Manager, Ideation & Innovation Management

TAQA Distribution; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 350,000 - 550,000; Full time

Job summary

TAQA Distribution in the UAE seeks an experienced Manager of Ideation & Innovation Management to lead the systems and processes that identify, evaluate, develop, and scale digital innovations. You will create a disciplined, portfolio-managed pipeline converting ideas into value, partnering with academic and industry ecosystems to stay at the forefront of digital utility innovation.

You will drive structured ideation programs, governance, and executive strategy sessions, shaping TAQA's digital

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in IT or equivalent as a baseline qualification.
• 9 years of relevant working experience in digital innovation or related fields.
• Master’s degree is desirable for deeper strategic capability.

Responsibilities

• Define and operate innovation management framework with governance at every phase.
• Translate transformation strategy into executable innovation agenda across utility ops and customer experience.
• Govern and report on an active innovation portfolio with clear business impact.
• Lead horizon scanning of Generative AI, IoT, Digital Twins, AR/VR and related tech.
• Develop and maintain an external innovation ecosystem and partnerships in the UAE.
• Design and lead ideation programs and foster an innovative culture across TAQA Distribution.
• Facilitate executive strategy sessions and ensure senior leadership stays informed.

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology or equivalent

9 years of relevant working experience

Master’s degree in Information Technology or equivalent

Job description

To lead TAQA Distribution's ideation and innovation management function — establishing and operating the systems, processes, and partnerships that systematically identify, evaluate, develop, and scale digital innovations that create operational value, enhance customer experience, and strengthen TAQA's competitive position as a digitally progressive utility operator in the UAE. The Manager, Ideation & Innovation Management is TAQA's internal innovation architect — the leader who transforms TAQA's digital curiosity and emerging technology awareness into a disciplined, portfolio-managed innovation pipeline that consistently converts ideas into deployed business value.

This role demands a rare combination of strategic vision, entrepreneurial energy, and structured execution discipline. The right candidate is an experienced digital innovation leader who has built and managed innovation pipelines, evaluated emerging technologies (Generative AI, IoT, Digital Twins, AR/VR), led multi-disciplinary proof of concept programmers, and built the external partnerships and internal culture that allow great ideas to emerge, be tested rapidly, and scale into transformational digital solutions.

Job Specific Responsibilities:

• Define and operate TAQA Distribution's innovation management framework — establishing structured, repeatable processes for idea capture, innovation curation, challenge definition, proof of concept governance, pilot management, and scale-up transition — ensuring TAQA's innovation pipeline is systematically managed from open ideation through to validated digital delivery with clear accountability, prioritization criteria, and stage-gate governance at every phase.
• Translate TAQA's digital transformation strategy and business priorities into a coherent, executable innovation agenda — defining where digital innovation can create the greatest value across utility operations, customer experience, field service, and asset management — and maintaining a strategically prioritized innovation portfolio that balances near‑term operational improvement innovation with longer‑term transformational digital bets.
• Govern TAQA's innovation portfolio — maintaining clear visibility of all active innovation initiatives across the pipeline (ideation, PoC, pilot, scale‑up), tracking outcomes, measuring innovation velocity, and reporting portfolio performance and business impact to the VP, Digital Transformation & Enablement — ensuring TAQA's innovation investments are transparent, evidence‑based, and consistently converting concepts into deployed operational value.
• Lead systematic and structured horizon scanning across emerging digital technology domains — including Generative AI and Large Language Models (LLMs), Industrial IoT and connected asset sensing, Digital Twin modelling for utility infrastructure, Augmented and Virtual Reality for field operations and training, advanced analytics and AI for grid management, and quantum computing awareness — assessing each technology's strategic relevance, maturity level, and value creation potential within TAQA's specific utility operating context.
• Develop and maintain TAQA's emerging technology radar — categorizing technologies by strategic priority (invest, explore, watch, or hold), providing regular technology briefings to the VP, Digital Transformation & Enablement and senior leadership, and ensuring TAQA's technology horizon awareness is always current, actionable, and translated into concrete innovation opportunities rather than abstract technology tracking.
• Partner with academic institutions, technology vendors, start‑up ecosystems, and UAE innovation bodies (such as Hub71, DIFC FinTech Hive, and ADGM Innovation Hub) to access cutting‑edge emerging technology insights, research partnerships, and pilot opportunities that keep TAQA at the forefront of digital utility innovation in the UAE.
• Design and lead innovation ideation programmes across TAQA — including structured innovation challenges, hackathons, design thinking workshops, and ideation forums — engaging TAQA's employees, operational teams, technology partners, start‑ups, and external innovation networks to generate diverse, high‑quality digital innovation ideas that address TAQA's most pressing operational and strategic challenges.
• Champion a culture of structured innovation and digital curiosity across TAQA Distribution — building innovation literacy at all organizational levels, engaging senior business leaders as active innovation sponsors, creating psychologically safe environments where ideas are welcomed and tested rapidly, and establishing TAQA as an internally innovative organisation where digital experimentation is encouraged and valued.
• Facilitate executive‑level innovation strategy sessions — including technology trend briefings, emerging technology immersion workshops, and innovation portfolio reviews — ensuring TAQA's senior leadership team maintains an active, informed perspective on the digital technologies shaping the global and UAE utility sector.

