Director of Innovation
About The Position
Lead innovation and investment strategy through identifying emerging trends, conducting market and customer research, developing new product and service concepts, and evaluating early- to growth-stage companies for potential investment or acquisition. Conduct preliminary and detailed due diligence, develop valuations, and support term sheet negotiations. Collaborate with internal stakeholders across Publishing, Sales, Technology, and Marketing to align innovation initiatives with organizational goals. Lead and mentor a multidisciplinary team including investment analysts, product managers, and product owners. Guide prototype development and testing cycles, and transition validated concepts into scalable products. Develop integration plans for acquired entities and provide ongoing strategic support, including Board participation where applicable. Define and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs) and report on product performance and user experience. Maintain strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders, and ensure compliance with relevant legal and regulatory standards.
Requirements
- Master’s degree in Business Administration, Communications, or a closely related field
- 10 years of experience in product management, innovation, or strategic business development, including work with startups, scaleups, and corporate innovation
- 5 years of experience leading cross-functional product or innovation teams, including direct management of product managers, analysts, and technical staff
- Corporate venture capital (CVC) and strategic investments
- Proven track record in mergers and acquisitions (M&A), including deal sourcing, due diligence, and integration
- Building and scaling ventures through venture studio models
- Experience leading teams using Agile methodologies
- Experience leading innovation initiatives in both startup and corporate environments
- Experience in international business development and global market expansion
- Experience bridging the European and U.S. tech and academic ecosystems, leveraging cross-cultural insights and networks to identify and scale high-potential ventures
- Must have current authorization to be employed in the U.S. without employer sponsorship
Nice To Haves
- Product management platforms including Jira, Aha!, or Productboard
- Market research and analytics tools including Qualtrics, Tableau, or Power BI
- CRM systems including Salesforce
- Experience with digital transformation and marketing technology platforms including DAM, DSP, and data warehouses
Responsibilities
- Lead innovation and investment strategy
- Identify emerging trends
- Conduct market and customer research
- Develop new product and service concepts
- Evaluate early- to growth-stage companies for potential investment or acquisition
- Conduct preliminary and detailed due diligence
- Develop valuations
- Support term sheet negotiations
- Collaborate with internal stakeholders across Publishing, Sales, Technology, and Marketing to align innovation initiatives with organizational goals
- Lead and mentor a multidisciplinary team including investment analysts, product managers, and product owners
- Guide prototype development and testing cycles
- Transition validated concepts into scalable products
- Develop integration plans for acquired entities
- Provide ongoing strategic support, including Board participation where applicable
- Define and monitor key performance indicators (KPIs)
- Report on product performance and user experience
- Maintain strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders
- Ensure compliance with relevant legal and regulatory standards
Benefits
- Annual Salary : $200,000 - $250,000
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Director
