communities. At Lumen, you’ll work on infrastructure customers rely on today and build for what’s next, where performance, security, and resilience matter. This is a high accountability environment where bold ideas drive real innovation for our customers, partners, and industry. The work is challenging, expectations are clear, and trust is built into how we operate. If you’re ready to take ownership, deliver meaningful impact, and help shape the future of AI‑ready connectivity, join us today. ## **The Role** This role is responsible for designing, analyzing, and executing critical commercial strategy initiatives that drive growth, productivity, and operational excellence across the business. This role partners closely with Sales, Finance, Operations, Product, and Executive Leadership to develop insights, shape strategic recommendations, and translate commercial priorities into actionable plans. Reporting to the Senior Director of Commercial Strategy, this position leads key workstreams across annual planning, segmentation, coverage design, commercial performance management, and key strategic initiatives within sales strategy. This role serves as a trusted advisor to business leaders by leveraging data, financial analysis, and industry insights to optimize commercial outcomes and improve sales effectiveness. ## **The Main Responsibilities** **Commercial Planning & Design** - Lead annual planning components: segmentation, territory design, capacity planning, and coverage optimization - Recommend commercial models, role design, and account ownership frameworks - Support commercial blueprint execution aligned to go-to-market strategy - Drive planning scenarios and workload modeling to improve performance **Strategy & Performance** - Identify opportunities through market, customer, and performance analysis - Deliver executive insights to improve growth, profitability, and customer outcomes - Build business cases, ROI analyses, and financial models - Monitor KPIs and define actions to enhance performance **Governance & Operating Rhythm** - Lead governance for planning, blueprint management, and account standards - Facilitate business reviews, planning cycles, and decision forums - Establish reporting, scorecards, and dashboards for visibility and accountability - Ensure alignment between strategy and execution **Analytics & Insights** - Translate complex data into actionable recommendations - Develop forecasting models, scenarios, and operational assessments - Partner with Finance and Operations on performance and resource decisions - Leverage customer, revenue, and productivity data to inform strategy **Cross-Functional Leadership** - Partner across Sales, Customer Success, Marketing, Finance, Product, Operations, and Enablement - Influence senior stakeholders with data-driven insights - Lead strategic initiatives from concept through implementation - Mentor team members and promote accountability and collaboration ## **What We Look For in a Candidate** **Minimum** - Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience - 8+ years in commercial strategy, sales strategy, planning, consulting, or operations - Experience with planning, segmentation, coverage models, and sales productivity - Strong analytical, financial modeling, and problem-solving skills - Proven cross-functional leadership in a matrixed environment - Advanced Excel and BI/reporting tool proficiency - Strong executive communication skills **Preferred** - MBA or advanced degree - Experience in telecom, technology, SaaS, or large enterprise environments - Experience with commercial transformation or coverage model redesign - Familiarity with CRM, sales analytics, and planning tools - People leadership or la…