Innovation & Incubation Senior Specialist

Purpose

As an Ιnnovation and Incubation Senior Specialist you will be responsible for orchestrating the identification, prioritization and incubation of innovative ideas from concept design to testing and implementation.

What you will be doing

•   Collaborate with the business and functional units of the Bank to map their key priorities and challenges and identify opportunities for innovation.
•   Conduct research and analysis to stay informed about industry trends, customer needs, emerging technologies, and Fintech players that relate to the Bank’s focus areas.
•   Develop and maintain a pipeline of innovative ideas, prioritizing and evaluating them based on feasibility, impact, and alignment with the Bank’s objectives, in close cooperation with sponsoring business units.
•   Lead the innovation process, including idea exploration, detailed design, and testing with target customers to validate new propositions and determine market demand (e.g., qualitative/quantitative research, prototype testing), coordinating cross-functional incubation squads of internal experts and vendors (e.g.,  designers, marketing experts).
•   Prepare and coordinate feasibility tests for embedding Fintech partner solutions into bank systems in coordination with internal experts (e.g., IT architects) and/or vendors.
•   Prepare and present business case proposals to senior management for approval (e.g., business cases for testing/rollout, progress updates, direct investments).Monitor and evaluate the performance of implemented ideas, adjusting as necessary to achieve desired outcomes.
•   Cultivate a network of partners (e.g., Fintechs) to identify opportunities for commercial partnerships and direct investment; coordinate the design and delivery of such partnerships in cooperation with relevant bank units.
•   Structure and lead unit projects (e.g fast-track procurement processes).
•   Foster a culture of innovation within the organization, encouraging creativity and collaboration among team members.

What you need to have

•    A Bachelor’s degree in in Engineering, Business, or Innovation Management or relevant fields. 
•    A Master’s in related field is preferred.
•    At least six (6) years of working experience in leading innovation projects or idea incubation or product/service development (ideally in financial services). 
•    Experience of working in a medium/large corporate environment or consulting firm
•    Strong communication and collaboration skills.
•    Solid analytical thinking and creative problem-solving skills.
•    Proficient use of the MS Office suite (especially Excel and PowerPoint).
•    Excellent command of the English and Greek languages (written and spoken).