Sr. Team Manager, Innovation Lab Manager

Job Description

Your Opportunity

The Digital Innovation team has been created based on a strong belief from our Chief Digital Officer that Schwab needs to continue to innovate on our digital client experiences. The team is responsible for defining and building Schwab’s innovation program that may include everything from feature enhancement to new product lines. The team will create a comprehensive strategy on digital innovations relevant to Schwab as well as execute on key elements of the program. This program will combine the best of internal innovation approaches (e.g.,first to launch a robo of the traditional players) and select external approaches (e.g.,cryptocurrencies). The team will focus on near term innovations that benefit our client experience as well as longer-term product innovations.

What you’re good at

The Sr. Team Manager – Innovation Lab Manager will be a key participant in the Innovation Accelerator program, helping Schwab innovate on behalf of clients and investors. This role will serve as the point person working with technology, business, R&D, and design teams to ensure that innovation labs are pursuing innovative concepts, while getting the organizational support they require. You will coach and guide multiple lab teams of 6-10 people in a variety of Lab engagements, which can include both internal and external participants. You will also directly manage a core team of innovation product managers who lead several of the lab engagements and functions.

What you will contribute to the Company:

• Coach multiple lab teams in the evaluation of new technologies and innovative solutions within the different lab engagements (e.g. Exploratory Lab, Traditional Lab, and Incubator).
• Make actionable recommendations to senior executives on whether to invest in lab-generated prototypes; includes cost/benefit and consumer trend/user feedback analysis, mapping technical requirements and path to MVP.
• Work with the Innovation Center of Excellence Director to ensure labs are launching on time, teams are focused on their problem statement, and participants are on-boarded and off-boarded effectively.
• Make a determination when lab topics or prototypes are unproductive and close those labs down.
• Communicate effectively with other disciplines including Managers, Architects, Developers, Project Management, Test, Infrastructure/ and Production Support within and outside the organization.
• Leverage new channels and opportunities for building Innovation Accelerator awareness.
• Evolve the way we work across the company by collaborating with new or unfamiliar partners when faced with inefficient legacy processes or artifacts.
• Draw insight from key performance metrics, demonstrate positive team norms, and make recommendations that drive continuous improvement within the innovation lab teams.
• Motivate lab teams through early forming stages and into start-up operating modes and speeds.
• Foster a culture of trust and transparency, effectively and openly communicating with the lab teams and with an ecosystem of stakeholders.

What you have

• 4- 7 years of consumer or retail product management experience
• People management and team coaching experience preferred
• Work experience in innovation, human factor design, or a startup environment preferred
• Superior communication skills, able to communicate complex messages and trade-offs and tell a compelling story to senior management
• Design thinking approach, bringing empathy, creativity, data-driven insights and logical reasoning to solve complex problems
• Strong analytical and quantitative modeling skills, with demonstrated ability to succinctly interpret data, give structure to complex issues, and convert ideas to action
• Intellectual curiosity to continually reevaluate our offers / products, develop multiple solutions to the same opportunity, and identify the drawbacks associated with each solution
• Self-starter with outstanding organizational skills and ability to track and ensure multiple labs (3-4) meet deliverables and requirements
• Comfort in a dynamic, fast-moving work environment, with a positive attitude and solid work ethic
• BA/BS degree (MBA preferred)