Director of Innovation and Growth
17 hours ago
Norwich
Our client is seeking a Director of Innovation and Growth to lead and drive their product development across data science, AI/ML, and market research functions. As a member of the leadership team, this role will define the vision, strategy, and execution roadmap for future growth, ensuring the products remain market-leading and deliver exceptional value to clients. You will shape the strategic direction of market intelligence services, manage a team of specialists across data analytics, and machine learning, while ensuring continued innovation and competitive differentiation in a rapidly evolving market. About You You are a strategic leader with deep expertise in market research, data science, and emerging technologies. You have demonstrable experience in scaling research operations, building high-performing teams, and translating complex market intelligence into actionable business insights and products. You possess strong technical foundations with hands-on experience in data analysis, statistical modelling, and emerging AI/ML technologies. You understand both the commercial imperatives of a growing business and the technical challenges of delivering world-class market intelligence at scale. You are passionate about the energy transition and have proven experience in serving clients across the value chain across offshore wind and/or other energy sectors. Key Responsibilities Strategic Leadership & Vision • Define and execute innovation and growth strategy aligned with company goals, • Identify emerging market trends, technologies, and methodologies that create competitive advantage, • Drive product innovation and build business cases for new initiatives, ensuring alignment with client needs and market trends while supporting the companies ambitious growth objectives, • Lead strategic positioning and market entry strategies for new geographies and sectors Team Leadership & Development • Recruit, develop, and manage an agile team of professionals including data analysts and ML engineers, • Implement team-wide quality processes and performance management systems, • Foster a culture of innovation, continuous learning, and commercial excellence, • Provide mentorship and career development opportunities across the organization Product Development & Delivery • Lead the end-to-end product lifecycle, from ideation to launch, ensuring customer-centric design and execution, in close collaboration with the market research, IT and sales teams, • Guide internal product development through innovative approaches to content creation, data visualization, and subscription service delivery beyond AI/ML applications, • Drive integration of AI/ML capabilities into core product offerings to improve client value and increase productivity, • Establish KPIs and metrics to measure product success and client impact Technology & Innovation • Champion adoption of cutting-edge technologies including LLMs, machine learning, and advanced data analytics, • Oversee development of predictive models, supply/demand forecasting systems, and automated data processing workflows, • Ensure innovation initiatives are scalable, commercially viable, and differentiated in the market., • Collaborate with IT teams to ensure scalable, cloud-based infrastructure supports research operations Client Excellence & Business Development • Maintain deep understanding of client needs across the offshore wind and other relevant, • Partner with commercial and client-facing teams to translate innovation into revenue growth., • Engage directly with strategic clients to understand evolving needs and co-create solutions., • Represent the company at global conferences, industry forums, and thought leadership platforms. Experience & Skills Required Essential • Master’s degree in Business, Engineering, Mathematics, or related quantitative discipline, • 10+ years senior leadership experience in market research, consulting, or related fields, • 5+ years’ experience in offshore wind, or other energy and maritime sectors, • Proven track record managing teams of technical professionals, • Demonstrated expertise in data analysis, statistical modelling, and database management, • Strong understanding of AI/ML technologies and their commercial applications, • Excellent written and verbal communication skills with ability to present to C-suite audiences, • Experience with Python, SQL, Excel, and statistical analysis tools Highly Desirable • MBA or equivalent advanced business qualification, • Experience with LLMs, machine learning model development, and cloud computing platforms, • Track record of successful product development and commercialization for high-growth subscription-based market intelligence providers, • Experience serving clients across offshore wind value chain (developers, OEMs, financiers, government), • Knowledge of GIS systems and maritime operations