Manager of Innovation & Client Success

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 be a critical team member for VentureFuel’s clients (many are prominent Fortune 500 companies) and manage strategic innovation programs to meet our objectives. Your role will involve understanding and defining our client’s complex business challenges, designing bespoke innovation programs and models that address them, and executing these programs to drive maximum tangible impact. Acting as the liaison between clients and startup founders, you will foster close partnerships to ensure mutually beneficial engagements, and problem-solve many exciting challenges within these partnerships. As the primary contact for startup founders, you will ensure our deliverables align with program expectations, and provide your specific mentorship and expertise. Additionally, you will excel in creating impactful presentations and other non-verbal communications, while ensuring timely and budget-compliant delivery of high-quality work products.

Key Responsibilities:

Program Strategy & Development:

• Work closely with the Director of Innovation Strategy & Client Success to develop program strategies and timelines for innovation programs with VentureFuel’s large corporate clients.
• Manage ongoing program goals and deliverables.
• Perform sourcing and research work in complex innovation areas - often technical in nature.
• Onboard selected startups and support/advise them through all SOW design for pilots/co-developments.
• Project manage startup-corporate collaborations to deliver direct impact.
• Serve as a liaison between business units and startups.
• Work directly with client R&D teams in aligning on innovation concepts.
• Complete all program retrospectives/completion reports.
• Ensure a seamless and impactful experience for the client throughout the process, especially during the final event.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): 

• Client Success:
  • Measured by renewal, upsell, and positive client NPS scores on relevant accounts.
• Project Management:
  • Ability to keep programs on time, on budget, and deliver high-quality products and services.
  • Effectively leverage internal team members, resources, and vendors to execute programs within timelines, scope, and budget.
  • High-quality work product and service from deliverables like presentation materials to the quality of email correspondence.
  • Measured by the Director of Innovation (Boss) and internal 360 reviews.
• Innovation Strategy:
  • Deliver value to the client as a thought partner by delivering valuable insights beyond operations.
  • Continuously gather project learnings and adjust program design and actions based on them.
  • Ask questions to stakeholders that reveal key insights to drive the project forward.
  • Willingness to be curious and go deep on the innovations being recommended to the client, even if they weren’t the ones researching/sourcing.
  • Succinctly and compellingly communicate and story tell the value of innovation or program to key stakeholders.

Qualifications:

Required:

• Proven successful project management experience.
• Communication & Influence: World-class persuasive communicator with both written and oral presentation skills.
• Experience with corporate innovation, specifically building innovation programs for or at Fortune 500 companies.
• Strategy/Insights: Ability to deliver strategic insights to sophisticated executive leaders.
• Client success: Ability to speak, present, and build relationships with Fortune 500 clients.

Preferred:

• 5+ years as a former corporate innovator (client side), consultant, or running corporate innovation programs (accelerators, incubators, etc.).
• Exceptional ability to learn about new industries and technologies swiftly, source and vet solutions, and engage critically with clients and startups.
• MBA
• R&D or technical background (Materials/Mechanical Engineering).
• New product development experience.
• Passion for startups and innovation.
• Experience in R&D on Commercializing real new products to customers or open innovation.
• Experience in design thinking and customer discovery.

Competencies:

• Project Management
• Communication, Client Empathy
• Strategic Thinking (Intellectual Curiosity)
• Grit/Problem-Solving
• 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: