Director, Services Innovation & Special Projects

Ladders; United States; Remote; USD 171,000 - 272,000; Full time

Job summary

Ladders is seeking a Director of Services Innovation & Special Projects to lead the strategy for a bold portfolio of services initiatives. This remote role partners across functions to evaluate ideas, build business cases, and move validated concepts into accountable ownership.

Responsibilities include prototyping, portfolio governance, P&L management, and horizon-scanning to inform senior leadership. A strong executive presence and proven cross-functional leadership are required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Business Administration, or equivalent; advanced degree preferred.
• Significant leadership experience in telecommunications services, innovation, or portfolio management.
• Proven ability to lead teams and manage complex cross-functional programs under uncertainty.
• Strong skills in business-case development, investment analysis, and financial management.
• Experience creating complex opportunity P&Ls and interpreting portfolio-level financial performance.
• Familiarity with experimentation, prototyping, and customer validation processes.
• Credible executive presence with the ability to influence across organizational boundaries.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement the services innovation strategy and portfolio.
• Establish decision forums with key stakeholders across departments.
• Oversee market evaluation, customer needs assessment, and strategic fit analysis.
• Direct rapid prototyping and customer co-creation initiatives.
• Govern the innovation portfolio and manage R&D investment recommendations.
• Create and analyze P&Ls for innovation opportunities and special projects.
• Track financial performance across the innovation funnel and report on key metrics.
• Ensure smooth transition of tested concepts to accountable portfolio owners.
• Facilitate horizon scanning and scenario-planning activities for strategic insights.
• Encourage reuse of tools and automations developed across Services.

Skills

Leadership

Cross-functional leadership

Financial analysis

Business-case development

Executive presence

Portfolio management

Experimentation

Prototyping

Education

Bachelor’s degree (Engineering, Business Admin, or equivalent)

Advanced degree preferred

Job description

For our client, we are seeking a Director, Services Innovation & Special Projects to join the team of a leader in the Telecommunications & Hardware space.
This leader will shape the innovation agenda for services, guiding a portfolio of new ideas and special initiatives from evaluation through execution. The role blends strategic planning, cross-functional leadership, and financial discipline to help identify high-potential opportunities and move validated concepts into accountable ownership. It will partner closely with stakeholders across the organization to support experimentation, investment decisions, and portfolio visibility. This is a highly visible role for someone who can influence senior leaders and drive progress in a complex, evolving environment.
Location: Remote
Compensation: $170,500 – $272,300 annually

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement the services innovation strategy and portfolio
• Establish decision forums with key stakeholders across departments
• Oversee market evaluation, customer needs assessment, and strategic fit analysis
• Direct rapid prototyping and customer co-creation initiatives
• Govern the innovation portfolio and manage R&D investment recommendations
• Create and analyze P&Ls for innovation opportunities and special projects
• Track financial performance across the innovation funnel and report on key metrics
• Ensure smooth transition of tested concepts to accountable portfolio owners
• Facilitate horizon scanning and scenario-planning activities for strategic insights
• Encourage reuse of tools and automations developed across Services
  

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Business Administration, or equivalent; advanced degree preferred
• Significant leadership experience in telecommunications services, innovation, or portfolio management
• Proven ability to lead teams and manage complex cross-functional programs under uncertainty
• Strong skills in business-case development, investment analysis, and financial management
• Experience creating complex opportunity P&Ls and interpreting portfolio-level financial performance
• Familiarity with experimentation, prototyping, and customer validation processes
• Credible executive presence with the ability to influence across organizational boundaries

Benefits

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans
• Participation in 401(K) (USA) and DCPP (Canada) with company matching
• Employee Stock Purchase Program (ESPP)
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Company-paid holidays, paid sick leave, and vacation time
• Compliance with laws regarding Paid Family Leave and other leaves of absence
  

Our client is an equal opportunity employer. We encourage you to apply even if you don’t meet every qualification—your background could be exactly what this team needs.