Senior Director of Innovation Practice

About the role

The Senior Director of Innovation Practice leads the design, implementation, and continuous improvement of innovation methodology across American Bible Society. Reporting to the Chief Innovation Officer, this role carries a dual mandate: internally, building ABS’ capacity to listen deeply, prototype rapidly, and make insight-driven decisions; externally, identifying, testing, funding, and scaling new approaches to Bible access, engagement, and advocacy for emerging generations and churches of various traditions.

Responsibilities

• Design and steward ABS’ innovation practice, ensuring every team listens deeply, prototypes rapidly, and makes insight-driven decisions.
• Lead the formation and cultivation of an Innovation Advisory Council, a working investment body of thought leaders who help discover, test, fund, and implement new pathways for Bible engagement.
• Oversee a small team while extending organizational reach by identifying, training, and coordinating innovation champions embedded across ABS departments and cultivating external relationships that fuel ABS’ innovation pipeline.
• Collaborate closely with the Insights, Ministry Technology, and Content Development teams as key partners in research, digital product development, and prototyping.

Requirements

This role requires a proven track record in human-centered design and agile innovation methods, ideally in a nonprofit or mission-driven context. The ideal candidate is both a hands-on practitioner and culture-builder, comfortable facilitating a design sprint with a ministry team and presenting pilot outcomes to the Senior Leadership Team or Innovation Advisory Council.

Qualifications

• Proven experience leading innovation initiatives in a nonprofit or mission-driven setting.
• Experience in human-centered design and agile methodologies.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work across theological traditions, generational contexts, and departmental boundaries.
• Ability to build and sustain innovation within a small team while extending organizational reach.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.

Skills

• Human-centered design and agile innovation methods.
• Strategic thinking and project management.
• Collaboration and teamwork.
• Leadership and team-building.
• Resourcefulness and problem-solving.

Benefits

ABS offers a competitive compensation package, including a comprehensive benefits program that includes health insurance, retirement savings plans, and paid time off.

Pay

Competitive salary based on experience and qualifications.

Schedule

This role is hybrid, requiring two days per week in-office and flexibility for other days as needed.