Finance Operate - Manager, Innovation Lead

Job Summary

Join our Finance Transformation team to help shape the future of finance. Collaborate with CFOs, finance leaders, and executive clients to solve complex challenges using Deloitte's resources and industry insights.

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 prototype validation, alpha testing, beta pilots, MVP readiness, and production transition.
• Manage the active incubation portfolio, prioritizing experiments, tracking progress against stage gates, and escalating 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.
• Collaborate with the 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.
• 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).