Innovation Delivery Lead

Role Overview

Reports to: Head of Research & Partnerships 

The Experimentation Lead will play a pivotal role in enhancing the organisation's capability to experiment with and adopt innovative solutions. A key focus will be the development and management of an experimentation capability to test and validate new ideas before scaling them into production.  This includes designing and implementing streamlined processes to foster collaboration between external partners and internal business units. The role requires strong stakeholder engagement to align diverse teams, manage proofs of concept (PoCs), and oversee the onboarding of third parties while ensuring compliance with legal, procurement, and data protection standards. 

Team Background

Irish Life’s Exo Hub was established in 2019 to accelerate technology driven innovation in close collaboration with the Irish Life solutions teams.   Aligned with the Better Futures Strategy ExO is tasked with driving innovation activity and outcomes across the group.  Our mission is to help the business harness new technologies, ways of working and business models to deliver new sources of revenue, efficiencies and differentiating customer propositions. 
A key part of this is to drive the curiosity and culture of the organisation.  

We organise ourselves across 3 pillars of activity;  Exploration, Experimentation and Execution.  We have executed a broad portfolio of experiments across the horizons of innovation. More recently, we have focused on building our artificial intelligence (AI) muscle and have chosen to partner with a number of key external parties to accelerate our capabilities in this space. We believe this is a critical competitive muscle to build and presents a strong opportunity to Irish Life.

More specific responsibilities will include

1. Process Design and Implementation: 

Develop and implement robust processes to enable seamless collaboration between business units and external partners. Ensure all processes are well-documented, efficient, and adaptable to support a wide range of innovation activities.  

2. Stakeholder Engagement: 

Build and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders across the organisation to secure alignment, sponsorship, and resources for innovation initiatives. Use excellent influencing and negotiation skills to foster buy-in and drive strategic goals. 

3. Proofs of Concept (PoCs): 

Lead the planning, execution, and evaluation of PoCs to validate new ideas and technologies. Ensure all PoCs are conducted in a secure, compliant, and efficient manner, adhering to organisational and regulatory requirements. Deliver actionable insights and recommendations based on PoC outcomes. 

4. Onboarding and Compliance: 

Oversee the end-to-end onboarding process for innovation projects, ensuring alignment with compliance, legal, procurement, and data protection standards. Collaborate closely with relevant teams to secure approvals and mitigate risks. 

5. Experimentation Capability Development: 

Develop an experimentation capability to facilitate the testing and development of new ideas and technologies (including working with IT to ensure sandbox environment is secure, compliant, and capable of supporting a wide range of experimentation activities). 

6. Continuous Improvement: 

Continuously review and improve processes and procedures to enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of the innovation experimentation function.  Stay up-to-date with industry trends and best practices in innovation and experimentation. 

What you will need to be successful in the role

Key Skills and Competencies: 

• Expertise in designing and implementing efficient processes to support innovation. 
• Exceptional stakeholder management and influencing skills, with the ability to engage and align diverse teams. 
• Demonstrated success in managing proofs of concept and innovation projects from inception to delivery. 
• Strong understanding of compliance, legal, procurement, and data protection frameworks. 
• Technical competence to evaluate emerging technologies and engage with start-ups effectively. 
• Advanced analytical and problem-solving abilities to derive insights and drive decision-making. 
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to present complex ideas clearly. 
• Proactive, self-motivated, and capable of working both independently and collaboratively. 

Qualifications and Experience: 

• - Bachelor's degree in Business, Innovation, Technology, or a related field. 
• - Minimum of 5 years of experience in innovation management, business analysis, or a related role. 
• - Experience in the financial services industry is preferred. 
• - Proven track record of successfully managing innovation projects and proofs of concept. 
• - Knowledge of regulatory and compliance requirements in the financial services industry. 

The Person: 

• Enthusiastic, highly organised, and results-driven, with a strong focus on delivery. 
• Personable and approachable, with excellent interpersonal and communication skills. 
• Proven relationship management expertise, with a deep understanding of stakeholder engagement and alignment. 
• Strong influencing skills, capable of driving buy-in and support for strategic initiatives at all levels of the organisation. 
• Experience in creating and distributing tailored communications and content for diverse audiences. 
• Technical aptitude, with the ability to evaluate emerging technologies and build engagement platforms. Proficiency in tools such as the Microsoft suite, especially PowerPoint, is advantageous. 
• Demonstrated ability to manage complex initiatives and projects involving multiple stakeholders, ensuring timely delivery to the highest standards. 
• Self-motivated and proactive, with a continuous drive for improvement and innovation. 
• Committed to personal and professional development, taking ownership of learning opportunities. 

Key Competencies