Head Of Innovation Planning & Activation

Employer Overview

A leading Bank with a century-long legacy of driving economic and social development. The bank has a strong local and international footprint, serving millions of clients, while continuing to expand its innovation, digital, and customer-centric initiatives.

Job Summary

The Head of Innovation Planning & Activation is responsible for shaping and driving the organization’s innovation agenda through year-round programs, events, and storytelling initiatives. This role orchestrates ideation, collaboration, and ecosystem engagement to embed innovation into the organization’s culture and activate its Innovation Hub as a dynamic platform for change.

Key Responsibilities

• Design and deliver a year-round innovation calendar including fireside chats, salons, hackathons, demo days, bootcamps, learning series, and flagship festivals.
• Drive employee engagement through innovation campaigns, storytelling, and experiential initiatives that integrate innovation into daily work practices.
• Plan and facilitate ideation events such as idea challenges, scouting sprints, and hackathons to identify and develop early-stage concepts.
• Analyze emerging trends, technologies, and market signals to inform innovation themes and shape internal programs.
• Oversee the activation, design, and programming of the Innovation Hub, ensuring it remains a vibrant and inspiring space for collaboration.
• Define and track innovation OKRs, KPIs, and dashboards to measure impact and improve outcomes.
• Build and maintain strong partnerships with startups, accelerators, academic institutions, and ecosystem players to bring in external perspectives and co-creation opportunities.
• Mentor and empower internal innovation ambassadors and champions to drive grassroots innovation and foster a culture of creativity across departments.

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, or a related field.
• Certifications in innovation, design thinking, foresight, or entrepreneurship are a plus.
• 12–15 years of professional experience, including 5–7 years in innovation program management, ecosystem engagement, or strategic events.
• Proven track record in designing and delivering innovation or entrepreneurship programs.
• Strong knowledge of Egypt’s startup and innovation ecosystem.
• Strong leadership and stakeholder engagement capabilities.
• Excellent storytelling, facilitation, and presentation skills.
• Strategic mindset with the ability to inspire creativity and experimentation.
• Expertise in program design, event management, and innovation methodologies (design thinking, foresight, lean innovation).
• Ability to set and monitor OKRs and KPIs.
• Proficiency in MS Office and digital collaboration platforms.
• Familiarity with innovation management tools and dashboards.
• Excellent verbal and written communication in both Arabic and English.
• Ability to design and scale innovation initiatives across large organizations.
• Capacity to connect internal and external stakeholders to create impactful collaborations.
• Flexibility to adapt to emerging trends and drive continuous innovation.