Description

The Innovation Implementation Team was created in recognition of the unique combination of skills required to lead the refinement, scaling and implementation of truly innovative solutions. This team is part of a larger, cross-disciplinary innovation team and has the specific mandate to serve as enablers and thought leaders for the deployment of novel solutions in FINRA's Member Supervision practice, taking ideas from proven concept to Minimum Viable Product (MVP) to launching at-scale. As an Innovation Implementation Specialist, you will pull from elements of venture building, product management, organizational change management, design thinking, and go-to-market strategy to refine and launch impactful solutions that ensure FINRA stays on the leading edge of regulatory oversight in fulfilling its mission to the public.

As the Associate Director of the Innovation Implementation Team, you will own key programs, develop and lead a team responsible for building, testing, scaling, and implementing multiple complex business solutions. You are supported in the execution of this work by adjacent specialist teams, including Design Thinking, Data Science, Analytics, and Project Management teams. As a program lead, you will be responsible for maintaining close partnerships with our business clients and should be practiced at engaging everyone from front-line staff to executive teams. This is a strategic execution role for someone skilled in honing the value proposition of a solution or service, defining, and measuring success to prove or disprove a solution's merit, and prioritizing the work to progressively build out proven solutions in a way that delivers incremental value and reduces risk. This role is expected to serve as a thought leader for the continued development of the Innovation Implementation function within the organization. A strong candidate will have experience leading others through experimental/learning-based approaches to working.

Essential Job Functions:

Own experimentation and concept refinement, working closely with the Design Thinking team to advance ideas from "proven concept" to MVP to a fully scaled solution/offering

Design and execute alpha/beta tests as needed to determine which ideas to advance, based on defined success criteria

Define solution success metrics based on anticipated value (meeting customer needs, strategic alignment for the organization, etc.), and design mechanisms to benchmark and demonstrate solution success

For proven solutions, responsible for developing a long-term vision and production plan focusing on maximizing value delivered and reducing risk to the organization

Coordinate with supporting functions to design and execute holistic implementation strategies covering solution development and launch, communications + awareness plans, training plans, mechanisms for long-term monitoring and refinement based on value delivery.

Prioritize and execute multiple major projects/programs with broad scope and strategic business impact

Track outcomes and manage activities and program performance in accordance with budget and strategic direction

Other Responsibilities:

Contribute thought leadership to the strategic development of the Innovation Implementation Specialist team by identifying leading techniques and best practices and working with department leadership to establish them

Serve as primary relationship manager and strategic partner for our business clients; develop and deepen customer relationships with program leaders and executive sponsors

Skills Needed to Succeed in this Role:

Experience leading teams and influencing partners to achieve project success

Relentless focus on execution. Strong record of delivering impactful solutions from seed to scale that deliver on the intended value proposition

Strong ability to employ a hypothesis-driven approach to tackle complex problems

Strategic mindset and the ability to see and act within the bigger picture while connecting dots and finding opportunities for collaboration

Skillful at building consensus and making thoughtful, data-driven recommendations for project / program prioritization, solution design, issue management, risk identification and mitigation

Excellent business judgment and a practical, common-sense approach to getting things done

Masterful cross-functional communication to ensure all technical and non-technical stakeholders can collaborate effectively and stay engaged throughout the lifecycle of a project

Ability to insightfully examine the status quo, analyze opportunities for improvement, creatively generate solutions, and demonstrate the grit to realize the change

Ability to work with a geographically distributed team and in a hybrid environment

Ability to work flexibly and efficiently; high comfort level with working in a self-directed culture and navigating ambiguity

A passion for transforming mission-driven organizations and improving employees' and stakeholders' lives through strategic innovation

Staff management experience leading small to medium size teams (three to six people)

Education/Experience Requirements:

Bachelor's Degree in a relevant field and 7+ years of experience or any combination of education and experience which would provide an equivalent background required.

Consulting background and/or MBA highly preferred

Experience with Agile software development processes and methodologies a plus

Working Conditions:

Normal office conditions. Use of laptop computer is required.

Position may be staffed at any FINRA location nationwide. Open to fully remote staffing. Quarterly travel is anticipated.

Some extended hours may be required.

