Innovation Strategy & Market Intelligence Analyst

Ajinomoto Health & Nutrition North America, Inc.•Boston, MA

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Innovation Strategy & Market Intelligence Analyst plays a critical role in shaping the future growth of Ajinomoto North America by identifying, analyzing, and interpreting early signals across science, technology, and markets. This role sits at the intersection of innovation strategy, market intelligence, and emerging technology analysis, translating uncertainty into insight and insight into strategic action. Reporting to the Director of Growth Strategy within the Innovation Strategy Department (ISD), the Analyst works closely with internal strategy leaders, Research and Development teams, and Ajinomoto’s Corporate Venture Capital (CVC) function. The role supports the identification and evaluation of early-stage market opportunities, emerging technologies, and scientific advancements that inform Ajinomoto’s long-term innovation strategy, growth priorities, and investment perspectives. This position is ideal for an analytically rigorous and intellectually curious professional who thrives in ambiguous, early-stage environments, enjoys building structure where none exists, and is motivated by shaping future growth opportunities. As the Innovation Strategy Department evolves into an Innovation Strategy Center of Excellence (CoE), the Analyst will contribute to building scalable, repeatable approaches to market intelligence and innovation strategy development across the Ajinomoto Group.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required in a scientific, engineering, or technical discipline, such as biology, chemistry, biochemistry, chemical engineering, biomedical engineering, materials science, or a related field.
Two or more years of experience in:
A top-tier strategic consulting firm or
Corporate strategy, innovation strategy, market intelligence, or analytical roles within a technology-driven or science-based organization.
Demonstrated experience conducting structured primary and secondary research and competitive or landscape analysis.
Proven ability to translate complex scientific or technical information into clear, actionable insights for business or senior leadership audiences.
Market intelligence and technology intelligence: Ability to identify, synthesize, and interpret signals across markets, technologies, and scientific domains.
Innovation strategy: Strong understanding of how intelligence informs long-term growth strategy and innovation decision-making.
Strategic problem solving: Ability to bring structure to ambiguity, develop hypotheses, and translate analysis into strategic implications.
Analytical rigor: Comfort working with incomplete information, making assumptions, framing scenarios, and evaluating multiple future states.
Scientific and technical literacy: Ability to engage credibly with scientific concepts and translate them into business-relevant insights.
Synthesis and communication: Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to produce executive-ready materials.
Intellectual curiosity: Genuine interest in emerging science, technology, and innovation domains.
Collaboration and influence: Ability to work effectively with diverse stakeholders across strategy, research, venture, and business teams.
Judgment and prioritization: Ability to focus on decision-relevant insight while balancing speed and depth.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree or Doctorate preferred, particularly where it supports strong scientific literacy and comfort engaging with complex technical topics.
Experience working in early-stage, emerging, or ambiguous strategic environments strongly preferred.
Experience working cross-functionally and in global or cross-cultural environments is a plus.

Responsibilities

Market & Technology Intelligence
Conduct ongoing monitoring and analysis of market trends, technology developments, scientific advancements, and innovation ecosystems, with a focus on life sciences, agricultural technology (Ag Tech), and advanced materials.
Identify and synthesize insights from diverse sources, including scientific literature, market research, company activity, intellectual property trends, publications, databases, and expert input.
Translate early signals and incomplete data into forward-looking, decision-relevant market and technology intelligence.
Contribute to the development and maintenance of a systematic, repeatable market intelligence capability, including datasets, analytical frameworks, and standardized reporting formats.
Produce high-quality intelligence outputs such as insight briefs, landscape analyses, trend reports, and strategic perspectives to support leadership decision-making.
Innovation Strategy Development
Translate market and technology intelligence into strategic hypotheses, opportunity maps, and innovation insights.
Support scenario analysis and early business case development for emerging growth opportunities.
Assist in refining and updating innovation strategy frameworks as new information emerges.
Provide analytical input that informs Ajinomoto’s long-term innovation strategy and growth planning.
Strategy Operating Model & Co-Creation
Support the Innovation Strategy Department in establishing a standardized approach to innovation strategy development by contributing analysis, templates, tools, and methodologies.
Prepare materials for strategy workshops, working sessions, and cross-functional discussions, including pre-reads, analytical summaries, and discussion frameworks.
Capture, synthesize, and translate workshop outputs into actionable insights and follow-on analysis.
Cross-Functional & Ecosystem Engagement
Collaborate closely with the Corporate Venture Capital team to translate market and technology intelligence into investment-relevant perspectives.
Engage with Research and Development and business teams to support early-stage exploration of innovation opportunities.
Conduct preliminary assessments of external companies, technologies, partnerships, and ecosystems to inform prioritization and next-step discussions.
Support engagement with the United States innovation ecosystem by preparing background materials and insights for external meetings, events, and collaborations.