What are the responsibilities and job description for the Vice President of Innovation position at Bridging Finance London?
I. Position Overview
The Vice President of Innovation is one of the highest-ranking leaders responsible for the company's innovation strategy, reporting directly to the CEO/President/Group Executive Committee. This role is responsible for transforming innovation from "ideas" into "scalable business results."
The core mission of this position is not to create conceptual demonstrations, but to continuously generate measurable growth, improved efficiency, and long-term competitive advantage, including new products, new business models, new technology applications, and building organizational innovation capabilities. II. Key Responsibilities
Innovation Strategy
Develop and continuously iterate the company's medium-to-long-term innovation strategy, ensuring alignment with the company's overall strategy, capital allocation, and growth objectives.
Define key innovation focus areas (e.g.,
New products/services
Business model innovation
Digitalization/AI/Automation
Customer experience and value proposition innovation)
Establish clear innovation priorities, phase targets, and exit mechanisms to avoid "innovation overload without results."
Innovation Portfolio Management
Manage the complete innovation pipeline from Proof of Concept (PoC) → MVP → Commercialization → Scaling.
Establish a financial and non-financial evaluation system for innovation projects, including:
Return on Investment (ROI)
Potential impact on EBITDA, gross margin, and cash flow
Strategic synergy and competitive advantages
Decision-making on whether to continue, accelerate, adjust, or terminate projects (Kill Fast, Learn Faster)
New Ventures & Growth
Identify and incubate new business lines, platform businesses, or second growth curves.
Collaborate with business unit leaders to drive the rapid implementation of innovation results and integrate them into P&L management.
Evaluate and promote innovation-driven growth through the following forms:
Internal Incubation
External Collaboration/Joint Ventures (JV/Partnerships)
M&A as Innovation
Technology & External Ecosystem
Track cutting-edge technology trends (AI, automation, advanced manufacturing, materials, data platforms, etc.)
Establish and manage an external innovation ecosystem, including:
Startups
Universities and research institutions
Technology suppliers
Industry alliances
Lead technology evaluation, pilot collaborations, and strategic investment recommendations.
Innovation Culture
Establish a systematic innovation methodology (Design Thinking, Lean Startup, Agile, etc.)
Promote cross-departmental collaboration and break down organizational barriers (business, technology, operations, finance).
Design incentive mechanisms to link innovation with performance, promotion, and long-term incentives.
Cultivate internal innovation talent and the next generation of innovation leaders.
Governance, Risk & Compliance
Establish an innovation governance framework to ensure:
Investment discipline
Controllable risks
Compliance and data security
Collaboration with Legal, Finance, IT, and HR departments. Close Collaboration, Balancing Speed and Risk
III. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
The Vice President of Innovation is evaluated not by "buzz," but by results.
Common KPIs include:
Percentage of revenue from new products/businesses
Innovation project conversion rate (from PoC to commercialization)
Contribution of innovation projects to EBITDA
Reduction in new product launch cycle time
Innovation Return on Investment (Innovation ROI)
Cross-departmental innovation project participation and success rate
IV. Qualifications
Educational Background
Bachelor's degree or above (preferably in engineering, business, economics, data science, or design-related fields)
MBA or relevant master's degree is a plus
Work Experience
20 years of relevant experience, covering at least two of the following:
New product/business development
Strategic planning or corporate development
Digital transformation/technology-driven innovation
Mergers and acquisitions, investment, or corporate incubation
Successfully driven innovation implementation in large or rapidly growing organizations
Required Skills
Strong strategic thinking strong execution (not a "conceptual innovation officer")
Ability to make decisions in uncertainty
Excellent cross-functional influence and communication skills
Solid financial literacy, able to discuss innovation in the language of a CFO
Highly sensitive to market, customer, and technology trends