• Elicit, develop, analyze and validate ideas that lead to a competitive advantage and future business for the Bank and also champion for organizational innovation in a bid to improve the bank’s innovative capability.
• Establish an innovation hub and team to expand the depth and scope of innovation in the bank.
• Educate supervisory leadership as to the projects in place and navigate teams through the approvals process.
• Stay up to date with best practices in the market for product and technology innovations, and new knowledge/patent environment as well as monitor emerging trends and best practice in technology (especially disruptive technologies, social platforms, etc.) and development methodologies and influences in financial services.
• Design and establish an innovation process for the bank and manage the product development process from concept to launch as well as define and deliver a repeatable innovation methodology with measurably positive business outcomes.
• Develop products/services/business models through the innovation funnel and market introduction.
• Scout and monitor innovation topics to fill the ‘Innovation Funnel’ as well as derive creative ideas and concepts and develop them to the implementation stage.
• Identify and evaluate new business opportunities derived through radically new features in existing products or completely new products or services as well as turn innovative concepts/ideas into product or service innovations leading to additional new commercial opportunities and competitive advantage.
• Assemble, develop and maintain alliances to gain competitive advantage and execute commercial opportunities.
• Provide insight and pipeline of possible vendor/partner relationships through the building and maintaining of an external network for the product families under consideration.
• Accelerate the speed, impact and implementation of new product developments by coordinating internal briefing to ensure that the proposition/product remains front of mind and ready for execution while managing horizontal and vertical communication lines.
• Establish an operating model with technology partners such that successful innovation prototypes can be speedily deployed to customers.
• Achieve cost improvements though making internal processes more efficient.
• Actively participate in innovation workshops, conventions and tech scouting including start-up watch, hackathon around technology and financial services to identify innovative ideas and partners.
• Maintain Innovation and Insight databases where insights, ideas generated, vendors & service providers, competitive landscape, market assessments, external research and other relevant information can be accessed. 

Desired Skills and Experience.

• A Bachelors’ degree in computer science or an IT related field from a recognized university is required. Possession of a Masters in a business or IT course will be an added advantage.
• 2+ years of relevant innovation development and innovation management experience through concept ideation and design strategy working across multiple mediums.
• Ability to work in a challenging environment handling the management of issues in a calm, professional and controlled manner.
• Ability to deal with and resolve conflicting as well as competing demands. Flexibility to handle work beyond defined responsibilities.
• A proactive attitude with an ability to work independently and a desire to continuously learn new skills and technologies.
• Excellent skills in project management principles coupled with the ability to direct, moderate and negotiate with groups.