For work that is performed in CA, CO, New York, NY and WA, the chart below outlines the proposed salary range for the corresponding location. In addition to location, actual compensation is based on various factors, including but not limited to, the candidate's skill set, level of experience, education and internal peer compensation comparisons.

California: Minimum of $111,800, Maximum of $220,900
Colorado: Minimum of $101,500, Maximum of $184,100
New York, NY: Minimum of $121,700, Maximum of $220,900
Washington St: Minimum of $101,500, Maximum of $211,700

#LI-Hybrid

To be considered for this position, please submit an application.

The information provided above has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work of the position. It is not a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities and qualifications required.

Please note: If the "Apply Now" button on a job board posting does not take you directly to the FINRA Careers site, enterwww.finra.org/careersinto your browser to reach our site directly.

FINRA strives to make our career site accessible to all users. If you need a disability-related accommodation for completing the application process, please contact FINRA's accommodation help line at 240.386.4865. Please note that this number is exclusively for inquiries regarding application accommodations.

Employees may be eligible for a discretionary bonus in addition to base pay. FINRA provides comprehensive health, dental and vision insurance. Additional insurance includes basic life, accidental death and dismemberment, supplemental life, spouse/domestic partner and dependent life, and spouse/domestic partner and dependent accidental death and dismemberment, short- and long-term disability, long-term care, business travel accident, disability and legal. FINRA offers immediate participation and vesting in a 401(k) plan with company match and eligibility for participation in an additional FINRA-funded retirement contribution, tuition reimbursement and many other benefits.

Time Off and Paid Leave*

FINRA encourages its employees to focus on their health and wellness in many ways, including through a generous time-off program of 15 days of paid time off, 5 personal days and 9 sick days (all pro-rated in the first year). Additionally, we are proud to support our communities by providing two volunteer service days (based on full-time schedule). Other paid leave includes military leave, jury duty leave, bereavement leave, voting and election official leave for federal, state or local primary and general elections, care of a family member leave (available after 90 days of employment); and childbirth and parental leave (available after 90 days of employment). Full-time employees receive nine paid holidays.

*Based on full-time schedule

Important Information

FINRA's Code of Conduct imposes restrictions on employees' investments and requires financial disclosures that are uniquely related to our role as a securities regulator. FINRA employees are required to disclose to FINRA all brokerage accounts that they maintain, and those in which they control trading or have a financial interest (including any trust account of which they are a trustee or beneficiary and all accounts of a spouse, domestic partner or minor child who lives with the employee) and to authorize their broker-dealers to provide FINRA with duplicate statements for all of those accounts.All of those accounts are subject to the Code's investment and securities account restrictions, and new employees must comply with those investmentrestrictions-includingdisposing of any security issued by a company on FINRA's Prohibited Company List or obtaining a written waiver from their Executive Vice President-by the date they begin employment with FINRA. Employees may only maintain securities accounts that must be disclosed to FINRA at one or more securities firms that provide an electronic feed (e-feed) of data to FINRA, and must move securities accounts from other securities firms to a firm that provides an e-feed within three months of beginning employment.

You can read more about these restrictions here .

As standard practice, employees must also execute FINRA's Employee Confidentiality and Invention Assignment Agreement without qualification or modification and comply with the company's policy on nepotism.

Search Firm Representatives

Please be advised that FINRA is not seeking assistance or accepting unsolicited resumes from search firms for this employment opportunity. Regardless of past practice, a valid written agreement and task order must be in place before any resumes are submitted to FINRA. All resumes submitted by search firms to any employee at FINRA without a valid written agreement and task order in place will be deemed the sole property of FINRA and no fee will be paid in the event that person is hired by FINRA.

FINRA is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, citizenship status, color, disability, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status or any other classification protected by federal state or local laws as appropriate, or upon the protected status of the person's relatives, friends or associates.

FINRA abides by the requirements of 41 CFR 60-741.5(a). This regulation prohibits discrimination against qualified individuals on the basis of disability, and requires affirmative action by covered prime contractors and subcontractors to employ and advance in employment qualified individuals with disabilities.

FINRA abides by the requirements of 41 CFR 60-300.5(a). This regulation prohibits discrimination against qualified protected veterans, and requires affirmative action by covered prime contractors and subcontractors to employ and advance in employment qualified protected veterans.

©2020 FINRA. All rights reserved. FINRA is a registered trademark of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc.