Head of Customer Innovation at Britam

The role holder will be responsible to manage and supervise emerging consumers’ innovation initiatives inclusive of projects supporting consumer, product and process innovation.  He/she must have a strong innovation delivery record, proven and impressive innovation project leadership & agile project management experience. Significant experience in project leadership roles at innovative driven enterprises could be highly relevant.

Key Responsibilities:

• Execution of the emerging consumers innovation projects for the business ensuring use of agile methodology;
• Appraise projects for commercial viability;
• Coordination of innovation projects across the business to ensure timely and on-budget delivery;
• Ensure appropriate cross functional representation to deliver innovation projects
• Manage idea collaboration from stakeholders to drive a continuous pipeline of innovative solutions;
• Ensure innovation projects are managed with an urgent sense of testing, learning and delivery;
• Continuously scan the external and global environment for new products and solutions that will give Britam a competitive edge and with a focus on enhanced customer satisfaction and experience;
• Continuously identify opportunities to partner with other organizations (beyond Insuretechs, Fintech, Banks etc.) to deepen insurance penetration in the region;
• Develop and maintain strong professional and collaborative professional relations with project teams and stakeholders;
• Develop and present proposals, update issues and findings to General Manager inclusive of suggestions, risk mitigations, cost benefit analysis and action plans;
• Develop complete project design and execution documents with task-level project plans to manage external partners and cross functional teams;
• Collaborate with project team members to identify business requirements.

Knowledge, experience and qualifications required

• Minimum 5 years’ experience in a similar role with proven innovation experience;
• University degree in Engineering, IT or Commerce
• Project Management certification and experience
• Proven ability to review and appraise commercial viability of projects
• MBA will be an added advantage

Competency Descriptions.

• Deciding and Initiating Action - Ensures key departmental objectives are met, takes responsibility for decisions, actions, projects and people while focusing on achievement of departmental results; takes initiative and works under own direction; initiates and generates activity; makes quick, clear decisions with limited information available which may include tough choices or considered risks; decisions and actions take into account possible impact on all parts of the business.
• Leading and Supervising - Provides the department with a clear direction based on the overall strategic intent of the organisation; Building high expectations about the success of the department; motivates and empowers others with a clear sense of purpose; creates a positive departmental climate that fosters learning and development; acknowledges high potential talent; Recognize the potential of individuals sets and articulates the vision and values through own personal behaviour; Push autonomy and empowerment downwards through the department.
• Persuading and Influencing - Gains clear agreement and commitment from others by persuading, convincing and negotiating to the benefit of the department; promotes the organisational strategy during departmental conversations; makes effective use of political processes to influence and persuade others; promotes ideas on behalf of the department and the organisation; makes a strong personal impact on others; takes care to manage the department’s impression and brand on others.
• Formulating Strategies and Concepts - Works strategically to realise organisational goals within the department; sets and develops departmental strategies; identifies and develops positive and compelling visions of the department's future potential; Ensure departmental Balanced Score Card objectives and KPI’s are met and Exceeded; Ensure Personal Scorecard Objectives are met and exceeded; takes account of a wide range of issues across, and related to, the organisation; Work with direct reports to ensure the cascading of the strategic plan into integrated departmental plans that are meaningful to individuals; encourages others to take a strategic and long-term view in terms of the department's future; Emphasise the impact and importance of individual contributions to the successful implementation of the organizational strategy in the department; Evaluate my own and others’ performance fairly and objectively; communicates the organisational strategy, vision and objectives effectively across all levels in the department.
• Entrepreneurial and Commercial Thinking - Keeps up to date with competitor information and market trends; identifies business opportunities for the department; maintains awareness of developments, changes, Add value to the department by capitalising on new business opportunities; trends and possible risks in the department's structure and politics; demonstrates financial awareness; Identify ways to increase the Britam competitive advantage, exploiting those that will bring the greatest return within an acceptable level of risk; ensures costs are monitored and controlled and thinks in terms of profit, loss and added value; Ensure that sufficient data about financial and other parameters of departmental performance are available; Interpret departmental information objectively against appropriate benchmarks.
• Planning and Organising - Sets clearly defined departmental objectives; plans activities and projects well in advance and takes account of possible changing organisational and market circumstances; identifies and organises resources needed to accomplish projects; manages time effectively; monitors departmental performance against deadlines and milestones.
• Relating and Networking - Easily establishes, as well as assists others in building meaningful relationships with customers and staff across all levels of the organisation, inside and outside of the department; relates well to people at all levels; facilitates the resolutions of conflict and manages disagreements with tact and diplomacy.
• Creating and Innovating - Promotes departmental improvement within relevant scope of influence; produces and encourages new ideas, approaches, or insights; creates the environment for innovative products or designs; produces a range of solutions to the strategic benefit of the department.
• Adhering to Principles and Values - Upholds and encourages ethical behaviour and organisational values; demonstrates integrity; promotes and defends equal opportunities, builds diverse teams; encourages departmental and individual responsibility towards the community and the environment; models the organisational values during every day interactions.
• Achieving Personal Work Goals and Objectives- Accepts and tackles demanding departmental and personal goals with enthusiasm; leads by example by working hard and putting in longer hours in order to ensure successful implementation and completion of projects; show self-insight in own development needs.
• Adapting and Responding to change - Anticipates and effectively adapts to changing circumstances and ambiguous situations; accepts and actively drives new ideas and change initiatives; adapts interpersonal style to suit different individuals or situations; Monitor changes in departmental issues, structures and dynamics and appreciate their implications for the business; Demonstrate an understanding of the links between the Britam’s structure, goals and capabilities; Constantly aware of competitors, trends and changes in the markets that the Britam works within; Maintains a focus on key priorities and deliverables, staying resilient in the face of pressure; Implement changes within my department to achieve set change goals; Responds flexibly to changing circumstances; Recognises when unable to cope and asks others for help; Uses change as an opportunity to improve ways of working, encouraging others’ buy-in; Takes ownership for communicating change initiatives clearly, ensuring smooth implementation.
• Analysing - Strategically analyses sources of information, breaking them into component parts, patterns and relationships; makes rational judgements from the available information and analysis; demonstrates an understanding of how one issue may be part of a much larger system.
• Cost Management- Demonstrates an awareness of financial issues affecting my department; Use financial information to monitor departmental performance and guide decisions; consistently identify opportunities to reduce costs within my department.
• Staff development- Create a positive departmental climate that fosters learning and development ; Identify development needs within my department; Ensure direct reports have personal development plans in place that are regularly reviewed; Provide honest and constructive feedback on my team's performance; Act as coach or mentor when appropriate; Allocate power, responsibilities and authority to appropriate subordinates.