Head of Innovation

Job description / Role

Company:
Our client is a leading bank that was established in 1975 . Our client provides its services in the GCC countries and internationally, they offer structured financing and advisory services for corporate and institutional customers in various sectors.
They are currently looking to recruit a Head of Innovation to be based in Bahrain

Duties & Responsibilities:

- Innovation Process & Project management

Create and drive the ‘innovation’ generation culture in the bank acting as a catalyst for the generation of new ideas both internally and externally
Create the infrastructure for gathering, developing and organizing innovative ideas, from throughout the organization and outside
Overseeing the retail innovation process and chairing the Retail Innovation Committee
Conducting initial screening and due diligence on submitted ideas:
1. Direct approval for smaller-impact ideas
2. Selection of large-impact ideas for progress to Innovation Committee
3. Spearheading the financial feasibility assessment of selected ideas:

Leading innovation development projects until implementation & managing integration of projects into the regular product/service launch pipeline of the bank
Creating an innovation network including external agencies to ensure a global exposure to new and evolving trends

- Leadership & Stakeholder Management

Leading the Innovation team
Managing the collaboration across the bank and gain buy-in from the business line managers and from top management
Maintaining relationships to research institutions, universities and other external cooperation partners

- Strategy & Business Planning

Defining and driving the strategic innovation agenda
Conducting/supervising continuous research and analysis on innovative practices and technology in the region and worldwide
Identifying customers trends and development and deducing implications for innovation development

Requirements

Qualifications & Experience:

Bachelor's degree in business, marketing, finance, engineering or technology preferred, MBA or other Advanced Degree desirable
Over 5 years managerial or consulting experience having been responsible for the development and innovation of new products and services (experience in financial services and IT is highly desirable),
Expertise in technology usage both as a personal user and in work related scenarios
Experience in driving new projects with clear examples of innovation
Experience of the Middle East Markets and specifically KSA would be an advantage
Demonstrated ability for innovative solution creation and problem solving in an ever-changing work environment; Adaptable to changes
Experience of working in partnership with external organizations and suppliers, negotiating contracts and providing direction and influence
Fluent in English (both verbal and written) Arabic is an advantage

About the Company

Propel Consult delivers a service in step with the needs of both our client companies and candidates. Our ability to add value to all levels of recruitment stems from our wholehearted belief in providing a professional service to both parties. We have built relationships with many leading indigenous and mulitnational organisations throughout the Middle East and internationally in countries such as UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, Egypt and many more. Concentrating our resources has created 5 distinct specialist divisions:

• Banking & Finance
• Human Resources
• Oil & Gas
• Construction
• Architecture & Engineering