Innovation Lab Manager

Bancontact Company; Brussel Hoofdstad; Hybrid; EUR 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working model

Salary package aligned with competenc.

Job summary

Bancontact Company is the leading provider of debit card payment experiences in Belgium, driving a digital payments evolution. The Innovation Lab Manager reports to the COO and will coordinate the Lab setup, manage cohorts, and qualify initiatives for inclusion in Bancontact’s Product Roadmap.

The role requires 5+ years in digital innovation, strong coordination and coaching skills, and fluency in Dutch and/or French and English. The lab operates in a hybrid model with Belgium-based teams.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree or equivalent by experience.
• 5+ years of experience in digital innovation, preferably in the payment industry.
• Experience with setting up new activities and coordinating multi-stakeholder processes.
• Experience with new technologies or innovative business models.
• Experience with sandboxing, low-code and wireframing tools is a plus.
• Coordination skills – managing multiple cohorts and initiatives at different stages.
• Opportunity recognition – identifying long-term market trends and shaping value propositions.
• Coaching skills – guiding transversal teams through the innovation process.
• Hands-on attitude – able to contribute content when needed.
• Networking skills – connecting teams with external experts.
• Synthesis skills – condensing details for technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Fluency in Dutch and/or French (preferably both) and English.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate the Lab setup and its activities, manage intake waves and qualification of initiatives.
• Represent the Lab with partners and outside Bancontact Company.
• Set up operational processes, governance and budgeting for the Lab.
• Define tooling requirements and propose funding for Lab activities.
• Coordinate with Architecture, Technology and Security functions at relevant stages.
• Lead cohort-based qualification and funnel progression.
• Support the Executive Committee in Innovation Board decisions.
• Identify external partners to execute PoCs and collaboration opportunities.
• Facilitate transition of qualified initiatives into Product Roadmap governance.

Skills

Digital innovation experience

Project coordination

Multi-stakeholder coordination

Business modeling

Coaching and mentoring

Communication skills

Networking with external partners

Discipline and gatekeeping

Dutch and/or French and English flu

Education

Master’s degree or equivalent by experience

Tools

Sandboxing

Low-code tools

Wireframing tools

Job description

Bancontact Company is the leading provider of debit card payment experiences in Belgium, actively promoting a digital payments (r)evolution in the market. With our Bancontact card, Bancontact Pay app, and bank apps integrating our solutions, we serve the large majority of the Belgian community with more than 10 million cards and 6 million mobile app users. Bancontact Company develops new payment experiences for its consumers and merchants that want to pay or get paid online, in-store or with family and friends.

To bring the pace of these evolutions to the next level, we are looking for an Innovation Lab Manager.

Are you a proud user of our app or want to start participating in our digital evolution? Join our driven and enthusiastic team!

The Innovation Lab Manager reports to the Chief Operations Officer.

Job location

Brussels

RESPONSIBILITIES

The Innovation Lab is a new governance instance set up by Bancontact Company to facilitate generation and qualification of initiatives answering to market trends and/or business opportunities in a horizon beyond 2 years.

While Bancontact tackles shorter-term opportunities under its Product Roadmap governance, the goal of the new Innovation Lab is to channel focus on the longer term.

The Innovation Lab is not a self-standing department but rather a way of working that involves volunteers from the different teams coming together and tackling a business challenge along a defined set of (critical) themes.

The Innovation Lab Manager will coordinate the Lab set up and its activities, the management of the different cohort intakes, the qualification of ongoing initiatives, and the overall representation of the Lab with partners and more in general outside of Bancontact Company.

Set Up of the Innovation Lab and management of new intake waves

• Set up the Innovation Lab by establishing the operational processes, governance, evaluation framework and internal go-to-market around it. Translate key principles and guidelines coming from Bancontact Company’s Executive Committee into an operating reality.
• Per each period of operation of the Innovation Lab, share the key challenges to tackle within the organisation, and when needed also plan sessions to increase the level of understanding within the company.
• Plan, promote and launch the intake of the new cohorts of self-standing teams willing to tackle the defined challenges, inviting participation and/or filtering submissions when needed.
• Per cohort, coordinate with team managers and with the Architecture, Technology and Security function to validate the capacity and technical/security checkpoints at each relevant stage of the funnel.
• Define tooling requirements and – based on the ambitions for the different cohorts – make a proposal for funding of the Lab’s activities. Oversee tool and budget consumption and steer accordingly.

