Director, AI Innovation – Emerging Capabilities

Role Overview

• Continuously monitor the external AI and disruptive technology landscape to identify signals, trends, and emerging capabilities with potential R&D relevance
• Maintain a living map of the external innovation environment including academia, startups, vendors, and adjacent industries
• Define where R&D must be in 3–5 years, then work backward to identify the capability gaps and disruptive forces that must be addressed today
• Establish and manage a network of external relationships (research institutes, technology partners, innovation ecosystems) to maintain leading-edge awareness
• Translate complex external technology signals into concise, R&D-relevant opportunity briefs that leadership can act on
• Identify and articulate capability gaps between the current R&D operating model and what disruptive trends demand
• Introduce capabilities and approaches that would not organically surface through internal channels
• Develop compelling narratives and business cases for disruptive capabilities
• Design and govern a structured pipeline from exploratory pilot to production-scale capability
• Lead proof-of-concept and pilot initiatives for high-potential disruptive technologies
• Partner with delivery and product teams to transition successful pilots into scalable, embedded capabilities
• Provide R&D leadership with a clear, regularly updated view of the innovation landscape
• Serve as a credible internal voice on AI and digital disruption, challenging conventional thinking and advocating for proactive capability investment
• Support team operating model design and contribute to intake and prioritization processes

Requirements

• 8+ years of experience in technology strategy, innovation, AI/ML, or digital transformation roles, ideally within or serving R&D-intensive industries
• Demonstrated track record of translating emerging technology trends into adopted value-generating capabilities within a large organization
• Deep knowledge of the current and near-future AI and digital technology landscape, including generative AI, machine learning, agentic systems, and adjacent disruptive technologies
• Experience designing and running pilot programs with defined success criteria, stage-gate governance, and clear pathways to scale
• Ability to communicate complex technical concepts to senior, non-technical audiences with clarity and conviction
• Comfortable operating with ambiguity; skilled at structuring undefined problem spaces and creating frameworks where none exist
• Strong external network across technology vendors, research institutions, and innovation ecosystems

Benefits

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