Senior Innovation Manager - Lab

Organization Overview:

Commonwealth strengthens the financial opportunity and security of financially vulnerable people by discovering ideas, piloting solutions, and driving innovations to scale. For nearly two decades, Commonwealth has designed effective innovations, products, and policies enabling over a million people to accumulate more than $3 billion in savings. Commonwealth understands broad changes requires market players to act. That’s why we 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. To learn more about the organization, please visit www.buildcommonwealth.org

Diversity of background and perspective are strengths that we value. We are committed to creating a diverse, committed, 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. Additionally, we are being intentional about increasing representation in applicants who identify as women of color, BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color), disabled, veterans, caregivers, LGTBQIA+, and neurodivergent.

Position Overview:

The Senior Innovation Manager (SIM) plays a leadership role on Commonwealth’s Lab team in designing, piloting, and evaluating innovative solutions to support financially vulnerable people in building financial security and opportunity. Bringing exceptional people and project management skills, the SIM will play a leadership role on multiple initiatives and lead and support a high-performing team that is passionate about having a positive and scalable impact.

Responsibilities:

• Directly supervise 1-3 staff, including responsibility for performance management, coaching, career development, and professional growth.
• Work with teams to design and test market-viable innovative tools and products based on the needs of financially vulnerable consumers and the business needs of distribution channels.
• Employ highly developed interpersonal skills to manage relationships with partners - including employers, financial institutions and fintechs - to test and evaluate innovations.
• Design and execute pilot tests with external partners, including plans to evaluate their success.
• Support research plan development and analysis of quantitative and qualitative data from consumer research and pilot tests.
• Creatively problem-solve and collaborate with a small, results-oriented team to effectively execute projects.
• Share insights and findings with industry players, funders, policy makers, and the public sector through thought pieces and publications.
• Represent Commonwealth at meetings and events with the ability to effectively engage diverse audiences, including public officials, policy makers, employers, financial service industry leaders, researchers and community advocates.
• As an organization leader, work with a cross-functional team to contribute positively to organization-wide strategy and goals.

Skills/Competencies:

• Demonstrated staff supervision experience with the ability to manage multiple staff through task supervision and creation of professional development plans.
• Exceptional project management experience, with the ability to manage various complex projects concurrently, with a high degree of organization, attention to detail and flexibility.
• Experience designing and testing innovative products with consumers and private sector companies, such as financial institutions and fintechs.
• Experience developing pitch decks for innovative financial products.
• Knowledge of financial services, asset building and/or employer-offered benefits, preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively independently and in collaboration with others.
• Creative problem-solving, design and innovation skills, with the ability to exercise professional judgment to find solutions to problems as they arise.
• Strong relationship building experience across a wide range of diverse external constituencies.
• Ability to thrive in a collaborative, fast-paced entrepreneurial environment.
• Passionate about the mission of Commonwealth and driving social change through promoting financial security and opportunity for the financially vulnerable.
• Familiarity with the financial challenges of low-to-moderate income (LMI) individuals.
• Familiarity with financial technology innovations.

To Apply:

Apply online at: https://buildcommonwealth.bamboohr.com/jobs

This position is open immediately. Candidates will be reviewed on a rolling basis. No phone calls.

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

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.