Job Title: Innovation Network Lead / Scout (m/f/d)_728

About the Job

The "Innovation Network Lead / Scout" position is crucial in expanding Allianz's innovation ecosystem by building and nurturing a network of strategic partners, including start-ups, venture capitalists, companies, academia, and research institutes. This role is dedicated to learning from the external market and integrating external insights into Allianz's innovation strategy.

As the "master connector," the Innovation Network Lead / Scout facilitates connections between internal innovation teams and external partners, ensuring alignment and driving collaborative innovation efforts. By managing expectations and fostering partnerships, this role enables the creation of new innovation projects that leverage diverse expertise and resources. Embracing collaboration as a key driver of innovation, the Innovation Network Lead / Scout ensures that Allianz remains agile and responsive to emerging opportunities, fostering a culture of strategic innovation and growth.

What you do

• Create and maintain a robust network of start-ups, venture capitalists, other companies, networks, academia, and research institutes to foster strategic innovation partnerships.
• Act as the "master connector," linking internal innovation teams with the right external partners to drive collaborative innovation ef forts.
• Facilitate initial connections between internal teams and external partners, ensuring clear communication and alignment of expectations on both sides.
• Drive collaboration efforts and the creation of new innovation projects by leveraging external insights and resources.
• Learn from the market outside and integrate external knowledge into the organization's innovation strategy.
• Manage relationships with external partners to ensure ongoing collaboration and mutual benefit.
• Communicate insights and opportunities to senior leadership and other stakeholders to inform strategic decision-making.

What you bring

• Preferably, professional experience within the startup and venture capital environments, having adopted their culture and practices. Entrepreneurial thinking and acting comes naturally to you, and you consistently question and challenge anything that is unnecessarily complex or bureaucratic.
• Demonstrated experience in networking, innovation management, or a similar role, with ideally established connections to key networks of startups, venture capitalists, and research institutes.
• Strong relationship-building and communication skills.
• Excellent strategic thinking and problem-solving abilities.
• Exhibit a strong customer-centric approach, consistently prioritizing the needs and perspectives of our end-customers in all innovation efforts and decision-making processes. By doing so, we aim to systematically enhance our customers' trust in our innovation capabilities.
• Ability to work collaboratively with cross-functional teams and manage multiple priorities.
• Experience in facilitating partnerships and driving collaborative innovation efforts.
• Basic knowledge of AI technology, principles, and their practical use

Your benefits

• 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.