Director – Growth Innovation

Director – Growth Innovation

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, marketing, engineering or a related field; masters is a plus but not required
• 10+ years in innovation, product development, or strategic leadership roles
• 5+ years in a leadership capacity with team oversight
• Proven track record of leading high-impact, transformative initiatives
• Strong leadership and mentoring abilities
• Bias for action and a passion for driving innovation
• Skilled in building and managing high-performing teams
• Experience leading cross-functional teams and driving alignment
• Exceptional problem-solving and strategic thinking skills
• Ability to develop and execute comprehensive innovation strategies
• Expertise in business development processes (market research, financial analysis, testing new solutions)
• Proficient in setting and communicating a clear vision for innovation
• Proficiency in innovation practices, tools, and processes
• Familiar with design thinking, lean startup principles, and Agile methodologies
• Strong understanding of market trends, emerging technologies, and competitive landscapes
• Expertise in developing and executing innovation roadmaps and action plans
• Ability to track and measure innovation success and ROI
• Proven ability to drive value creation and business growth
• Excellent communication skills (verbal and written) with the ability to influence and inspire diverse teams and senior leadership
• Proven experience in managing executive-level relationships
• Comfort presenting strategies and results to senior leadership and external partners
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, changing environment
• Comfort with managing risk and fostering a team that embraces experimentation
• Demonstrated resilience and courage in navigating ambiguity
• Ability to create and implement test plans with clear measures and metrics
• Highly analytical with the ability to turn insights into actionable strategies
• Experience in financial modeling and ROI assessments for innovation projects
• Ability to foster and sustain a culture of innovation within the organization
• Skilled in conflict resolution, decision-making, and motivating diverse teams

Responsibilities

• Lead the transformation of this function with a clear vision and strategic direction focused on driving enterprise growth.
• Develop and execute an innovation strategy aligned with the company’s long-term objectives, identifying opportunities to advance enterprise priorities and uncover new growth initiatives.
• Ensure the organization invests in the right projects that align with strategic goals and maximize innovation ROI.
• Define clear innovation objectives—such as market leadership, client-centricity, revenue growth, client expansion, and operational efficiency—that support the broader business strategy.
• Develop a balanced and diversified innovation portfolio that spans core, adjacent, and transformational initiatives, aligning short-term actions with long-term strategic objectives.
• Effectively prioritize initiatives based on criteria such as potential value, impact, complexity, risk, and alignment with enterprise strategic choices.
• Develop and implement innovation roadmaps that are well-rounded with short-term, low-risk innovations for steady growth, mid-term projects for expansion or improvement, and long-term innovations for transformative change and competitive differentiation.
• Allocate resources effectively and maintain portfolio agility by monitoring progress and adjusting for strategic shifts or external factors.
• Drive human-centric innovation by applying design thinking principles throughout the innovation pipeline.
• Convert new ideas and strategic enterprise priorities into actionable concepts, backed by robust business cases.
• Validate initiatives with target audiences through prototyping, assessing performance, gathering feedback, and iterating to refine or pivot as needed.
• Ensure a smooth transition to implementation teams for launch and scaling, while maintaining efficient execution and alignment with business objectives.
• Establish evaluation criteria based on market potential, strategic alignment, feasibility, scalability, risk, and time-to-market.
• Define success through clear innovation metrics and develop frameworks to track progress and ensure measurable outcomes.
• Monitor the performance of innovation initiatives to ensure strong ROI through successful commercialization and market adoption.
• Manage budgets, resources, and timelines to deliver projects efficiently and maximize value.
• Provide transparency on spend for key initiatives, making informed trade-offs based on financial impact, accuracy, and likelihood of success.
• Monitor market trends, emerging technologies, and the competitive landscape to identify innovative opportunities for differentiation and growth that advance enterprise priorities and vision.
• Leverage client insights to inform strategy and track trends both within and outside the financial services sector.
• Collaborate with the internal strategy team to align efforts and maximize the value of innovation initiatives.
• Work seamlessly with peers and effectively manage relationships across the enterprise and with senior leadership.
• Engage key business and product teams in the innovation journey, empowering them to take ownership of long-term implementation and scaling.
• Partner with client insights to develop products that exceed client expectations.
• Collaborate closely with senior leadership and key stakeholders to align innovation efforts with enterprise priorities and business objectives.
• Communicate progress, results, and key insights effectively to executives and cross-functional teams.
• Provide regular updates to senior leadership on milestones, outcomes, and lessons learned.
• Engage with external innovation programs, such as PPS, to uncover synergies, new insights, and potential partnerships.
• Build a network of external practitioners to stay aligned with industry trends and explore collaborative opportunities.
• Explore the design and implementation of internal innovation programs, such as pitch competitions, to highlight talent, generate fresh ideas, and foster an innovative mindset.
• Cultivate a culture of innovation throughout the organization, inspiring teams to challenge the status quo, embrace experimentation, and drive value creation.
• Encourage a mindset of agility, adaptability, and resilience in navigating ambiguity.
• Equip the broader organization by providing consulting and coaching on innovation methodologies and tools.
• Lead a high-performing innovation team of practitioners, fostering an environment that encourages creativity, collaboration, and risk-taking.
• Foster a culture of continuous learning and development within the team to drive individual growth and achieve innovation objectives.

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with financial services or fraternal benefit societies is a plus