Manager, Open Innovation And Ecosystems Partners

Indipath Recruitment; Gauteng; On-site; ZAR 600 000 - 1 000 000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a dynamic leader to drive innovation through strategic partnerships and open innovation initiatives. This role involves managing ecosystem partnerships with startups and tech companies, while developing a comprehensive open innovation strategy that integrates seamlessly across the organization. The ideal candidate will possess exceptional leadership skills, a deep understanding of market trends, and the ability to foster a culture of creativity and collaboration. If you are passionate about innovation and eager to make a significant impact in the mining and renewable energy sectors, this opportunity is perfect for you.

Benefits

Health Insurance

Flexible Working Hours

Professional Development Opportunities

Team Building Activities

Qualifications

• 8-10 years of experience in managing innovation and ecosystem partnerships.
• Strong background in technology assessment and leading innovation programs.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain the open innovation strategy and framework.
• Identify and implement innovation projects that add business value.

Skills

Ecosystem Partnerships

Innovation Experimentation

Project Management

Communication Skills

Leadership

Change Management

Education

BSc Information Technology

Master of Management in Innovation Studies

Masters in Technology & Innovation Management

Master of Business Administration

Diploma in Business Analysis

Tools

Data Analysis Tools

Project Management Software

Job description

Establish and manage all aspects of internal and external ecosystem partnerships.

Identify and form strategic partnerships externally with startups, tech companies, industry forums, and research institutions that are at the forefront of disruptive innovation in mining & renewable energy. Identify and form strategic partnerships internally with cross-functional stakeholders across the entire organisation to understand how disruptive innovation can be leveraged in every area of the business.

Develop, implement, and maintain Exxaro's Group Open Innovation strategy and translate it into the development of an open innovation framework.

Promote the principles of Open Innovation across all facets of the business, ensuring that every area is informed about and has access to both the external and internal Open Innovation ecosystem.

Have a deep understanding of the business, corporate level as well as operations, to identify opportunities and leverage integration points to derive innovative solutions. Manage and provide guidance to all contractors/consultants who offer services related to the digital support of the business, such as but not limited to data scientists, data engineers, data analysts, power platform specialists, etc., working closely with Group IM.

Manage and provide guidance for all initiatives that leverage the open innovation ecosystem in terms of business case development, strategic fit, cross-functional collaboration, value monitoring, and integration into current systems.

MAJOR CHALLENGES:

1. Cost and budget constraints.
2. Measuring and tracking the effectiveness and impact of group-wide open innovation initiatives.
3. Integration with cross-functional teams across all business units, new minerals and energy businesses, and corporate functions.
4. Interdepartmental coordination of open innovation initiatives.
5. Working with and managing multi-disciplinary teams across multiple reporting lines.
6. Fostering a culture of high performance and collaboration across multiple teams.
7. Delivering value through digital and innovation initiatives.
8. Providing strategic linkages to legal and IP expertise in the company.

POSITION INFO:

QUALIFICATIONS:

1. BSc Information Technology (Essential / Minimum)
2. Master of Management in Innovation Studies (Recommended / Desirable)
3. Masters in Technology & Innovation Management (Recommended / Desirable)
4. Master of Business Administration (Recommended / Desirable)
5. Diploma in Business Analysis (Recommended / Desirable)

EXPERIENCE:

1. Ecosystem Partnerships: Identifying and partnering with the best startups, tech companies, research institutions.
2. Innovation Experimentation: Identify and implement experimentation projects that can offer value to business.
3. Experience in leading innovation programs and managing successful innovation projects.
4. Demonstrable track record of impactful innovative solutions aligned with business and operational objectives.
5. Strong background in technology assessment, research, and incubation.
6. Ability to work independently and in a team environment.
7. Highly effective engagement and communication skills with an emphasis on translating technical concepts to a variety of project stakeholders.

