Innovation Manager

Organization Overview:

Tens of millions of people in the U.S. live with chronic financial insecurity, inadequate savings, and no meaningful wealth, with deeply harmful consequences for themselves, their children, families, communities, employers, and the economy.

Black, Latinx, and women-led households disproportionately experience financial insecurity due in large part to longstanding, systemic racism and gender discrimination. Addressing these issues is critical to Commonwealth’s work of making wealth possible for all.

For over two decades, Commonwealth’s fundamental purpose has remained to create a stronger and more prosperous society where everyone has financial opportunity. Our work has enabled over 2 million people to save nearly $8 billion on a path to greater financial security and wealth. We are now embarking on a new 4-year strategic plan that seeks greater impact and builds on our systems-focus to expand workplace benefits, strengthening partnerships with financial institutions and fintech partners, and exploring new frontiers like climate and generative AI.

Commonwealth strengthens the financial opportunity and security of financially vulnerable people by discovering ideas, piloting solutions, and driving innovations to scale. We understand broad change requires market players to act. That’s why we take a unique approach to collaborate with consumers, the financial services industry, employers, policymakers, and mission-driven organizations. The solutions we build are grounded in real life, based on our deep understanding of people who are financially vulnerable and how businesses can best serve them.

For more than 2 decades, we have moved employers to prioritize worker financial security, the financial service industry to bring products to market that better serve financially vulnerable people, and policymakers to pass legislation and take action to enable savings and financial security. To learn more about the organization, please visit buildcommonwealth.org.

Diversity of background and perspective are strengths that we value. We are committed to creating a diverse, dedicated, skilled, and collaborative environment, and we are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. Commonwealth recruits, employs, trains, compensates, and promotes regardless of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, veteran status, and other protected statuses.

Position Overview:

Commonwealth is seeking an Innovation Manager to join our team in a full-time employment capacity. As an Innovation Manager, you’ll play a key role in helping  Commonwealth build and scale innovative financial solutions for Americans working on  low- to-moderate incomes. You will manage and support multiple initiatives and be part of an organization and team passionate about making a positive, scalable impact on the financial lives of people.

Responsibilities:

• Employ strong project management and interpersonal skills to coordinate work of colleagues and own work on project teams.
• Conduct desk research and landscape assessments to support employer partnership recruitment
• Manage and support original qualitative and quantitative research including data analysis, individual, in-depth interviews with people living on low-to-moderate incomes, focus groups, surveys and interviews with subject matter experts.
• Design and prototype solutions to financial challenges.
• Manage and participate in stakeholder meetings; support the development of high-quality slide deck presentations and translation of research findings for diverse audiences
• Creatively problem-solve and collaborate with a small, results-oriented team to  effectively keep projects on track toward both short-term milestones and long term strategic objectives.
• Contribute to written communication that describes the work and promotes dissemination of innovations.
• Contribute to a positive organizational culture through consistent high energy,  appetite for learning, eagerness to support colleagues and engaged participation on project teams.

Skills/Competencies:

• Exceptional project management skills, with the ability to plan, track and support multiple complex projects with both nimbleness and close attention to detail & timelines.
• Self-starter with an ability to work both independently and collaboratively as part of a team.
• Strong results-oriented mindset with the ability to independently achieve goals and manage competing timelines.
• A learning mindset and enthusiasm to understand the challenges faced by households living on lower and moderate incomes.
• Aptitude for analytic reasoning and drawing insights from quantitative datasets.
• Ability to develop solutions to problems creatively as they arise and the judgment to know when to call on colleagues or a supervisor for help.
• Ability to build relationships and work with a diverse range of partners.
• Excellent interpersonal communication skills; proven ability to craft persuasive verbal and written communications for different audiences.
• Flexible and willing to address project needs as they arise.
• Models a strong sense of self-accountability and shared responsibility.
• Passionate about the mission of Commonwealth and driving social change through promoting financial security and opportunity for the financially  vulnerable.
• Familiarity with financial technology innovations, financial inequalities, and the unmet needs of low-and-moderate income households is strongly preferred.

Commonwealth offers a competitive salary and benefits, commensurate with experience and
skills.

Our staff are the key to our success. The annual starting salary for this full time position is $66,000, and Commonwealth offers a generous compensation and benefits  package that includes a focus on a wide range of professional development opportunities and:

• Medical insurance
• Dental & Vision insurance
• Short- and long-term disability insurance
• Life insurance
• Health Savings Account with employer contributions
• Retirement matching contributions
• Generous paid vacation leave, sick leave, and 17 paid company holidays
• Summer Friday schedule between June & Labor Day

Commonwealth provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants  for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity,  national origin, age, disability or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements,  Commonwealth complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in  employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms  and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination,  layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation and training.

SDG Impact