Finance Operate - Manager, Innovation Lead

Work you'll do

• Incubation Lifecycle Management
• 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.
• 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.
• Prototype-to-Product Transition
• 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.
• Cross-Team Coordination
• 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.
• Innovation Operating Model
• 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.
• Demonstrated experience managing prototype-to-product transitions and MVP delivery in fast-paced environments.
• 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.
• Background in Finance Transformation, SaaS product management, or enterprise software innovation (preferred).
• Familiarity with AI/ML, automation, and workflow platform prototyping (preferred).
• Experience running pilot programs and beta testing with enterprise clients (preferred).
• Product management or innovation certifications (Lean Product, Design Thinking, Agile/Scrum) (preferred).