Director, Innovation

[What the role is]

We are seeking an accomplished Innovation Director to provide leadership and strategic oversight in driving the accelerated adoption of innovation across the industry. This executive role will oversee a multidisciplinary team across business development, onboarding, marketing, digital platform product development and management, and the build and operation of a physical Innovation Hub—a tactile, immersive environment designed to inspire industry stakeholders through direct engagement with emerging solutions.

The Innovation Hub will serve as a flagship platform to demonstrate innovation as a vital competitive advantage and foster cross-sector and/or tech domain collaboration.

The Innovation Director will also own the strategic design, coordination, and execution of quarterly Innovation Calls which enable industry partners to source, fund, and scale transformative solutions with government support, guidance, and facilitation.

Critically, this role requires the ability to build and nurture strong synergies across multiple program offices and portfolios within the organization, leveraging innovation as an upper funnel mechanism to generate both demand and supply of new technologies and business models.

[What you will be working on]

Why Join Us?

• Lead a pioneering public sector innovation initiative with direct impact on industry transformation.
• Manage and inspire a high-performing multidisciplinary team spanning business development, onboarding, marketing, digital product management, and physical innovation hub operations.
• Oversee a cutting-edge Innovation Hub that delivers tangible, tactile experiences to accelerate innovation adoption.
• Drive industry-driven Innovation Calls, , delivered as  a government-enabled platform.
• Collaborate with thought leaders and innovators from across sectors.
• Shape the future of innovation policy and practice at a systems level by embedding innovation as a strategic enabler across multiple organizational portfolios.

Key Jobs to be Done:

• Provide leadership and strategic direction to a diverse, multidisciplinary team encompassing business development, onboarding and management, marketing, digital platform product development and management, and physical Innovation Hub operations.
• Develop, oversee, and continuously evolve the innovation strategy to accelerate sector-wide adoption of new technologies, business models, and innovative practices.
• Lead the design, development, and operational oversight of the physical Innovation Hub, ensuring it remains a dynamic, hands-on platform that inspires and catalyses innovation adoption across the industry.
• Drive the end-to-end management of the quarterly Innovation Call program.
• Collaborate closely with business development and onboarding teams to grow participation and ensure seamless engagement of industry partners.
• Oversee marketing and communications efforts to maximize visibility, stakeholder engagement, and impact of innovation initiatives.
• Guide the digital platform team in product development and management to deliver a robust, user-centric online environment supporting Innovation Calls, knowledge sharing, and community building.
• Cultivate and sustain strategic partnerships with private sector leaders, industry bodies, government agencies, and other stakeholders to promote co-investment, knowledge exchange, and collaborative innovation.
• Build and maintain strong synergies with other program offices and portfolios across the organization, positioning innovation as the upper funnel for both demand generation and supply of solutions to drive integrated sector outcomes and value for our digital economy.
• Establish and maintain governance frameworks and performance metrics to ensure innovation initiatives align with public service goals and deliver measurable outcomes.
• Develop and own a structured innovation playbook for the industry, aligned with the latest methodologies and best practices, to guide consistent and effective innovation adoption across the key stakeholders.
• Represent the public service innovation agenda at senior forums, conferences, and cross-sector initiatives, positioning the organization as a leader in industry-driven innovation.

[What we are looking for]

Key Deliverables:

• Lead the strategic planning and execution of Innovation Calls—industry-driven challenges where participating companies contribute funding to identify, pilot, and scale innovative solutions that address sector priorities.
• Drive the Innovation Calls as a government-enabled platform to reduce barriers and accelerate industry innovation adoption.
• Integrate the Innovation Hub into the Innovation Calls process to provide live demonstrations, pilot projects, and collaborative workshops that enhance industry engagement and adoption.
• Oversee dissemination of outcomes, including case studies and lessons learned, to maximize sector-wide impact and replication.

Requirements:

Essential:

• Proven leadership experience (15+ years) directing innovation programs or functions within hybrid public/private environments, managing large multidisciplinary teams (20+ direct and indirect reports) including business development, onboarding, marketing, digital product teams, and operational management of physical innovation space.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and execute innovation strategies with measurable sector-wide impact.
• Experience overseeing or leading physical innovation or experiential hubs/spaces that support hands-on engagement and collaboration.
• Exceptional stakeholder management skills with experience cultivating partnerships across industry, government, and academia.
• Proven ability to build and leverage cross-organizational synergies, integrating innovation efforts across multiple portfolios to drive cohesive demand and supply generation.
• Strong governance and program management capabilities, with a focus on transparency, accountability, and results.
• Excellent communication, executive presence, and influencing skills.
• Strategic thinker with a track record of translating vision into actionable, scalable programs.

Desirable:

• Knowledge of government procurement, policy, and innovation funding mechanisms.
• Familiarity with design thinking, systems thinking, lean innovation, or related methodologies.

Position will be commensurate with experience.

Only shortlisted candidates will be notified.

#LI-JM1

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