8-10 years Importance: Involvement: Management

REQUIREMENTS:

1. Psychometric Assessment (Essential / Minimum)
2. Certificate of Fitness (Essential / Minimum)
3. Project Management Professional (Recommended / Desirable)

POSITION OUTPUTS:

1. Best Practice and Knowledge Management
2. Intellectual property management and protection.
3. Create and manage professional networks.
4. Establish and maintain a strong innovation ecosystem, e.g. partnerships with research institutions, technical forums, industry associations, etc.
5. Continuously monitor, exchange, and preserve information to facilitate effective knowledge management.
6. Stay abreast of advances in people, process, and technology domains.
7. Participate in Communities of Practice (COP's) in the Business Optimisation (Business Improvement (BI)), Information Management (IM) and Centre of Excellence (COE) environment.

Encourage knowledge sharing and duplication of best practices. Management of IP rights, contractual agreements, and trust-building mechanisms to ensure the appropriate protection of valuable assets and data.

Effective People Management

1. Performance management: Clarify roles/responsibilities and expectations.
2. Define individual performance standards, monitor, and measure performance, reward and recognise high performance.
3. Talent development: Provide ongoing mentoring, coaching, and development feedback to employees.
4. Promote a culture of continuous learning.
5. Culture / functional climate: Embody, translate, and entrench the Company culture and values in function, address behaviours that undermine values.
6. Foster effective teamwork and unity.
7. Manage functional climate in which diversity is appreciated, high performance thrives, people are involved, energised, committed, motivated, and recognised.
8. Demonstrate and encourage collaboration including cross-functionally and create a culture of collaboration.

Change leadership:

Provide direction, guidance, and support to people having to adapt to change, keep them committed throughout. Actively support, advocate for, and embrace functional/organisational change and reinforce/role model the change. Address resistance, beliefs, mind-sets, behaviours, and emotions to help people adapt to change.

Communication / engagement:

Encourage open expression of ideas/opinions and foster dialogue. Seek out different opinions. Inform people of decisions, changes, and other relevant information. Proactively address conflicts and initiate difficult conversations.

Attract, develop, and retain top talent within the innovation team:

Provide mentorship, coaching, and professional development opportunities to empower team members to unleash their full potential and drive innovation excellence. Embrace ambiguity and navigate complexity with confidence. Demonstrate resilience and adaptability in the face of challenges, inspiring others to embrace change and drive innovation across the organization.

Keep record of all investigated initiatives and learnings in order to gain insights from data generated.

Governance & Processes:

Implement governance systems and processes to support disruption. Ensure all innovation initiatives adhere to industry regulations, ethical standards, and corporate social responsibility principles. Align with governance frameworks to monitor and guide innovation initiatives effectively. Implement continuous learning processes to nurture a culture that embraces innovation.

Constantly seek opportunities for exposure to new industry agnostic thinking/ideas. Foster and embrace the Group's culture while embedding an innovation-driven culture and a continuous learning approach into the company's DNA. Foster cross-functional collaboration that encourages employees to generate ideas and explore innovative solutions. Emphasise the value of adaptability and continuous learning considering disruptive innovations. Recognise and celebrate innovative achievements to reinforce a culture of innovation. Foster a collaborative environment internally, encouraging cross-functional teams to work together towards common innovation goals.

New Technologies Scouting Leveraging, and Impact on Strategy:

When technologies/solutions are identified – ensure strategic fit, reach out to relevant cross-functional stakeholders to trial/implement. If any innovation is identified which may influence strategic direction, discuss with relevant strategy team member to investigate. Business case development and strategic fit of initiatives. Understand the business to such an extent that can see connections and leverage opportunities stemming from an integrated view of the business. Stay updated on all advancements across people, processes, and technology domains within the open innovation ecosystem to introduce to the business.

Lead strategic open innovation initiatives that improve and drive transformation on a group-wide level. Stay abreast of industry trends, market dynamics, and emerging technologies relevant to the organization's innovation agenda. Leverage market insights to identify growth opportunities, anticipate disruptions, and make informed strategic decisions. Evaluate risks associated with innovation initiatives and make data-driven decisions to mitigate potential challenges. Balance strategic risk-taking with prudent decision-making to ensure the organization's long-term success and sustainability. Conduct research hypotheses on disruptive innovations use case identified. Responsible for the end-to-end execution deliverables on all disruptive innovation initiatives and experimentations identified by developing commercial models and plans across the entire organization.

