Director, Strategy and M&A, Materials Group - Global

Director, Strategy and M&A, Materials Group - Global

Full-time

About Avery Dennison

Avery Dennison Corporation (NYSE: AVY) is a global materials science and digital identification solutions company. We are Making Possible™ products and solutions that help advance the industries we serve, providing branding and information solutions that optimize labor and supply chain efficiency, reduce waste, advance sustainability, circularity and transparency, and better connect brands and consumers. We design and develop labeling and functional materials, radio‑frequency identification (RFID) inlays and tags, software applications that connect the physical and digital, and offerings that enhance branded packaging and carry or display information that improves the customer experience. Serving industries worldwide — including home and personal care, apparel, general retail, e‑commerce, logistics, food and grocery, pharmaceuticals and automotive — we employ approximately 35,000 employees in more than 50 countries. Our reported sales in 2024 were $8.8 billion. Learn more at

Avery Dennison is an equal opportunity employer.

Please let us know if we can support you with reasonable accommodations throughout the application process by contacting our team via

The Director Strategy and M&A works with the business leaders of selected Materials Group (MG) businesses to develop their long‑term strategic plans. He/She assesses growth opportunities and business challenges, and takes the lead for important projects (including M&A). This role is based in Oegstgeest (Amsterdam/The Hague area; home office possible up to 3 days per week) and reports to the VP Strategy and M&A, MG‑Global.

This is an outstanding opportunity for a high potential with consulting and/or corporate development experience (5+ years) to shape the strategy of our business while optimizing its performance. We offer a stimulating, value‑driven and collaborative work environment with exposure to top management, and the opportunity to grow and develop into other leadership roles in the organization.

You will:

• Build and maintain a network within the organization as well as the ecosystem
• Be a key thought partner to the General Managers of selected businesses (e.g. Tapes, Graphics) and selected functional leaders on both strategic questions as well as improvement opportunities.
• Lead the annual strategic planning process for 1–2 businesses or functions (e.g. Tapes). Shape the storyline, structure the work, support and challenge the functional leaders with their workstreams, and make sure financial projections tie back to the strategy.
• Develop and execute focused strategies for growing our business into adjacencies. Assess industry structure, trends and customer needs in adjacent spaces.
• Act as project lead for important strategic or business initiatives. This includes managing cross‑functional teams as well as deep diving into the business.
• Work closely with the organization to identify acquisition opportunities which could help accelerate our strategies. Together with the corporate M&A team get involved in the M&A process. Present the findings and recommendations to the M&A committee (composed of the CEO, the CFO and the key leaders of the business).
• As part of the corporate strategy team, support at times with broader strategic assessments or M&A deals which cut across regions and divisions.
• This position is based at our European Headquarters in the Netherlands.
• 2 days per week required at the office.
• No relocation offered.

Qualifications

We are looking for someone with 5+ years of related work experience preferably from Management Consulting and/or Corporate Development , who has a hands‑on attitude, is ready to dive deep into the business and can manage both long‑term growth as well as short‑term operational improvements. The candidate should be a strong team player able to influence without authority, across a global matrixed organization.

• Master’s degree or PhD in science, engineering, business administration or economics
• 5+ years of professional experience in Management Consulting (preferred) and/or Corporate Development
• Digital capabilities (in particular related to AI) are a plus
• M&A experience is a plus
• Collaborative work style and strong team player putting the success of the team ahead of own personal interests.
• Comfortable to work in a technical environment (material science) and desire to understand technical issues in order to gain recognition.
• Can‑do attitude: strong personal drive and ability to work independently and get things done.
• Outstanding analytic and problem‑solving skills.
• Good business judgment with constant desire to learn.
• Excellent project management skills.
• Strong oral and written communications.
• Solid understanding of financial reporting (P&L, balance sheet, cash flow, etc.).
• Able to work at all levels of the organization.
• Ability to travel (majority of time spent in Europe, up to 20% travel).

Benefits

• Workplace flexibility
• Structured learning and development

We look forward to receiving your application.

We do not accept unsolicited referrals or resumes from any source other than directly from candidates.