Coordination of the Qualification Steps

• Detail and implement the defined qualification stages, and guide the different cohorts through them
• Specifically on how to assess initiatives from the perspective of potential value for Bancontact Company, implement concrete methodologies to assess such potential (e.g. determining a Total Attainable Market, using Business Model Canvas to derive value drivers,…), and train the teams on how to apply these methodologies.
• Coach the teams on how to progress through the funnel, both in terms of process and (when needed) in terms of content; provide guidance and support to give them the best chance of crossing the qualification stages, from simple idea intake into an initiative which can be injected into Bancontact Company’s Product Roadmap. When needed/useful, jump in the fray and contribute directly.
• Coordinate the different stage-gating moments and support the Executive Committee in its role as Innovation Board, tasked to make decisions on the initiatives in the funnel.
• Scan the ecosystem to identify potential partners to execute proof of concepts (PoCs) with, or to provide extra expertise to the teams.
• For those initiatives exiting the qualification funnel with a sign-off, facilitate the handshake with the delivery governance, to ensure seamless transition of the qualified initiatives into Bancontact Company’s Product Roadmap governance.

Handling of external relationship and representation of the Innovation Lab

• Promote a culture of co-creation across the initiatives of the Lab.
• Leverage the Bancontact ecosystem to generate sparring opportunities for the teams participating in the Lab.
• Even beyond the existing ecosystem, promote an outside-in approaches by connecting the teams with innovators or experts.
• Together with the Management Team, represent the Innovation Lab to the external world and share our experience with third parties and across channels.

WITH THESE SKILLS AND MINDSET, YOU WILL THRIVE IN OUR TEAM

• Master’s degree or equivalent by experience
• 5+ years of experience in digital innovation, preferably in the payment industry
• Previous relevant experience in setting up new activities and/or coordinating multi-stakeholder processes
• Previous relevant experience with new technologies or innovative business models
• Experience with sandboxing, low-code and wireframing tools is a plus
• Coordination skills – you know how to move different pieces to make sure the whole evolves as expected; you manage multiple cohorts and initiatives at different stages in the funnel
• Opportunity Recognition skills – you know how to identify long-term market trends, assess their relevance for our business and structure (or help structuring) value propositions and business models around them
• Coaching skills – you can inspire and guide the transversal teams participating in the Lab throughout the Innovation process and content discovery
• Hands-on attitude – the job for you is not only coordinating and managing the governance. You know how to jump in and get to work on content when needed
• Networking skills – you can reach out to the external world and mobilize stakeholders for co-creation or information exchange purposes
• Synthesis skills – you are able to condense details into clear and direct language, you explain key concepts clearly to technical and non-technical stakeholders
• Communication skills – you know how to pitch an idea convincingly and master both written and oral communication effectively
• Risk tolerance – you do your best to make every initiative a success but can cope with the fact that in innovation not every good idea is the right idea
• Quick learning curve – you might not be an expert of everything, but have the interest to learn and ability to absorb information fast
• Discipline – you are the gatekeeper of the Lab. You are proactive and ensure progress across all phases of the Lab’s operations
• Strong flexibility – every day is going to be different; you adapt easily to changing needs and enjoy being able to shape how things evolve
• Fluency in Dutch and/or French (preferably both) and English

WHAT WE OFFER YOU

You will join a team of professionals with a shared mission: we are dedicated to bringing easy and leading-edge payment experiences to the Belgian community while ensuring the highest level of security and compliance with industry regulations.

Yes, that’s quite a challenge.

We offer you a salary package in line with your competences and experience, and the possibility to grow your skillset based on your ambitions. We support hybrid working via fixed office days per team. Moreover, you’re always welcome to work from our office, where you can enjoy fresh fruit, morning conversations at the coffee machine and of course our company events.

Bancontact Company is committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration regardless of gender identities, age groups, ethnicities, origins, sexual orientations, parenthood, religious beliefs, disabilities, and backgrounds. If you require adjustments or accommodations at any stage of the recruitment process, please let us know so that we can support your participation.