Management of IP rights, contractual agreements, and trust-building mechanisms:

Ensure the appropriate protection of valuable assets and data.

Open Innovation Strategy and Operating Model Development and Execution:

Ecosystem Partnerships: Identifying and partnering with the best startups, tech companies, research institutions that are at the forefront of disruptive innovation in the mining & renewable energy space. Innovation Experimentation: Identify and implement experimentation projects that can offer value to BUs and the Group as a whole. Experimentation projects will be sourced by/working with the Ecosystem Partnership Specialist and BU leads.

Develop a comprehensive open innovation strategy and framework to deliver on the broader strategy. Build and maintain a strong innovation ecosystem, including non-conventional partnerships that lead to exposure and access to innovations. Investigate use cases for the use of open innovation which can be leveraged to add value. Establish a process by which to identify which initiatives are ideal for the innovation ecosystem to solve and which can be delivered on by internal service providers. Collaborate with technical & IM functions to provide necessary infrastructure for strategy execution. Develop a business case-based framework via which to consistently assess technologies/initiatives over time according to financial and strategic metrics. Develop, implement, and maintain Exxaro's Group Open Innovation strategy and translate it into the development of the innovation framework.

Promote the principles of Open Innovation across all facets of the business, ensuring that every department is informed about and has access to the Open Innovation ecosystem. Identify open innovation initiatives ready for investment and build an investment case for these initiatives. Work closely with cross-functional teams to identify opportunities for disruptive innovation, establish partnerships with external stakeholders, and oversee the development and execution of innovation projects from ideation to implementation. This role requires exceptional leadership skills, a deep understanding of market trends, and the ability to navigate complex business landscapes. Translate strategic goals into actionable plans and drive execution with precision and agility. Develop and communicate a clear vision for open innovation that aligns with the organisation's strategic objectives.

Safe and Healthy Work Environment:

Maintain and ensure a healthy environment, safe operations and practices, ensuring compliance with all applicable Safety, Health and Environment (SHE) policies and procedures in line with set standards. Ensure legislative compliance as a minimum standard. Encourage a culture that focuses on safety in all operations. Ensure compliance towards internal targets & the drive towards Zero-Harm.

Vendor and Contractor Management:

Manage entire contractor base related to digital initiatives guiding which ecosystem partner would be best suited for which challenge/opportunity. Ensure digital initiatives delivered by the ecosystem/service providers comply with relevant policies and industry regulations. Ensure timely, high-quality delivery of services rendered by contractors/consultants/open innovation partners. Oversee and provide leadership direction for all vendor stakeholders that form part of the open innovation ecosystem of Exxaro. The ideal candidate will be responsible for driving innovation across our organization by fostering strategic collaborations, scouting emerging technologies, and cultivating a culture of creativity and experimentation.

Coordinate with internal stakeholders to define project requirements. Select and onboard appropriate contractors and vendors. Establish clear project timelines and deliverables. Monitor contractor/vendor performance and ensure adherence to quality standards. Manage project budgets and expenditures. Facilitate communication between contractors/vendors and internal teams. Address any issues or conflicts that arise during project execution. Evaluate contractor/vendor performance and provide feedback for improvement. Ensure compliance with relevant regulations and safety standards. Continuously assess and optimize processes for contractor/vendor management.

Behavioural Alignment:

Creativity, collaboration, sociable and awareness to the ecosystem. Stewardship, accountability, ability to develop trust, safety conscious and ethical. Ability to respond quickly to business needs/agility, flexibility, continuous learning, innovation and proven ability to experiment on creative business solutions. Ability to be inclusive, eagerness for multiple skills, embraces multiple cultures, accepts different approaches and be human-centric/empathetic. Results-oriented, quality-driven, excellence, entrepreneurial abilities, efficient and effective.