Innovation Manager
Do you have experience in managing innovation projects?
Are you a team Player?
About Our Team
The Innovation team sits within Journal Operations and is responsible for accelerating key strategic projects for Journal Operations, drive the right process and governance to drive Innovation across organization and contribute to development of key enablers such as learning ecosystem. .
About the Role
The Innovation Manager is a global, hands-on role reporting to the Director of Innovation & Enablement, Journal Operations and directly responsible to drive the strategy of Innovation led operations. The role identifies, validates, and scales innovations—especially those leveraging Generative AI and Agentic AI—to deliver measurable cost savings and value creation.
The Innovation Manager partners across regions with product, technology, operations, and the Learning & Content Development team to translate opportunities into pilots, scale successful solutions, and mature innovation skills across Journal Operations and our global customer base.
Responsibilities
Innovation pipeline delivery
- Establish frameworks for idea generation, evaluation, and prioritization.
- Source, qualify, and prioritize opportunities; develop concise business cases tied to cost saving and value generation targets.
- Lead pilots/PoCs (scope, success criteria, runway to scale); transition proven pilots into sustainable BAU with clear ownership.
- Maintain accurate stage gates, benefits tracking, and risk/assumption logs in the pipeline tooling.
AI Use-Cases (GenAI & Agentic AI)
- Identify high-impact AI use-cases (workflow agents, automation, content quality, decision support); ensure responsible design, testing, and rollout.
- Partner with Engineering/AI teams on data readiness, guardrails, and performance evaluation (precision/recall, latency, cost).
Change and enablement
- Measure and report success of innovation activities using defined KPIs
- Co-design adoption and change plans (comms, training, enablement assets) with the Learning & Content Development team; contribute to the Future Skills curriculum with practical use-cases, playbooks, and demos.
- Act as a change champion across global teams; gather feedback, remove adoption blockers, and measure readiness.
- Thought leadership: Be at the forefront of driving a culture of experimentation, sharing best practices, failing fast and testing new operating models for accelerated execution.
Stakeholder Management
- Engage global operational leaders to align on problem statements, benefits, resources, and rollout plans.
- Prepare clear updates (benefits realized/forecast, risks, asks) for the Director and governance forums.
Measurement & Benefits Realization
- Define baselines and success metrics; quantify outcomes (time/cost/quality/experience).
- Ensure robust post-implementation reviews and benefit realization reports; capture and share reusable patterns and assets.
Risk, Ethics & Compliance
- Embed responsible AI principles (privacy, security, bias mitigation, transparency); coordinate approvals and documentation.
Communicates Powerfully and Prolifically
- Provides a definite sense of direction and purpose.
- Provides people with a clear understanding of how their work fits within a wider organisation.
- Delivers presentations clearly and with high impact.
- Develops a trusted 2way communication interface between the team and stakeholders.
Champions Change
- Champions new projects or programs.
- Has the courage to advocate change that will improve the business.
- Quickly recognises situations where change is needed.
- Is skilled in applying change and transition frameworks to all change initiatives.
- Encourages and energizes others to challenge the statusquo and to actively look for new ways of doing things.
- Encourages others to see change as part of the business and as a means to create new opportunities.
Solves Problems and Analyzes Issues
- Identifies and highlights new trends, potential problems and opportunities early.
- Effectively coaches others on how to analyze information to solve problems.
- Encourages and coaches others to seek alternative ways to solve complex problems.
Develops Strategic Perspective
- Influences strategic discussions and decisions.
- Demonstrates business and strategic acumen in making decisions for the good of the organisation.
- Communicates strategy as an ever evolving process, encouraging continual improvements to the strategic priorities.
- Connects with external groups to stay in touch with, or ahead of, current market thinking and competition.
- Mentors managers on how to maintain a strategic, customer driven perspective within their teams.
- Has the ability to look out to the future and anticipate trends.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent
- 7+ years of overall experience
- 3+ relevant experience with in managing innovation projects and activities including expertise in analysis, economic modelling, opportunity sizing and business development
- Project management degree and experience
- Demonstrated experience in innovation, program/project delivery, or process improvement within complex/global operations.
- Hands-on experience piloting or implementing GenAI/Agentic AI or intelligent automation solutions.
- Structured delivery skills (stage-gate management, RAID, change & adoption planning).
- Proficiency with common productivity/analysis tools (e.g., Excel/Sheets for benefits models, project tracking tools, prompt/agent evaluation basics).
Work in a way that works for you
We promote a healthy work/life balance across the organisation. We offer an appealing working prospect for our people. With numerous wellbeing initiatives, shared parental leave, study assistance and sabbaticals, we will help you meet your immediate responsibilities and your long-term goals.
- Working flexible hours - flexing the times when you work in the day to help you fit everything in and work when you are the most productive
Working for you
We know that your wellbeing and happiness are key to a long and successful career. These are some of the benefits we are delighted to offer:
- Comprehensive Health Insurance: Covers you, your immediate family, and parents.
- Enhanced Health Insurance Options: Competitive rates negotiated by the company.
- Group Life Insurance: Ensuring financial security for your loved ones.
- Group Accident Insurance: Extra protection for accidental death and permanent disablement.
- Flexible Working Arrangement: Achieve a harmonious work-life balance.
- Employee Assistance Program: Access support for personal and work-related challenges.
- Medical Screening: Your well-being is a top priority.
- Modern Family Benefits: Maternity, paternity, and adoption support.
- Long-Service Awards: Recognizing dedication and commitment.
- New Baby Gift: Celebrating the joy of parenthood.
- Subsidized Meals in Chennai: Enjoy delicious meals at discounted rates.
- Various Paid Time Off: Take time off with Casual Leave, Sick Leave, Privilege Leave, Compassionate Leave, Special Sick Leave, and Gazetted Public Holidays.
- Free Transport pick up and drop from the home -office - home (applies in Chennai)
About the Business
A global leader in information and analytics, we help researchers and healthcare professionals’ advance science and improve health outcomes for the benefit of society. Building on our publishing heritage, we combine quality information and vast data sets with analytics to support visionary science and research, health education and interactive learning, as well as exceptional healthcare and clinical practice. At Elsevier, your work contributes to the world’s grand challenges and a more sustainable future. We harness innovative technologies to support science and healthcare to partner for a better world.
We know your well-being and happiness are key to a long and successful career. We are delighted to offer country specific benefits. Click here to access benefits specific to your location.
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