The Head of Innovation is a core product person who drives the development and delivery of cutting-edge products, ensuring alignment with business goals and user needs.
This role fosters a product-focused culture, emphasizing timely execution, budget adherence, and measurable impact.
You will collaborate with cross-functional teams to define objectives while managing a high-performing team of developers, product managers, and technical support staff, nurturing innovation and expertise.
In addition to leading infrastructure and cloud management for scalability and security, the role addresses operational inefficiencies through automation and process optimization.
With oversight of software development, DevOps, and emerging technologies, the Head of Innovation sets the strategic direction for technological advancement, ensuring the organization remains at the forefront of innovation.
This role will report to the Chief Operating Officer (COO).
Key Responsibilities
Product Development and Delivery:
Oversee the build and development of innovative products from ideation to deployment, ensuring alignment with business goals and user needs.
Drive a product-focused culture, ensuring delivery within timelines and budgets.
Collaborate with cross-functional teams within the Innovation unit to define product objectives and key performance metrics.
Cloud Management and Infrastructure oversight:
Lead the organization’s general hardware and infrastructure team to ensure optimal system performance.
Lead software development initiatives, ensuring adherence to best practices and technology standards.
Drive DevOps practices, ensuring seamless integration and delivery pipelines for products.
Monitor emerging technologies to identify opportunities for strategic adoption.
Manage cloud services, ensuring scalability, security, and cost-efficiency.
Implement and maintain security protocols to safeguard organizational data and systems.
Team Leadership and Management:
Manage and support a diverse team of developers, product managers, and technical support staff.
Foster a collaborative environment that encourages innovation, accountability, and high performance.
Mentor team members to grow technical and managerial expertise.
Problem Solving and Process Automation:
Identify and address operational inefficiencies by automating workflows and processes (e.g., Juno systems).
Analyze complex challenges and provide innovative solutions to improve productivity and outcomes.
Requirements
Bachelor' Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, or a related field.
At least 10 years of progressive experience in technology-driven roles, with demonstrated leadership in product development, team management, and infrastructure oversight.
Preferably experienced in the financial services industry or investment firms.
Highly tech-savvy with hands-on experience in building products and managing diverse, cross-functional teams.
Proficiency in: Software Development, Familiarity with frameworks and programming languages (e.g., Python, Java, JavaScript), Database Management: Experience with SQL and NoSQL systems, Cloud Management: Expertise in platforms like AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud, including tools for infrastructure-as-code (e.g., Terraform, CloudFormation).
Strong understanding of DevOps practices, including CI/CD pipelines, version control systems (e.g., Git), and containerization technologies (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes).
Experience with workflow automation tools and process optimization technologies (e.g., robotic process automation).
In-depth knowledge of system architecture design, API development, and microservices implementation.
Familiarity with cybersecurity best practices, including implementing security protocols and conducting risk assessments.
Ability to evaluate and integrate emerging technologies (e.g., artificial intelligence, machine learning, blockchain) to align with business objectives.
Demonstrated ability to lead, mentor, and manage high-performing, cross-functional teams while fostering innovation.
Proven experience in driving team performance and delivering results in fast-paced environments.
Strong analytical skills with critical thinking and proactive problem-solving capabilities.
Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional teams, foster innovation, and drive high performance.
Leadership experience with a track record of managing and mentoring technology teams.
Strong project management skills with the ability to handle multiple priorities, work under tight deadlines, and deliver results in a fast-paced environment.