(Senior) Mgr. Strategic Planning & Agile Operations

Company Description

Continental develops pioneering technologies and services for sustainable and connected mobility of people and their goods. Founded in 1871, the technology company offers safe, efficient, intelligent and affordable solutions for vehicles, machines, traffic and transportation. In 2024, Continental generated preliminary sales of €39.7 billion and currently employs around 190,000 people in 55 countries and markets.

With its premium portfolio in the car, truck, bus, two-wheel and specialty tire segment, the Tires group sector stands for innovative solutions in tire technology. Intelligent products and services related to tires and the promotion of sustainability complete the product portfolio. For specialist dealers and fleet management, Tires offers digital tire monitoring and tire management systems, in addition to other services, with the aim of keeping fleets mobile and increasing their efficiency. With its tires, Continental makes a significant contribution to safe, efficient and environmentally friendly mobility. 

Job Description

Role Summary:

The (Senior) Mgr. Strategic Planning & Agile Operations is a key driver of strategic alignment and operational excellence across the digital product portfolio. This role leads the design, execution, and continuous improvement of strategic planning and agile delivery processes. By orchestrating planning cadences, facilitating cross-value stream collaboration, and enabling data-driven decision-making, you ensure that product strategy is effectively translated into impactful execution. You will work closely with product managers, value stream leads, and leadership to align priorities, optimize delivery, and maximize business value.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic Product Planning Process Leadership

• Lead and continuously improve the recurring planning and review cycles that support product portfolio and strategy alignment (e.g., EPIC Reviews, Portfolio Days, Roadmap Planning)
• Drive structured collaboration between product managers, value stream leads, and leadership to ensure consistent input, prioritization, and cross-stream alignment
• Ensure transparency and strategic coherence by maintaining planning cadences, documentation standards, and communication flows across the portfolio lifecycle.
• Support data-informed decision-making by synthesizing competitor and market insights, product performance data, customer feedback, and delivery metrics
• Ensure that planning outcomes are actionable and aligned with business goals, and that interdependencies and risks are proactively managed

Program Increment (PI) Planning Facilitation

• Own the end-to-end PI planning process, including calendar definition, preparation planning, and logistics coordination
• Facilitate PI-related events and processes to ensure timely alignment, availability, and prioritization of deliverables (Epics, Features) with key stakeholders
• Prepare, moderate, and document PI events (e.g., PI Targets, PI Approval, PI Demo, Retrospectives)
• Generate and analyze PI metrics (e.g., Predictability Scores, Capacity Allocation) to support continuous improvement and delivery predictability.

Agile Process Management, Continuous Improvement & Coaching

• Design, document, and optimize agile processes based on SAFe and lean principles to support scalable and effective delivery
• Maintain and evolve the agile tool landscape (e.g., JIRA, Confluence) to reflect improved workflows and planning structures
• Act as an Agile Coach, fostering a culture of collaboration, learning, and continuous improvement across teams
• Monitor process performance using KPIs and feedback loops; lead data-informed improvements and change initiatives

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Business Administration, Engineering, Information Technology, or a related field;
• 3+ years of professional experience, including strategic planning, business consulting, or corporate development in a digital or technology-driven environment and/or agile delivery leadership across complex, multi-team environments, ideally within a Scaled Agile Framework (SAFe) or similar;
• Proven track record in leading cross-functional strategic initiatives, aligning product portfolios with business goals, and driving measurable outcomes;
• Strong analytical and conceptual skills with experience in market analysis, competitive intelligence, and data-driven decision-making;
• Demonstrated ability to translate strategic vision into operational plans, manage interdependencies, and drive execution across diverse stakeholder groups;
• Experience in facilitating executive-level workshops, planning cadences, and agile ceremonies with a focus on alignment, prioritization, and continuous improvement;
• Excellent communication, facilitation, and stakeholder management skills;
• Proficiency in Agile and collaboration tools such as JIRA, Confluence, Miro, Figma, and experience with KPIs, and agile metrics;
• Proficient English language skills (written and spoken);
• Availability for international travelling.

Additional Information

Our Offer:

• Responsibility and the possibility to actively shape the future of digital tire management;
• Possibility to work in a dynamic, international team in a global organization;
• Flexible working model (hybrid);
• Agile and collaborative workstyle;
• Continuous opportunities for the promotion of talent and training

We are committed to fostering a workplace where everyone feels safe, respected, and valued. All kind of applications are welcome.

Ready to drive with Continental? Take the first step and fill in the online application.