Innovation Strategy Senior Consultant

Horizontal Talent; Minneapolis (MN); Hybrid; USD 79,000 - 127,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental insurance

Vision insurance

Retirement plan

Job summary

Horizontal Talent is seeking an experienced strategist to lead innovation initiatives, shaping priorities and transforming ideas into measurable plans. The role collaborates with leadership to align practices with transformation goals and build a clear execution path.

You will benchmark against peers, assess capacity, and design executive-ready recommendations. The ideal candidate translate strategic priorities into practical plans with clear ownership, linking technology to business value, and

Qualifications

• Experience translating strategic priorities into actionable plans with clear owners and outcomes.
• Strong business mindset linking technology and innovation to business value.
• Excellent communication and storytelling to turn research into a clear narrative.
• Experience collaborating with senior stakeholders and supporting executive decision-making.

Responsibilities

• Evaluate current innovation strategy, operating model, governance, funding, and intake processes.
• Assess connection of initiatives to broader transformation priorities and North Star direction.
• Benchmark practices against peers to identify opportunities for improvement.
• Review roles, staffing, skills, and capacity across related functions to find overlaps and gaps.
• Scan technology trends to inform strategic recommendations.
• Research new products and services from peers to assess relevance and urgency.
• Design leadership engagement activities including 1:1 interviews and workshops.
• Develop a business case with outcomes, investment needs, assumptions, and value.
• Create a sequenced execution plan with owners, milestones, and decision points.
• Recommend ways to streamline responsibilities and optimize resourcing.
• Prepare executive-ready recommendations and documentation for leadership.

Skills

Innovation strategy

Operating model design

Execution planning

Strategic planning

Business value

Storytelling

Stakeholder collaboration

Organizational assessment

Market benchmarking

GenAI prototyping

Job description

Join a strategic innovation team focused on shaping priorities, improving operating models, and turning ideas into actionable plans with measurable outcomes. This role offers the opportunity to work closely with leadership to assess current practices, align innovation efforts to broader transformation goals, and build a clear path forward for execution.

Responsibilities

• Evaluate the current innovation strategy, operating model, governance, funding approach, and intake/stage-gate process.
• Assess how innovation initiatives connect to broader transformation priorities and North Star direction.
• Benchmark current practices against peers and external market perspectives to identify opportunities for improvement.
• Review responsibilities, staffing, skills, and capacity across related functions to uncover overlaps and gaps.
• Scan emerging technology trends and peer activity to inform strategic recommendations.
• Research new products and services launched by peers and assess relevance, maturity, and urgency.
• Design leadership engagement activities, including 1:1 interviews, workshops, and supporting materials.
• Develop a business case that outlines expected outcomes, investment needs, assumptions, and measurable value.
• Create a sequenced execution plan with owners, milestones, dependencies, decision points, and success measures.
• Recommend ways to streamline responsibilities, optimize resourcing, and identify any remaining capability gaps.
• Prepare executive-ready recommendations, presentations, and supporting documentation for leadership review.

Skills

• Experience in innovation strategy, operating model design, and execution planning.
• Ability to translate strategic priorities into practical plans with clear owners and measurable outcomes.
• Strong business mindset with the ability to connect technology and innovation to business value.
• Excellent communication and storytelling skills, with the ability to turn research into a compelling narrative.
• Experience collaborating with senior stakeholders and supporting executive-level decision-making.
• Ability to assess organizational responsibilities, skills, and capacity across functions.
• Comfort working with external research, market insights, and benchmarking sources.
• Strong analytical thinking and the ability to synthesize complex information into clear recommendations.

Preferred Skills

• Hands-on experience building prototypes or proofs of concept using GenAI tools or low-code platforms.
• Background in financial services, wealth management, or asset management.
• Familiarity with AI strategy and GenAI concepts.
• Experience using research from firms such as Gartner, Forrester, McKinsey, Deloitte, or BCG.
• Ability to work collaboratively in a hybrid, leadership-facing environment.

Horizontal is committed to fostering an inclusive workplace where diverse perspectives are valued, respected, and encouraged. We welcome candidates from all backgrounds and are dedicated to creating an environment where everyone can contribute, grow, and succeed.

For those that join the team, we offer competitive compensation and benefits including medical, dental, vision, and retirement. The pay range for this role is $57 - $92 per hour based on qualifications and experience.