Senior Open Innovation Specialist

hyundai cradle; Singapore; On-site; SGD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Hyundai CRADLE within Hyundai Motor Group Innovation Center Singapore (HMGICS) is seeking a senior professional to drive Open Innovation initiatives and foster external collaborations across SE Asia, ANZ, and APAC to identify new business opportunities and validate strategic relevance to Hyundai Motor Group.

You will work with startups, corporates, investors, and research institutions to accelerate innovation, support PoC deployments, and contribute to CRADLE's ecosystem development and

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, STEM, or related discipline.
• 6+ years in Open Innovation, business development, PM, or R&D.
• Experience managing PoC and commercialization projects.
• Strong startup collaboration and ecosystem engagement.
• Exposure to India’s innovation ecosystem desirable.
• ANZ startup ecosystem experience is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Research, identify and evaluate new technologies in smart mobility, AI, robotics, and related areas.
• Initiate and manage PoC and open-innovation projects with startups and corporates.
• Collaborate with HQ, regional teams, and cross-functional units to drive innovation objectives.
• Monitor trends across priority markets and deliver actionable insights to stakeholders.
• Identify and develop strategic partnership opportunities within global startup ecosystems.
• Support technology scouting, startup engagement, and ecosystem development activities.
• Contribute to CRADLE's investment activities as needed.

Skills

Open Innovation

Business development

Project management

R&D

Startup engagement

Venture building

Technology scouting

Education

Engineering degree

STEM background

Job description

This position, based within the Hyundai CRADLE team at Hyundai Motor Group Innovation Center Singapore (HMGICS), is responsible for driving Open Innovation initiatives and fostering external collaborations to identify new business opportunities, validate their strategic relevance to Hyundai Motor Group (HMG), and strengthen CRADLE Singapore's role as a key regional innovation hub across Southeast Asia, India, Australia and New Zealand (ANZ), and the broader APAC ecosystem.

The role works closely with startups, corporations, investors, research institutions, and internal business units to accelerate innovation, build strategic partnerships, and promote an Open Innovation culture throughout HMG. In addition, the position supports HMGICS's mission of advancing future mobility, smart manufacturing, and innovation ecosystem development through strategic external engagement and collaboration.

What to Expect (Roles & Responsibilities)

• Research, identify and evaluate new technologies in the areas of smart mobility, software-defined manufacturing, AI, robotics, Hydrogen supply chain, battery technologies, charging technologies, electrification
• Initiate and manage Open Innovation projects, including technology feasibility studies and Proof-of-Concept (PoC) initiatives, with startups, corporates, accelerators, VCs, research institutions, and internal stakeholders.
• Collaborate with Korea HQ, HMGICS, ASEAN and India HQ, and cross-functional teams across R&D, Product, Production, and New Business Development to drive innovation objectives.
• Monitor technology, market, and innovation trends across priority markets and deliver actionable insights to HQ, regional business units, and key stakeholders.
• Identify and develop strategic partnership opportunities within global startup and innovation ecosystems.
• Support technology scouting, startup engagement, and ecosystem development activities across key markets.
• Contribute to CRADLE's investment activities, including opportunity sourcing, evaluation, and portfolio-related initiatives, as required.

What You'll Bring (Job Requirements)

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, STEM, or a related discipline.
• 6 + years of experience in Open Innovation, business development, project management, R&D, or related fields.
• Proven experience managing technology validation initiatives, including Proof-of-Concept (PoC) and commercialization-focused projects.
• Strong understanding of startup collaboration, technology transfer, venture building, and innovation ecosystem engagement.
• Exposure to India’s innovation ecosystem and hands-on experience in PoC execution is highly desirable.
• Experience in venture investment, Corporate Venture Capital (CVC), or startup evaluation activities is preferred.
• Familiarity with the Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) startup and innovation ecosystem is a plus.