VP, Strategic Innovation

HSBC; Greater London; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

HSBC in London seeks a Vice President, Strategic Innovation to drive Group Innovation and Digital Partnerships initiatives. You will identify trends, translate them into strategic recommendations, and influence enterprise decision-making to unlock measurable value.

A core focus includes supporting the AI at Scale program, academic partnerships, and invention & patents strategy, while collaborating with business, technology, risk and strategy teams across the bank.

Qualifications

• Evidence of converting external innovation or AI partnerships into tangible outcomes.
• Exposure to invention disclosures, patents and portfolio governance.
• Proven ability to influence senior stakeholders and align innovation with bank priorities.
• Understanding of emerging trends in financial services and AI.
• Experience governing an AI or advanced strategic innovation portfolio.

Responsibilities

• Lead execution of Academic Partnerships programme, delivering value across revenue, productivity and risk.
• Lead execution of Invention & Patents Strategy, manage disclosures and governance.
• Identify and assess AI partnership opportunities and strategic implications for senior stakeholders.
• Shape the innovation portfolio and drive prioritisation, investment and scaling opportunities.
• Mobilise cross-functional teams to remove blockers and ensure responsible governance.

Skills

Innovation partnerships

Inventions & patents

Stakeholder engagement

Strategic market intelligence

Portfolio governance

Job description

If you’re looking for a career that will help you stand out, join HSBC, and fulfil your potential - whether you want a career that could take you to the top, or an exciting new direction, we offer opportunities, support and rewards that will take you further.

We’re one of the largest banking and financial services organisations in the world, with a network that covers more than 50 countries and territories. We aim to be where the growth is, enabling businesses to thrive and economies to prosper, and, ultimately, helping people fulfil their hopes and realise their ambitions.

We’re currently seeking a Vice President, Strategic Innovation.

This role sits within the Group Innovation and Digital Partnerships (IDP) team, which leads the Group-wide approach to innovation. The team drives customer-centric growth through strategic digital partnerships, emerging technologies, innovation enablement and strategic pursuits—helping the bank stay ahead of disruption.

Reporting to the Director, Strategic Innovation, you’ll help deliver the innovation "Big 5" by identifying and assessing trends/disruptors, translating them into strategic recommendations, and influencing enterprise decision-making to unlock measurable value. A core focus will be supporting the bank’s AI at Scale agenda, alongside execution of the Academic Partnerships and Invention & Patents Strategy.

As an HSBC employee in the UK, you’ll have access to tailored professional development opportunities and a competitive pay and benefits package. This includes private healthcare for all UK-based employees, enhanced maternity and adoption pay and support when you return to work, and a contributory pension scheme with a generous employer contribution.

In This Role, You Will

• Play a lead role in the execution Academic Partnerships programme, translating collaborations into impactful research projects, talent pipelines and brand outcomes, and delivering measurable value across revenue, productivity and risk/control, including AI at Scale as part of the Group AI programme
• Play a lead role in the execution of the Invention & Patents Strategy, progressing invention disclosures, maintaining portfolio governance and tracking, and supporting commercialisation pathways and recognition mechanisms that sustain an invention culture
• Identify and assess next-generation innovation trends, disruptors, and associated AI partnership opportunities, translating signals into implications and strategic recommendations for senior stakeholders
• Shape and influence the enterprise innovation portfolio/pipeline, driving prioritisation, investment and scale decisions through clear value cases and measurable outcomes; and support AI at Scale by defining a prioritised set of opportunities with clear hypotheses, benefit measures and pathways to scale (delivered via partner teams)
• Mobilise stakeholders across business, technology, risk, procurement and strategy to remove blockers and embed appropriate governance and controls for responsible innovation

To be successful in this role you should meet the following requirements

• Innovation partnerships experience: Evidence of converting external innovation/AI partnerships, including academia, into tangible outcomes (e.g., research topics/projects, talent pipelines, insight generation and measurable value)
• Inventions, patents & innovation exposure: Exposure to invention, patents and/or innovation initiatives and ecosystems, including disclosures, portfolio governance/tracking, commercialisation and/or recognition mechanisms
• Communication, collaboration and stakeholder engagement: Proven experience influencing senior stakeholders across business, technology and external partners at enterprise level; aligning innovation efforts with bank priorities; leading cross-functional working groups to deliver measurable outcomes; and producing executive-ready strategic options and recommendations that inform prioritisation, investment and scale decisions
• Strategic innovation and market intelligence: Strong demonstrable understanding of emerging trends in financial services, including disruptors (e.g., fintechs/neobanks) and technologies (including AI), and the ability to translate these into pragmatic options and pathways to enterprise value
• Portfolio management: Significant experience in governance, prioritisation and benefits tracking and supporting decision forums, with experience shaping and governing an AI and/or advanced strategic innovation portfolio to unlock measurable value

London office relocation

Between January and April 2027, many office-based HSBC employees in London will move from either 8 Canada Square or Queen Victoria Street to one of our new sites at St. Paul’s or Canary Wharf. Depending on when they join, successful candidates may start at an existing office before moving or join directly at a new location. The specific location cannot be confirmed at advert stage and will be discussed during the recruitment process. This does not apply to branch-based or HSBC Innovation Bank roles.

Opening up a world of opportunity.

Being open to different points of view is important for our business and the communities we serve. At HSBC, we’re dedicated to creating diverse and inclusive workplaces - no matter their gender, ethnicity, disability, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic background or age. We are committed to removing barriers and ensuring careers at HSBC are inclusive and accessible for everyone to be at their best. We take pride in being a Disability Confident Leader and will offer an interview to people with disabilities, long term conditions or neurodivergent candidates who meet the minimum criteria for the role.

If you have a need that requires accommodations or changes during the recruitment process, please get in touch with our Recruitment Helpdesk via [e-mail].