What are the responsibilities and job description for the Innovation Strategist position at Lake Trust Credit Union?
- This position is hybrid. The selected candidate must be able to work in Brighton, MI three days a week.
Why do you work each day? To us, our jobs are not just something we do to make a living, it’s a way to live. We work to support our members; whether celebrating moments of joy, finding a solution to an obstacle, or offering encouragement through a time of struggle. The worth of our work isn’t measured in dollars and cents, it’s seen in our communities and felt by the people who believe in us.
Benefits Include
- Financial wellbeing services
- 401(K) matching with up to 5% match
- Reduced health insurance
- Employee wellbeing services
- DE&I initiatives
- Work-life balance
The Innovation Strategist plays a key role in uncovering actionable insights through primary and secondary research, collaborating with cross-functional teams to shape and drive strategies that influence marketing, product development and organizational growth. This position will also inform and guide leaders on emerging trends and key issues that are influencing the market, helping to ensure the organization’s innovation strategies remain relevant and forward-thinking as they align with our purpose and brand promise. This key team member builds strong relationships across the organization and with teammates.
What You’ll Do
- Develop a deep understanding of members, prospective members, and the market by identifying innovation opportunities, gaps in wellbeing, and emerging trends. Engage with key stakeholders to gather insights on member needs, industry developments, regulatory changes, and competitive movements, to drive innovation.
- Identify and propose additional tools and data sets to enhance our understanding of consumer and business behavior and attitudes, while actively using tools like Predictive Analytics, Integrator Advance, and Callahan Peer Analyzer to generate insights that inform strategic decisions and address emerging needs.
- Leverage tools to collect and analyze data on members, competitors and market conditions, using these insights to drive innovation, refine strategic approaches, and strengthen competitive positioning for long-term success.
- Translate business needs into effective research strategies by designing methodologies (e.g., interviews, surveys, focus groups, market analysis) that align with objectives and generate actionable insights. Lead primary research efforts or collaborate with external partners, when necessary.
- Craft and present insights through compelling storytelling, using clear visualizations (e.g., graphs, charts, tables) and concise, bulleted summaries to effectively communicate complex data. Tailor presentations to engage audiences and drive understanding, sparking actionable strategies based on the insights shared. Audiences can include the Leadership Team, Board of Directors or a sub-committee, such as the Strategic Learning Committee.
- Engage with industry partners, CUSOs, think tanks, and innovative players in the fintech and artificial intelligence (AI) spaces to gather new insights from a diverse range of sources. Review and synthesize reports, white papers and research from organizations such as Raddon, Callahan, Filene, Members Development Company (MDC), Institute for the Future, and others. Leverage foresight methodologies and tools to anticipate future trends and share key findings that inform strategic decision-making and drive innovation.
- Deep understanding on how consumer and business data is structured in systems and the ability to analyze data.
- Deep and innate curiosity to understand the “why” and seek out patterns and opportunities.
- Critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
- Presentation and audience-engagement skills.
- Knowledge of customer experience and journey mapping processes.
- Originality and initiative are important as well as the ability to work under pressure.
- Innovative and entrepreneurial spirit.
- Strong communication skills, both verbally and in writing, to effectively share findings.
- Proven ability to support a strong member/customer service culture.
- Experience determining appropriate market research methodologies to address business challenges and opportunities.
- Experience managing the design, execution, and reporting of both quantitative and qualitative research initiatives.
- Experience working with various levels of business leadership required.
- Future thinking experience and applied practice preferred.
- BA/BS degree in Business, Marketing, Market Research or equivalent experience required.
- Six to ten (6-10) years job related experience preferred.
- Ability to collaborate and build a sense of togetherness that contributes to a positive work environment.
- Being open to change and embracing new opportunities can lead to diverse experiences and career advancement.
- By prioritizing member wellbeing, which leads to increased engagement, improved team dynamics, higher levels of motivation and a stronger community culture.
