Innovation Sherpa (m/f/d)
About the Job
The "Innovation Sherpa" position is integral to empowering Allianz's innovation teams by providing expert guidance and support throughout their innovation journey. This role focuses on making the lives of innovation teams easier by offering tailored coaching, addressing impediments, and facilitating smooth progress in innovation sprints. The Innovation Sherpa is committed to collecting and aggregating learnings from these sprints to identify insights and opportunities for systemic improvements. By proactively suggesting changes, the Innovation Sherpa enables faster and more effective innovation processes. Embracing innovation methodologies and fostering a culture of experimentation and learning are essential, as they drive the continuous evolution of ideas and solutions
What you do:
* Provide innovation methodology and coaching to teams, ensuring they have the tools and guidance needed to succeed in innovation sprints.
* Take full ownership of the Innovation Council, AzT's internal innovation process modelled after venture capital practices. This involves screening ideas, preparing promising concepts for presentation to the Council, and providing coaching to teams that receive seed funding from the Council.
* Accompany teams throughout their innovation journey, simplifying their path by resolving obstacles and ensuring smooth progress. This may also involve integrating team members from outside the Allianz Group, such as those from startups.
* Collect and aggregate learnings from innovation sprints to identify patterns, insights, and areas for improvement.
* Make proactive suggestions on systemic changes to enable innovation to happen faster and better within the organization.
* Foster a culture of continuous improvement and learning, encouraging teams to experiment and innovate.
* Collaborate with cross-functional teams to ensure alignment and integration of innovation efforts across the organization.
* Communicate insights and recommendations to senior leadership and other stakeholders to drive strategic decision-making
What you bring:
* Demonstrated experience in coaching, innovation management, or a similar role, with expertise in methodologies such as Human-Centered Design, Open Innovation, and Lean Startup.
* Possess an entrepreneurial mindset and spirit, demonstrating resilience and positivity while adeptly navigating organizational processes and structures to drive swift and effective outcomes. Excel in finding solutions to complex problems and overcoming challenges that involve multiple stakeholders.
* Exhibit a strong customer-centric approach, consistently keeping the needs and perspectives of our Operating Entities (OEs) and end-customers at the forefront of all innovation efforts and decision-making processes. By doing so, we aim to systematically enhance our customers' trust in our innovation capabilities.
* Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
* Ability to work collaboratively with cross-functional teams and manage multiple priorities.
* Basic knowledge of AI technologies, principles, and their practical use.
* Experience in implementing innovation methodologies and frameworks
What we offer:
* We offer a hybrid work model which recognizes the value of striking a balance between in-person collaboration and remote working incl. up to 25 days per year working from abroad.
* We believe in rewarding performance and our compensation and benefits package includes a company bonus scheme, pension, employee shares program and multiple employee discounts (details vary by location).
* From career development and digital learning programs to international career mobility, we offer lifelong learning for our employees worldwide and an environment where innovation, delivery and empowerment are fostered.
* Flexible working, health and wellbeing offers (including healthcare and parental leave benefits) support to balance family and career and help our people return from career breaks with experience that nothing else can teach
About Allianz Technology
With its headquarters in Munich, Germany, Allianz Technology is Allianz's global IT service provider and delivers IT solutions that drive the group's digitalization. With more than 11,000 employees in over 20 countries around the world, Allianz Technology is tasked to run, optimize, transform, and innovate the infrastructure, applications, and services together with Allianz companies to co-create the best customer experience.
We service the entire spectrum of digitalization – from one of the industry's largest IT infrastructure projects that spans data centres, networks, and security, to application platforms ranging from workplace services to digital interaction.
In short: We deliver comprehensive end-to-end IT solutions for Allianz in the digital age. We are the backbone of Allianz
D&I statement
Allianz Technology is proud to be an equal opportunity employer that embraces diversity and commits itself to creating an inclusive work environment for all. We welcome all people, regardless of e.g., gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, race or ethnicity, age, nationality, religion, disability, philosophy of life, or any other characteristics protected under applicable local laws and regulations. After all, our greatest strength as a company is rooted in the diversity of skills, experiences, and backgrounds that our employees bring
To Recruitment Agencies:
Allianz Technology has an in-house recruitment team that sources great candidates directly. Therefore, Allianz Technology does not accept unsolicited resumes from agencies or search firm recruiters.
When we do work with recruitment agencies, that engagement is formalized by a contract. Fees will only be paid when there is a contract in place. Without a contract in place, we will not accept invoices on unsolicited resumes, even if the candidate was ultimately employed by Allianz.