Proof of Concept Leadership & Rapid Experimentation

• Lead the design and execution of TAQA's innovation proof of concepts and digital pilots — defining hypotheses, success criteria, MVP scope, and validation methodologies — coordinating multi‑disciplinary teams across the Digital Factory, IT, and business functions to build, test, and evaluate innovation concepts rapidly and cost‑effectively, generating clear, evidence‑based insights that support informed scale‑up or discontinuation decisions.
• Apply hypothesis‑driven experimentation principles — combining lean startup, design thinking, and agile methodologies — to establish rapid experiment design frameworks that allow TAQA to validate digital innovations with minimal investment, learn quickly from results, and make data‑driven decisions on scaling successful innovations into full development programmes with the Digital Factory.
• Manage the transition of validated innovations from the ideation and PoC phase into the Digital Factory's development pipeline — ensuring a smooth, well‑documented handover that preserves the learnings, design decisions, and business case evidence developed during the innovation phase, and maintains momentum in converting proven concepts into deployed digital solutions.

Business Case Development & Innovation Investment Governance

• Develop compelling, rigorous business cases for innovation investment — including strategic alignment assessment, financial viability analysis (NPV, ROI, payback period), risk and dependency assessment, implementation feasibility, and expected business impact quantification — enabling the VP, Digital Transformation & Enablement and TAQA's leadership to make informed, evidence‑based decisions on innovation portfolio funding allocation.
• Establish innovation governance and investment accountability frameworks — defining innovation investment thresholds, stage‑gate approval criteria, portfolio rebalancing processes, and discontinued initiative governance — ensuring TAQA's innovation investments are managed with the same financial rigour and strategic discipline as any other capital investment programme.

External Innovation Ecosystem & Partnership Management

• Build and actively manage TAQA's external innovation ecosystem — developing strategic relationships with UAE and international start‑ups, scale‑ups, technology vendors, universities, research institutions, and industry innovation networks — that consistently expose TAQA to cutting‑edge digital ideas, emerging technology capabilities, and partnership opportunities that accelerate TAQA's digital innovation agenda beyond what could be achieved with internal resources alone.
• Represent TAQA in UAE and GCC digital innovation forums, industry conferences, and emerging technology events — positioning TAQA as a digitally progressive, innovation‑active utility operator that attracts the attention of leading technology companies, start‑ups, and academic partners seeking to collaborate on real‑world digital utility challenges.

People Management Responsibilities:

• Leadership
• Actively participate in continuous improvement and professional development activities. Support decisions made with integrity and transparency, always aligning with the entity's goals.
• Talent Management
• Engage in talent development programs aimed at enhancing skills and supporting career progression. Contribute to a team culture that is connected to the organization's larger purpose.
• Culture
• Uphold and promote the organization's values within the team. Foster a collaborative and innovative work environment through active participation and support.
• Communication
• Support informed decision‑making within the team. Contribute to clear and effective communication, ensuring alignment with organizational objectives and facilitating smooth information flow up and down the chain.
• Innovation Management Frameworks & Pipeline Governance
• Emerging Technology Evaluation (GenAI, IoT, Digital Twins, AR/VR)
• Proof of Concept Design & Rapid Prototyping
• Business Case Development for Innovation Investment

Strategic & Business Competencies:

• Innovation Ecosystem Management & External Partnership
• Strategic Alignment & Digital Value Realization
• Stakeholder Engagement & Innovation Culture Leadership

Continuous Learning & Technology Horizon Scanning

• Advance in technical competency
• Intermediate - Advance in business competency
• Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology or equivalent
• 9 years of relevant working experience

Desired Requirements

• Master’s degree in Information Technology or equivalent