Lead Specialist, Innovation Portfolio

Ma'aden Gold and Base Metals (MGBM); Riyadh; On-site; SAR 400,000 - 560,000; Full time

Job summary

Ma’aden Gold and Base Metals (MGBM) seeks a Lead Specialist – Innovation Portfolio to establish a structured, transparent portfolio aligned with business strategy. You will govern investments, build a sustainable pipeline, and deliver data-driven insights to enable optimal resource allocation and measurable business impact.

The role emphasizes cross-functional leadership across Innovation, Technology Operations, Data & AI, and business units to optimize portfolio performance and value

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business Administration, Technology, Innovation Management, or related.
• 10–12 years of progressive experience in innovation management, strategy execution, or PMO.
• Experience in mining, industrial, manufacturing, or energy sectors preferred.

Responsibilities

• Establish and continuously enhance innovation portfolio governance frameworks and investment criteria.
• Align innovation investments with business strategy and long-term value creation.
• Define portfolio performance frameworks and value realization measures.
• Build and maintain a sustainable pipeline of innovation opportunities and initiatives.
• Foster collaboration across functions to accelerate innovation delivery.
• Deliver executive-level portfolio reporting and actionable insights.

Skills

Innovation Portfolio Mgmt

Portfolio Governance

Strategic Prioritization

Investment Planning

Value Realization

Innovation Pipeline Mgmt

Business & Delivery

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business Administration, Technology, Innovation Management, or related

Job description

Why This Role Matters

• The Lead Specialist – Innovation Portfolio enables Maaden to maximize the value of innovation investments by establishing a structured, transparent, and strategically aligned innovation portfolio.
• By applying disciplined portfolio management practices, the role improves investment decisions, accelerates the delivery of high-value initiatives, and strengthens the organization's ability to translate innovation opportunities into measurable business outcomes.
• This includes driving value realization across financial, operational, sustainability, and strategic dimensions.
• The role also provides leadership with data-driven insights, portfolio transparency, and decision support, enabling effective allocation of resources and the development of a sustainable pipeline of innovation opportunities that support Ma’aden’s future competitiveness.

What You Will Deliver

Portfolio Strategy & Governance

• Establish and continuously enhance innovation portfolio governance frameworks, prioritization models, and investment criteria.
• Align innovation investments with business strategy, transformation priorities, and long-term value creation objectives.
• Strengthen executive decision-making through effective governance forums and portfolio review mechanisms.

Innovation Investment & Prioritization

• Optimize innovation investment decisions by evaluating opportunities based on strategic fit, value potential, risk, scalability, and feasibility.
• Develop robust business cases and recommendations that support informed funding and portfolio allocation decisions.
• Maintain a balanced innovation portfolio across short-, medium-, and long-term horizons.

Portfolio Performance & Value Realization

• Define and implement portfolio performance frameworks and value realization measures.
• Improve portfolio outcomes through continuous monitoring of innovation performance, benefits, and strategic contribution.
• Drive portfolio optimization using performance insights, lessons learned, and measurable business impact.

Innovation Pipeline Management

• Build and maintain a sustainable pipeline of innovation opportunities and emerging technology initiatives.
• Enhance portfolio resilience through balanced management of initiatives across varying maturity levels and risk profiles.
• Accelerate progression of high-potential concepts through validation, piloting, and portfolio review processes.

Stakeholder Alignment & Delivery Enablement

• Foster collaboration across Innovation, Technology Operations, Data & AI, and business functions to accelerate innovation delivery.
• Resolve portfolio dependencies, resource constraints, and execution risks that affect portfolio performance.
• Promote alignment among sponsors, initiative owners, and delivery teams to improve execution effectiveness.

Strategic Insights & Executive Reporting

• Deliver executive-level portfolio reporting that provides visibility into performance, risks, opportunities, and investment effectiveness.
• Generate actionable insights that support strategic planning, budgeting, and innovation roadmap development.
• Influence leadership decisions through evidence-based portfolio recommendations and performance analysis.

What Success Looks Like

• Innovation investments demonstrate clear alignment with strategic business priorities.
• Portfolio governance frameworks enable transparent and effective decision-making.
• Innovation initiatives deliver measurable financial, operational, sustainability, and strategic value.
• A balanced pipeline of innovation opportunities is maintained across multiple maturity levels.
• Leadership receives timely, accurate, and actionable portfolio insights.
• Portfolio resources are optimized to maximize innovation outcomes and business impact.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business Administration, Technology, Innovation Management, or a related discipline.

Experience

• 10–12 years of progressive experience in innovation management, strategy execution, technology portfolio management, PMO, or transformation environments.
• Experience managing complex cross-functional initiatives and stakeholder environments.
• Experience supporting strategic investment decisions, portfolio governance, and value realization initiatives.(Derived from role scope and requires validation.)
• Experience within mining, industrial, manufacturing, energy, or other technology-intensive sectors is preferred.

Skills That Matter

Functional Expertise

• Innovation Portfolio Management
• Portfolio Governance & Stage-Gate Frameworks
• Strategic Prioritization
• Investment Planning & Business Case Development
• Value Realization Management
• Innovation Pipeline Management
• Business & Delivery

Strategic Planning

• Portfolio Performance Management
• Executive Reporting & Dashboarding
• Budgeting & Investment Analysis
• Risk Assessment & Portfolio Optimization
• Data-Driven Decision-Making

People & Collaboration

• Stakeholder Management
• Cross-Functional Collaboration
• Influencing & Communication
• Facilitation & Alignment
• Analytical Thinking
• Business Acumen