GM - Innovation Development Lead iHub
Interactive Position Description
Innovation and Strategy Leader with 16+ years’ experience developing products, services, brands & businesses that drive sustainable top-line growth for organizations and improve the lives of their customers.
Cross-industry experience and clients include Samsung, Delta Faucet, Boston Beer, Clorox, Travelers, Bosch, University Hospitals, Citi, Johnson & Johnson, iRobot, and Philips.
Interactive Position Description
To connect the Innovation Development Lead position description and my experience, I’ve hyperlinked keywords to proof points and outcomes.
Overview
In this role you get to break away from the desk, meet real customers and future GM customers, use your creativity to develop solutions to “Wow” the world, use your hands to make physical prototypes and use your vision to guide the company to a new future. This is also a great opportunity to interface with executives, as you communicate these ideas and insights, provide requested support, and spearhead the communications to stakeholders. As an IDL you will be known as an expert in Design Thinking and thus will sought after to consult and give guidance to other organizations that want to have the advantage of the iHub way.
Responsibilities will be flexible to accommodate chosen candidates’ strengths and experience in creative design, business case creation, physical prototyping, executive communication, or some combination of the above.
Responsibilities
This role will work with leadership to source customer-centric projects. Championing our mission to have the iHub Way (Design Thinking adapted and improved for GM context) part of the culture and work flow. You will lead cross-functional teams of iHub and client team members to create prototypes that thrill our customers. As a champion of the iHub way, you will be vital to helping GM understand the future and be a thought and action leader in getting us to a 0/0/0 world. The goal is to develop GM into a leader in innovation that creates “mind blowing” customer experiences.
As a leader you will work across the Global Product Development organization, including Program Teams, AVD, Mock-Up, external suppliers, and other creative agencies. Independent judgment must be employed, with creativity and initiative to make decisions regarding design, modeling, and branding proposals. You will help us develop talent and share skillsets within the team requiring an ability to motivate and guide team members to implement creative solutions.
To be successful in this role, you should be able to translate requirements into practical product features, themes, and strategies – including physical, low fidelity, prototyping. Ultimately, you will help iHub create an inclusive and innovative brand and aid in the creation of products that are customer centric. Strong organizational skills must be employed to organize and run events as well as support existing initiatives and develop new initiative if and when you see a need.
This a position for an individual that wants to make a change in the company and its future, these types of individuals usually also want to improve themselves. In this role you will have the resources to gain additional Design Thinking training, take trips to meet customers in their environment, and host brainstorming functions.
Experience with digital/software innovation is preferred in order to lead cross functional design sprints for iHubX related to UX and other software areas as well as to optimize iHub’s internal and external digital communication.
You will work closely with the larger iHub team to craft a world-class user experience across all of iHub’s products and programs.
Qualifications
Bachelors degree or 4 years of relevant experience in lieu of a degree
Must be comfortable leading meetings, collaborating cross-functionally frequently and presenting/training large groups (100+ colleagues)
Experience incorporating user research into the design process
Ability to manage multiple priorities as well as demanding timeframes and deadlines
Proven track record of designing and delivering products to internal/ external customer
Proficiency in crafting and presenting stories via Microsoft PowerPoint
Prototype creation experience (wireframe, storyboarding, physical/digital)
Proactive/results driven individual with high levels of initiative and leadership capability
Ability to perform in an unstructured work environment by reducing ambiguity for self and colleagues
2+ years experience with front-end website development (HTML, CSS)
High-level knowledge of vehicle subsystems and integration
Experience with AVD (Advanced Vehicle Development) and/ or SMT Engineering-Design
Ability to create across a wide range of digital media (3D, 2D, prototype, animation)
Design Center (studio) work experience or similar creative environment
Proficient in the Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, etc.)
Working knowledge and application of Autodesk Alias, VRED, 3D Printing and HMI
You are a natural collaborator – you welcome ideas from any source and are able to build on them to make the work of your team successful (“yes and”)
References (Client, Supervisor and Direct Reports)
Karen Oettle – Director New Ventures, Assurant Insurance
Relationship: Former client in 2013-15 while at F212
Patrick O’Brien - VP Strategy & Innovation, Prudential Financial
Relationship: Former client in 2015-16 while at Idea Couture
Brad Purnhagen – Innovation Director, Cincinnati Insurance
Relationship: Client in 2019-2021 while at LPK
Jen Knowles – Former SVP Marketing, Babies R Us
Relationship: Former client in 2014-15 while at F212
Suzanne Sysko Clough, MD - Chief Medical Officer at WellDoc
Relationship: Former client in 2009-10 while at Essential Design
Eric Sillies – Senior Experience Director, VMLY&R
Relationship: Direct report 2018-2022 at LPK
Ruth Prentice – Experience Director, Verizon
Relationship: Direct report 2009-2010 at Essential
Scott Stropkay – Partner, Essential Design
Relationship: Supervisor 2006-2010 while at Essential