Innovation Manager - MAR001078

The Manager, Innovation manages the day to day strategic and tactical efforts to create consumer-oriented solutions designed to simplify, optimize and/or enhance the wireless experience for our priority customer targets. The Manager will serve as a key internal innovation champion who leverages consumer insights to design and test innovative product, service and process concepts.

This role will develop and utilize a consumer insight driven process with appropriate testing and evaluation to build and manage a robust 24 month pipeline of innovative ideas to delight our customers, create a high degree of differentiation and drive future customer and revenue growth.

Other Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Develop and manage holistic enterprise innovation roadmap, encompassing work from multiple cross- functional teams (e.g. products, devices)
• Manages a team responsible for the successful implementation of customer-specific marketing solutions
• Emphasizes focus on innovative concepts targeted to our priority segments to drive profitable customer and revenue growth over rolling 6-24 month timeline
• Drive near term innovation from ideation thru handoff, including concept development, assessment and market test
• Develop consumer platforms and proof points to enhance consumers' wireless satisfaction and drive differentiation by creating rational, "provable" benefits
• Drive appropriate primary/secondary research to deliver consumer insights and leverage current insights knowledge base relevant for consumer-oriented solutions
• Provide input to product development process, including but not limited to product and device requirements, business case development, vendor selection, frontline training
• Demonstrate passion and excitement for serving customers; challenge others to think like a customer and take ownership for solving consumer pain points
• Selects, develops, and evaluates subordinate staff to ensure the efficient operation of staff
• Proactively seek and encourage continued improvement analysis of business processes

Job Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in related discipline required. MBA preferred
• Minimum of 7 years' experience combined in product management, product development, product strategy, consumer package/product goods (CPG) or marketing
• Background in customer orientation with the ability to develop and leverage consumer insights to build and manage pipeline of innovative products, services and processes
• Background in Innovation methods such as Jobs To Be Done, Prototype Thinking, Scaling Lean, Innovator's DNA
• Strong analytical and business case development skills
• Experience in consumer research techniques and skilled in drawing insights and implications
• Vendor Management experience preferred
• Excellent interpersonal skills, outstanding written and oral communication skills, including speaking in front of small and large groups, and experience making presentations to senior executives
• Project management skills required to consistently meet deadlines

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Job : Marketing

Location(s) : Illinois-CHICAGO_IL

U.S. Cellular® is an EEO employer and gives consideration to qualified applicants without regard to race/color/age/religion/sex/sexual orientation/gender identity/national origin/disability/veteran status, pregnancy or genetic information.