Associate – Strategy and Program Management

Associate – Strategy and Program Management

The Big Picture 

About Sysco LABS:

Sysco LABS is the Global In-House Center of Sysco Corporation (NYSE: SYY), the world’s largest foodservice company. Sysco ranks 55th in the Fortune 500 list and is the global leader in the trillion-dollar foodservice industry.

Sysco operates 333 distribution centers across 10 countries, with 75,000 colleagues serving approximately 670,000 customer locations, including restaurants, healthcare and educational facilities, lodging establishments, entertainment venues and more. For fiscal year 2026, which ended June 27, 2026, the company generated sales of more than $84 billion.

Sysco LABS Sri Lanka delivers the technology that powers Sysco’s end-to-end operations.

Sysco LABS’ enterprise technology is present in the end-to-end foodservice journey, enabling the sourcing of food products, merchandising, storage and warehouse operations, order placement and pricing algorithms, the delivery of food and supplies to Sysco’s global network and the in-restaurant dining experience of the end-customer.

Summary

The Associate – Strategy and Program Management is responsible for supporting the planning, governance, execution, and monitoring of strategic initiatives and business programs across the organization. The role serves as a key coordination point between business leaders, project teams, and stakeholders, ensuring effective governance, timely reporting, and disciplined execution of strategic priorities.

The ideal candidate is an analytical and detail-oriented professional who can effectively organize information, coordinate cross-functional activities, support decision-making through data-driven insights, and maintain strong stakeholder relationships across borders. This role provides exposure to senior leadership discussions, enterprise planning activities, and strategic transformation initiatives.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Governance and Program Coordination

• Support the operation of established governance forums including leadership reviews, steering committees, program reviews, and strategy meetings.
• Prepare governance materials including presentations, reports, dashboards, meeting packs, and status updates.
• Facilitate meeting logistics, document minutes, maintain action registers, and track decisions.
• Follow up with stakeholders to ensure timely completion and closure of agreed actions.
• Maintain governance documentation, program records, and decision logs.
• Support adherence to established PMO and program governance frameworks.
• Assist in monitoring program milestones, risks, dependencies, and key deliverables.
• Escalate risks, delays, or issues to appropriate stakeholders when required.

Strategic Analysis and Business Support

• Provide analytical support for strategic initiatives, business reviews, and transformation activities.
• Review presentations, proposals, business cases, and strategic documents to identify gaps, risks, assumptions, and improvement opportunities.
• Conduct research, data gathering, benchmarking, and analysis to support decision-making.
• Assist in developing reports, recommendations, and management presentations for leadership teams.
• Analyze business performance data and identify trends, opportunities, and areas requiring further investigation.
• Support the evaluation of strategic initiatives through structured analysis and problem-solving.
• Contribute to improving the quality and rigor of strategic deliverables produced by the team.

Planning and Performance Management

• Support the development and maintenance of annual operating plans, strategic roadmaps, and multi-year business plans.
• Gather and consolidate information from stakeholders to support planning activities.
• Assist in basic forecasting, modelling, and scenario analysis.
• Monitor progress against strategic objectives, milestones, and key performance indicators.
• Prepare regular progress reports and performance updates for leadership review.
• Ensure planning artifacts and program documentation remain accurate and current.
• Support the tracking of benefits realization and progress against strategic initiatives.

Stakeholder Engagement

• Build effective working relationships with business leaders, project teams, and functional stakeholders.
• Coordinate information requests and follow-ups across multiple teams and geographies.
• Engage confidently with local and international stakeholders while maintaining professionalism and accuracy.
• Communicate clearly and effectively through written, verbal, and presentation formats.
• Support collaboration initiatives that drive alignment across business functions.

Qualifications

Education and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Statistics, Business Management, Business Analytics, Economics, Management Science, Mathematics, or a related discipline.
• 1-2 years of experience in strategy, business analysis, program management, project coordination, PMO, consulting, business operations, or a related field.
• Exposure to project management methodologies and governance practices is preferred.
• Professional certification in Project Management, such as CAPM, PMP (in progress), PRINCE2 Foundation, or an equivalent qualification will be an advantage.
• Experience working with reporting, planning, or analytical tools is preferred.

Skills and Competencies

• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and other productivity tools.
• Ability to organize, interpret, and present data effectively.
• Strong attention to detail and ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English.
• Strong stakeholder management and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work effectively with cross-border teams and senior leaders.
• Confidence in preparing executive-level presentations and reports.
• Understanding of project management principles and governance practices.
• Ability to work independently while operating within established frameworks and processes.
• High degree of professionalism, accountability, and ownership.

Reporting Structure

This role reports directly to Program Manager - Strategy and Program Management and will work closely with functional leaders, program teams, and stakeholders across the organization.

Benefits: 

• Performance-based annual bonus 

• Performance rewards and recognition 

• Agile Benefits - special allowances for Health, Wellness & Academic purposes 

• Entertainment allowance 

• Team engagement allowance 

• Comprehensive Health & Life Insurance Cover - extendable to parents and in-laws 

• Hybrid work arrangement 

 

Sysco LABS is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

About Us

Sysco is the global leader in selling, marketing and distributing food products to restaurants, healthcare and educational facilities, lodging establishments and other customers who prepare meals away from home. Its family of products also includes equipment and supplies for the foodservice and hospitality industries. With more than 71,000 colleagues, the company operates 333 distribution facilities worldwide and serves approximately 700,000 customer locations. For fiscal year 2022 that ended July 2, 2022, the company generated sales of more than $68 billion. Information about our Sustainability program, including Sysco’s 2022 Sustainability Report and 2022 Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Report, can be found at www.sysco.com.