Director of Innovation Strategy & Client Services

This role is pivotal in elevating and expanding VentureFuel’s Innovation Team, ensuring exceptional service for their corporate clients by implementing processes and procedures ensuring a client experience that leads to repeat business. The ideal candidate will possess a blend of strategic consultancy expertise, startup ecosystem knowledge, and leadership acumen.

About the Role:

You will lead one of the largest and longest tenured VF clients as well as other high potential pieces of business (well-known Fortune 500s). You will be a thought-leader and strategist as well as a conductor orchestrating a team of innovation strategy experts, startup sourcers, researchers, marketers and program operators to deliver upon client objectives. You will deliver strategic solutions that help clients solve complex business problems and achieve internal innovation goals by leveraging emerging technologies and startups. You will interface between the client and startup founders, partnering closely to ensure the engagement is a win/win for all involved.

Key Responsibilities:

Leadership and Management:

• Design, lead, and renew bespoke programs for large corporate clients that enable commercialization of tangible innovation through external partnerships with startups.
• Managing and motivating the team to deliver successful innovation programs (co-development, accelerators, pilots, strategy) for Fortune 500 clients with a specific focus on accelerators and pilots, but also strategy and insights.
• Understand our client’s challenges, problems, and their growth opportunities, and enable the VentureFuel team to develop and implement those solutions.
  • This includes finding and vetting startups to implement solutions, – vet those, present those solutions often to C-suite leaders and Senior executives.
  • Ability to obtain buy-in from our clients, then design and implement pilot programs.
  • Recap the success of the solutions and renewing and upselling the client on future programs.
  • Responsibility for future success and satisfaction of VentureFuel with our process and deliverables to clients.
• Responsible for introducing new frameworks, capabilities, and tools specifically for innovation strategy and commercialization and coding those into the VF process.
• Stay up to date on all the innovation processes and models being explored. Upscaling aspiring strategy/client success members in their respective competency areas.

Client and Project Management:

• Maintain high standards of client service and
  • Review and ensure the quality of presentations, research documents, and other client
  • Preemptively identify and address potential issues, ensuring smooth project execution and client engagement.

Operational Excellence:

• Implement effective tools and processes for capacity management, productivity tracking, and task delegation.
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement and innovation within the

Collaborative Leadership:

• Build strong relationships with senior leaders and stakeholders, aligning innovation initiatives with overall company objectives.

Required Qualifications:

Experience:

• Proven track record in a strategic consultancy, advisory role, or similar capacity within the innovation or startup ecosystem.
• Proven experience managing senior F500 relationships that renew and scale.
• Extensive experience managing and leading teams, particularly in fast-paced and dynamic
• Deep understanding of corporate strategy, startup engagement, and innovation
• Success in scaling a function from nascent stages to measurable results while building a cohesive, enthusiastic team.
• Ability to deliver strategic insights to sophisticated executive leaders.

Skills:

• Exceptional leadership and people management skills, with the ability to inspire and develop
• Strong strategic thinking and problem-solving
• Ability to tailor communication style and working style to collaborate effectively with both stakeholders from large corporates and early-stage founders.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.
• High level of professionalism and client service orientation.

Attributes:

• A proven self-starter with the ability to navigate a startup culture. Ability and desire to roll up sleeves when necessary and demonstrate comfort and mentality to succeed without a pre-existing playbook.
• Enthusiasm, intellectual curiosity, and a growth mindset.
• Bias towards action and a collaborative, team-oriented approach.
• Resilient, adaptable, and comfortable with ambiguity.
• Ability to thrive in a high-pressure, fast-paced environment.

If you believe your background is appropriate or would like to discuss the opportunity in detail, please contact Ryan Steinwandtner at RyanS@adisonpartners.com

About VentureFuel: