




Job Responsibilities
Platform Management:
Oversee the operation of the open innovation platform, ensuring it is user-friendly, secure, and effectively facilitates the exchange of ideas and collaborations. Manage the platform's content, ensuring it remains up-to-date, relevant, and engaging for participants.
Strategic Planning:
Develop the strategic vision for open innovation, aligning it with the organization's goals. Design the innovation challenges, hackathons, or collaborative projects that will be hosted on the platform.
Programme Management:
Lead the design, launch, and execution of innovation programs, ensuring they meet objectives for innovation, collaboration, and IP generation. Manage timelines, budgets, resources, and deliverables for each program.
Community Engagement:
Cultivate a community of innovators, including SMEs, startups, academics, and individual contributors. Implement engagement strategies to increase participation and quality of contributions.
Partnership Development:
Identify, negotiate, and establish partnerships with external entities to enrich the ecosystem. Facilitate cross-industry collaborations that can lead to new products, services, or business models.
Innovation Facilitation:
Act as a liaison between external innovators and internal teams to navigate the process from ideation to prototyping and commercialization. Foster an environment where ideas can be tested, validated, and iterated upon.
Intellectual Property Management:
Handle the complexities of IP that arises from collaborative projects, ensuring proper agreements are in place to protect all parties' interests.
Evaluation and Metrics:
Establish KPIs for open innovation initiatives and measure outcomes against these metrics. Analyze the success of programs, projects, and the platform itself to inform future strategies.
Change Management:
Drive adoption of open innovation practices within the organization, overcoming barriers to external collaboration.
Reporting and Communication:
Communicate progress, successes, and learnings to stakeholders, including executive leadership, participants, and partners. Prepare reports and presentations on program results and strategic directions.
Competency/Skills Required
Core
1. Strategic Thinking
• Ability to align open innovation initiatives with organizational goals.
• Identifying long-term opportunities in collaboration ecosystems.
2. Stakeholder Management
• Building trust with internal teams, external innovators, startups, and partners.
• Managing expectations and facilitating collaboration across diverse groups.
3. Problem-Solving and Decision-Making
• Resolving conflicts in multi-stakeholder environments.
• Navigating ambiguity to deliver clear, actionable outcomes.
4. Communication and Influence
• Clear articulation of innovation goals and strategies.
• Persuasion and advocacy to gain buy-in for initiatives.
5. Adaptability and Resilience
• Thriving in dynamic, fast-paced innovation ecosystems.
• Adapting to shifting priorities and emerging challenges.
6. Leadership and Team Collaboration
• Inspiring cross-functional teams to achieve programme goals.
• Promoting a culture of innovation and collaboration.
Technical
1. Programme and Project Management
• Proficiency in tools and methodologies (e.g., Agile, SCRUM, or PRINCE2).
• Expertise in managing timelines, budgets, and KPIs for innovation projects.
2. Open Innovation Frameworks
• Understanding of co-creation, partnerships, and collaborative innovation models.
• Knowledge of technology scouting, hackathons, or accelerator programmes.
3. Ecosystem Development
• Skills in fostering relationships with startups, academia, and R&D networks.
• Building sustainable innovation ecosystems.
4. Technology Insight
• Awareness of emerging trends (AI, IoT, blockchain, etc.) and their applications.
• Evaluating technologies for alignment with organizational needs.
5. Contracting and Legal Basics
• Understanding intellectual property (IP) frameworks and partnership agreements.
• Navigating compliance issues in innovation collaborations.
6. Business Acumen
• Knowledge of market trends and the economic drivers of innovation.
• Evaluating business models for scalability and feasibility.