Innovation Manager

At EY, you’ll have the chance to build a career as unique as you are, with the global scale, support, inclusive culture and technology to become the best version of you. And we’re counting on your unique voice and perspective to help EY become even better, too. Join us and build an exceptional experience for yourself, and a better working world for all. 

Job Title: Innovation Manager

Job purpose

You will be part of GDS Assurance Digital, helping identify, shape, and scale innovation opportunities that advance AI and emerging technology adoption across Assurance. You will work with multi-disciplinary teams across Assurance, technology, business, start-up ecosystems, universities, and external industry forums to convert ideas into high-impact use cases, research-led thought leadership, and market-recognized innovation outcomes.

You will own the innovation lifecycle end-to-end—from conducting workshops to discover priority business problems, curating and qualifying new use cases, building external collaboration models with start-ups and universities, and driving research, white papers, external publications, and award submissions that strengthen GDS Assurance Digital’s innovation brand.

You are familiar with approaches, methods and tools for:

• Designing and facilitating innovation workshops to identify high-value Assurance use cases across AI, data, automation, and emerging technologies
• Running structured ideation, prioritization, feasibility assessment, and business case development to move concepts from problem statements to actionable innovation opportunities
• Building and managing GDS start-up programs and external connects to scout relevant technologies, evaluate solution fit, and create collaboration pathways
• Developing university collaboration models for applied research, prototypes, hackathons, and joint thought leadership
• Driving R&D, white papers, external publications, and industry award submissions that showcase GDS Assurance innovation, AI adoption, and emerging technology leadership

You will build trusted relationships with internal stakeholders, start-up partners, university teams, industry bodies, and cross-functional EY teams. You will also lead communication, enablement, and governance around innovation programs to ensure ideas are visible, evaluated consistently, and converted into measurable outcomes.

Technical skills requirements

• Excellent academic background, including at a minimum a bachelor’s or master’s degree in Business/Management, Engineering , Innovation Management, Design Thinking, or a related field—with strong grounding in digital transformation, emerging technologies, research methods , and stakeholder-led innovation .
• 10+ years of work experience in innovation management, digital transformation, AI-enabled business change, ecosystem partnerships, consulting, or product/program leadership, with focus on the following:
  • Innovation workshop design and facilitation, including problem discovery, stakeholder interviews, ideation, prioritization, and use case shaping
  • AI and emerging technology opportunity assessment, including market scanning, technology radar development, feasibility evaluation, and value hypothesis creation
  • GDS start-up programs and external connects, including start-up scouting, partner evaluation, demo days, pilots, and collaboration governance
  • University collaborations, including applied research partnerships, student/faculty engagement, hackathons, prototype challenges, and joint innovation initiatives
  • R&D and thought leadership, including white papers, external publications, industry trend reports, and executive-ready insight papers on AI and emerging technology
  • Industry awards and recognitions, including identifying award opportunities, building nomination narratives, collecting evidence, and managing submission timelines
  • Innovation governance and portfolio tracking, including funnel management, prioritization criteria, impact metrics, stakeholder reporting, and benefits realization

• Strong innovation and technology fluency to connect business problems with practical AI and emerging technology opportunitie s across:
  • AI, GenAI, agentic AI, automation, analytics, cloud, data platforms, and emerging technology trends relevant to Assurance
  • Design thinking, lean experimentation, rapid prototyping, proof-of-concept design, and impact measurement
  • Research synthesis, market intelligence, technology scouting, and translating trends into practical innovation themes
  • Executive storytelling, visual communication, and publication-ready writing for white papers, external submissions, and leadership updates

• Additionally, the following will be considered a strong asset:
  • Experience with innovation ecosystems, start-up accelerators, venture scouting, alliances, or external partnership programs
  • Experience working with universities, research institutions, incubators, or industry forums on applied research and thought leadership initiatives
  • Familiarity with Assurance, audit, financial services, risk, compliance, or regulated environments
  • Hands-on use of collaboration and design tools such as Miro, Figma, Lucid, Visio, PowerPoint, and research or knowledge management platforms
  • Track record of producing externally publishable content, award submissions, industry recognition narratives, or innovation showcases

• Proven ownership from idea discovery → incubation → stakeholder alignment → measurable impact, with ability to manage an innovation funnel across multiple teams, regions, and external collaborators.
• Strong written and verbal communication, facilitation, presentation, and executive-ready storytelling skills—able to engage business leaders, technologists, start-ups, universities , and industry stakeholders.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills, with ability to work under tight timelines , synthesize research quickly, and drive multiple concurrent innovation initiatives with high quality and governance rigor.

What we offer:

At EY, we support you in achieving your unique potential both personally and professionally. We give you stretching and rewarding experiences that keep you motivated, working in an atmosphere of integrity and teaming with some of the world's most successful companies. And while we encourage you to take personal responsibility for your career, we support you in your professional development in every way we can. You enjoy the flexibility to devote time to what matters to you, in your business and personal lives. At EY you can be who you are and express your point of view, energy and enthusiasm, wherever you are in the world. It's how you make a difference.

As part of GDS Assurance Digital, you will have the opportunity to shape the innovation agenda for AI and emerging technologies, build meaningful ecosystem collaborations, and help position GDS Assurance as a recognized leader in practical, research-led digital innovation.

EY | Building a better working world 

EY exists to build a better working world, helping to create long-term value for clients, people and society and build trust in the capital markets.  

Enabled by data and technology, diverse EY teams in over 150 countries provide trust through assurance and help clients grow, transform and operate.  

Working across assurance, consulting, law, strategy, tax and transactions, EY teams ask better questions to find new answers for the complex issues facing our world today.