Head of Innovation

The Head of Innovation & Business Development embodies the mentality and is driven to actively identify key areas for innovative transformations, develop plans according to varying timelines, and aligning strategy & innovation goals with the company’s broader business objectives. To ensure a success as Head of Innovation and Business Development, you should be strategic, motivated, detail driven and have a forward-leaning approach to the business. Bringing a growth mindset, this position will lead the development of our 10-year strategic objectives and plans. Partnering with groups such as Marketing, Customer Experience, Digital Business Teams, Product, Network & Distribution. This position requires someone who is an innovator beyond any category. A dynamic track record with a shown ability to lead change, collaborate across all functions, and effectively prioritize in an ambiguous / fast-paced environment is a must.

**Key Leadership Requirements**:

- **Innovator Attitude**:Ability to use insights to build strategic plans that will disrupt in order to win and exceed objectives.
- **Maverick Mentality & Strategic Thought Leadership**: Ability to embrace the ‘art of the possible’ to create organizational change and impact allocation of resources. Possess business and strategic foresight with ability to communicate broader business vision to cross-functional and technical teams.
- **Team Building & Leadership**:Ability to influence at all levels. Possess strong partnership skills with a history of collaborating across organizational boundaries, working with and influencing others, and creating clarity from confusion.
- **Outcome-Oriented**:Ability to clearly articulate desired outcome(s). Possess ability to assess complex situations quickly, assess risks and be decisive. works collaboratively to create a path to achieve it.
- **Eye For Business**:Ability to formulate a strong POV and adjust plans strategically in a changing environment. Possess strong business agility.
- **Analytical & Forward-thinking**:Ability to effectively communicate and translate business needs to technical partners. Proactively identifies and resolves problems in a timely manner. Can synthesize complex or diverse information, use intuition and experience to complement data. Adaptable to dynamic situations.

**Key Responsibilities**

This person will be expected to define, develop, activate, and drive growth strategies, end-to-end by:

- Defining and prioritizing, together with senior leadership core strategic plans
- Overcome blockers to enable maximum sales.
- Identify critical stakeholders, internally and externally to develop the path forward on critical strategic issues.
- Engage the business in defining and refining business strategies with a focus on designing and implementing new approaches, ideas and processes that will grow the business and provide measurable results.
- Redefining the status quo and driving innovation to transform the way business is conducted.
- Identifying long-term trends and outlooks, collating long term planning
- Conducting competitive intelligence beyond the core business
- Exploration of potential partnership opportunities to strengthen the portfolio of mission-aligned growth initiatives.
- Work in close collaboration with key internal business partners such as Planning, R&D/GM Ventures, Innovation, Customer Experience, Corporate Development, among others.
- Activate external networks as ‘sensory nodes’ to identify new areas of growth, joint business development, and compelling adjacencies for GM’s future business.
- Aligning cross-functional groups and driving to outcomes

**Required Skills and Qualifications**:

- Bachelor’s degree in business, Commerce, Management, Marketing or equivalent - required.
- Master’s degree in business administration or equivalent - preferred.
- Strong understanding of European countries/markets, competitive OEMs and Mobility solutions, and customers.
- Shown and successful track record of developing and driving strategic and purposeful growth initiatives or for a global organization of significant size and scale.
- Strength and depth of experience in strategy: formulation, activation, and execution coordination. Demonstrated strategy DNA developed from significant experience in strategy consulting or internal strategy leadership roles. Strong business and financial savvy.
- Strong leadership skills including team management, building relationships internally and externally, influencing others, collaborative problem solving, and effective partnership with key internal collaborators.
- Operates with a sharp eye towards understanding customer/ market needs and ability to translate into initiatives that shape offerings to address those needs. Approaches strategy with the objective of delivering A quality experience for customers.
- Goes beyond strategy definition and into effective execution. Demonstrated ability to drive ideas that continuously improve on core business and