Head of Product Innovation

Confidential Careers; Dubai; On-site; AED 600,000 - 900,000; Full time

Job summary

Confidential Careers seeks a senior Product Innovation leader to shape and deliver next-generation products and services for a global telecom business operating in 25+ markets. You will build a disciplined innovation pipeline, drive AI-enabled opportunities, and hand over launch-ready products to the Global Head of Products for in-life management.

You will collaborate with commercial, technology, brand and customer-experience leaders, developing multi-brand propositions and enabling country

Qualifications

• Global Head or equivalent experience leading new products, product innovation or new business within an MNO or MVNO at group/multi-market level.
• Proven track record of taking at least three products from idea to commercial launch across core mobile and additional areas.
• Experience supporting new-country launches or greenfield operations in MVNO host-network environments.
• Experience designing propositions for multiple brands and running formal stage-gate processes with business cases and go/kill decisions.
• Strong cross-functional collaboration with pricing, technology platforms and channel teams in a matrix organisation.
• Recent, practical use of AI in product work with measurable outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Own the innovation pipeline: build, prioritise and manage a ranked pipeline aligned to growth agenda and business plan.
• Validate opportunities: identify customer and market needs, define concepts and test solutions.
• Develop robust business cases: assess market opportunity, demand, unit economics, costs and regulatory feasibility; provide go/kill recommendations.
• Lead stage-gate governance: establish decision gates & criteria with pricing and technology input.
• Create repeatable launch propositions: develop standard product kits for country launches across affiliates.
• Design for multiple brands: create propositions that work across brands and align with brand architecture.
• Translate products into technology requirements: define specifications and platform requirements for the tech org.
• Build product partnerships: structure content, OTT and embedded-service partnerships separate from sales channels.
• Apply AI in practice: use AI tools to inform decisions and develop AI-enabled propositions with outcomes.
• Manage launch readiness and handover: ensure launch-readiness and transition to Global Head of Products.
• Track delivery and report progress to PMO: monthly pipeline and delivery status updates.

Skills

Commercial judgement

Customer insight to propositions

Technical literacy in telecom

Stakeholder management

Innovation standards awareness

Education

Degree in business or engineering

Job description

The Opportunity

We are seeking a senior product innovation leader to shape and deliver the next generation of products and services across a global telecommunications business operating in more than 25 markets. This is a group-level role focused on taking opportunities from customer problem and concept through business case, validation and launch readiness.

You will build a disciplined innovation pipeline supporting international growth, broader product propositions, multiple brands and the practical adoption of AI. You will work closely with commercial, technology, brand and customer-experience leaders, then formally hand over launch-ready products to the Global Head of Products for ongoing in-life management.

Product Scope

The innovation portfolio spans:

• Core mobile products and services, across MNO and MVNO environments
• Multiplay propositions and new-country launch product kits
• B2B and SMB, B2B2C, embedded and partner-enabled services
• Digital, fintech, eSIM and other digital-first propositions
• AI-enabled products and the use of AI in opportunity discovery, demand testing and product design

Key Responsibilities

• Own the innovation pipeline: Build, prioritise and manage a ranked pipeline aligned to the group growth agenda and annual business plan.
• Validate opportunities: Identify customer and market needs, define concepts and test whether proposed solutions address a clear problem.
• Develop robust business cases: Assess market opportunity, customer demand, unit economics, platform costs and regulatory feasibility; make evidence-based go/kill recommendations.
• Lead stage-gate governance: Establish clear decision gates and entry/exit criteria, incorporating the required commercial pricing and technology input before progression.
• Create repeatable launch propositions: Develop standard product kits that enable new affiliates and country launches to bring a complete proposition to market.
• Design for multiple brands: Create propositions that can work across brands and align with the group’s brand architecture.
• Translate products into technology requirements: Define product specifications, platform requirements and acceptance criteria for the technology organisation, taking account of MNO/MVNO and host-network constraints.
• Build product partnerships: Identify and structure content, OTT and embedded-service partnerships needed to complete propositions, working separately from sales-channel partnerships.
• Apply AI in practice: Use AI tools to inform product decisions and develop AI-enabled propositions with clear intended outcomes.
• Manage launch readiness and handover: Confirm each product meets an agreed launch-readiness checklist and formally hand it over to the Global Head of Products.
• Track delivery and report progress: Provide monthly reporting on pipeline, stage-gate decisions and delivery status into the group’s integrated PMO plan.

How You Will Work

You will report to the Chief Marketing Officer and work in a global, cross-functional environment with the Global Heads of Products, Branding and Customer Experience, as well as the commercial, pricing, technology, regulatory and PMO teams. You will define product concepts and make them launch-ready; pricing approval, technology delivery, local marketing execution and local launch decisions remain with the relevant group functions and country affiliates.

What Success Looks Like in the First 12 Months

• By Month 3: establish an agreed stage-gate framework, business-case template and decision responsibilities.
• By Month 4: baseline a ranked innovation pipeline covering the relevant product families.
• By Month 6: agree a multi-brand product framework and deliver a standard product kit for new-country launches.
• By Month 12: take at least three products to launch-ready status and complete formal handover.
• By Month 12: take at least one AI-enabled product to launch-ready status, with a measurable target documented.

Experience and Background

• Currently, or most recently, a Global Head or equivalent leading new products, product innovation or new business within an MNO or MVNO at group or multi-market level.
• A demonstrable record of taking at least three products from idea through to commercial launch. Experience should include core mobile and at least two additional areas such as multiplay, B2B/SMB, B2B2C, embedded services, digital or fintech services, eSIM or digital-first propositions.
• Experience supporting new-country launches or greenfield operations, including the constraints of MVNO host-network environments.
• Experience designing propositions for multiple brands and running formal stage-gate processes with business cases and go/kill decisions.
• Strong cross-functional experience working with pricing, technology platforms and channel teams in a matrix organisation.
• Recent, practical use of AI in product work, with a specific tool, a decision informed by it and a measurable outcome.

Skills and Qualifications

• Strong commercial judgement, including unit economics, margin considerations and business-case discipline.
• Ability to turn customer and market insight into compelling product propositions.
• Technical literacy across telecom platforms, BSS/OSS, MVNE/MVNO architecture and digital channels.
• Confident stakeholder management and the ability to influence across a complex international matrix.
• Degree in business, engineering or a related discipline; an MBA or equivalent is an advantage.
• Familiarity with innovation management standards such as ISO 56001 or ISO 56002 is beneficial.