The Innovation Catalyst is a big thinker, strategic thinker, team player, problem solver and articulate communicator who will play a led role in steering initiatives towards the creation of innovative solutions (products, programs & services) for the 50+. This individual will be the detail-oriented team member behind designing solution development plans and prototypes. As a strategic problem solver and innovation expert with design fluency, this role will involve supporting teams in the development of early stage concepts as well as participating in the charge for the development of innovations from early stage research through commercialization. This role will also work closely with external designers to develop higher fidelity prototypes for beta and in-market testing and validation.
Idea Conceptualization
- Participate in teams utilizing human centered design processes as they develop innovations to move their ideas forward leading to tangible solutions
- Develop the right stories and visual elements to conceptualize team ideas in communicating them to stakeholders and potential customers
- Extract the essence of stakeholder problems and ideas to clearly identify challenge statements and ideas that are aligned with strategic and organizational goals
- Develop early prototypes (e.g., basic wire framing) or 2d renderings of products in order to better conceptualize solutions
- Design and implement initial experiments to test and validate solutions for refinement
Project Management
- Devise clear solution development plans that propel solutions through experimentation, testing and refinement based on learnings
- Participate in the solution development process for incremental, breakthrough and radical innovations and work alongside the internal AARP Issue/Enabler Partners to develop and design solutions
- Drive innovation teams to prototype and prepare the case of action for approval and execution
Innovation Expert
- Be able to empathize with stakeholders and consumers as they move through the innovation journey and help them understand how to navigate divergent and convergent phases of development
- Possess mastery of innovation behaviors and have a true understanding of how to build on ideas, be open in one’s thinking and identify concepts in a real, tangible way
- Be an acute listener and people person who can find ways to inspire and motivate teams (without direct oversight) in a manner that propels their solutions forward
Financial and budgetary responsibility
- This position will be responsible for coordinating and tracking a budget for solution development activities such as design, prototyping and research
Regular requirement of directing, reviewing and assigning others work
- This position will occasionally direct, review and assign work to internal colleagues and external consultants
- A minimum of 8+ years of product development experience required.
- Must possess a high level of mastery of project leadership, coordination, idea evaluation, and experiment design.
- Moderate level of fluency in product design, prototyping and sketching required.
- Demonstrated thought leadership in the practice and application of innovation and agile learning methodologies.
- Proven track record of developing solution plans and running idea pilots for results-oriented validation.
- This individual must have superb verbal and visual communication skills in order to help teams understand how to describe and conceptualize their solutions in ways that further development.
- The individual must be a clear and creative thinker combined with acute listening skills in order to ensure that team needs are met.
- This individual will be perceived as the authority on solution development and refinement in moving solutions through the innovation pipeline. As such, this individual must understand the highs and lows
AARP offers competitive benefits with a 401K, 100% company funded pension plan, health, dental, vision and life insurance, STD/LTD, paid vacation and sick, and other benefits.