Finance Operate - Manager, Innovation Lead
Job Summary
Join our Finance Transformation team to help shape the future of finance. As a Manager and Innovation Lead within our Finance Transformation Tech Enablement team, you will own the incubation lifecycle from validated idea through MVP handoff.
Responsibilities
- Own the end-to-end incubation process for new Finance Operate Platform capabilities from validated idea through MVP delivery and production handoff.
- Define and enforce stage-gate criteria for each phase: prototype validation, alpha testing, beta pilots, MVP readiness, and production transition.
- Manage the active incubation portfolio: prioritize experiments, track progress against stage gates, and escalate risks and dependencies proactively.
- Ensure rapid iteration cycles with clear success/failure criteria and fast kill decisions when hypotheses don't validate.
- Lead transition planning from prototype to production-ready product, including technical debt remediation, quality standards enforcement, and operational readiness.
- Partner with the Solution Architect and AI/Automation Architect to ensure prototypes meet architecture standards before MVP promotion.
- Coordinate MVP handoff to Core delivery teams, including documentation, training, and support model definition.
- Establish feedback loops from pilot clients and early adopters to inform product iteration and roadmap adjustments.
- Partner with the Solution Portfolio Manager on intake validation and business case refinement for ideas entering incubation.
- Collaborate with Service Design Lead and UX/Product Designer on rapid prototyping and user validation sprints.
- Work closely with Governance & Standards Lead to embed quality gates and controls into the incubation process without slowing velocity.
- Coordinate with Finance Operate offering leads to identify pilot engagement opportunities for beta testing.
- Build and refine the incubation operating model, including templates, checkpoints, decision frameworks, and escalation paths.
- Champion a test-and-learn culture; celebrate fast failures and rigorous validation over feature completion.
- Track and report incubation portfolio health, velocity metrics, and stage-gate pass/fail rates to leadership.
Qualifications
- Bachelor's degree in Business, Technology, Engineering, or related field (MBA or advanced degree preferred).
- 7+ years of experience in product management, innovation, consulting, or technology delivery, with at least 2 years managing incubation or R&D portfolios.
- Strong project and stakeholder management skills; ability to coordinate across technical and business teams.
- Excellent judgment on when to iterate vs. pivot vs. kill; comfort with ambiguity and rapid decision-making.
- Experience with stage-gate processes, Agile/Lean Startup methodologies, or similar innovation frameworks.
- Ability to travel 25%, on average, based on the work you do and the clients and industries/sectors you serve.
What We Offer
- Wage Range: $128,000 - $252,500
- Discretionary Annual Incentive Program
- Opportunities for Professional Development
- Inclusive Culture
Team
The Finance Operate offering provides ongoing operation of the Finance function as an extension of Deloitte’s Finance Transformation Advise and Implement offering portfolio. The team works across finance strategy, process, operations, and technology to help organizations enable scalable finance outcomes. Professionals in this practice support delivery in complex environments while helping clients advance modernization across Finance Operate capabilities.
Benefits
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About Deloitte
Our inclusive culture empowers our people to be who they are, contribute their unique perspectives, and make a difference individually and collectively. It enables us to leverage different ways of thinking, ideas, and perspectives, and bring more creativity and innovation to help solve our clients' most complex challenges. This makes Deloitte one of the most rewarding places to work.