Position SummaryWe are seeking a dynamic, highly collaborative Innovation Lead to facilitate and accelerate our internal innovation cycle. As a mid-level individual contributor, you will not manage a formal team, but you will act as the operational engine-guiding cross-functional squads from initial stages of product development. You are part creative facilitator, part data-driven strategist, and part agile project manager.
Key Responsibilities- Facilitate Co-Creation: Design and lead design-thinking workshops, hackathons, and cross-departmental brainstorming sessions to extract high-value ideas.
- Validate & De-Risk: Conduct market research, competitor analysis, and user interviews to validate assumptions and screen early-stage concepts.
- Coordinate Prototyping: Partner with engineering, design, and product teams to map out and build low-fidelity Minimum Viable Products (MVPs) for rapid testing.
- Manage the Innovation Pipeline: Own the day-to-day tracking of projects through our innovation funnel, ensuring clear documentation, metrics tracking, and milestone reviews.
- Influence Without Authority: Build strong relationships with traditional, risk-averse departments (Legal, Finance, Compliance) to clear roadblocks for experimental projects.
Required Qualifications- Experience: 3-5 years of experience in innovation consulting, product management, corporate strategy, or an agile project management role.
- Methodologies: Strong operational knowledge of Design Thinking, Lean Startup, and Agile/Scrum frameworks.
- Soft Skills: Exceptional emotional intelligence, workshop facilitation skills, and a proven ability to influence and align diverse teams without direct authority.
- Tools: Proficiency with collaborative digital whiteboards and project tracking software.
