System Innovation (Business Innovation) - Part Head

Location: Two Horizon Center, Gurugram

Role Overview:

The Head of System Innovation leads the System Innovation function within Business Innovation and has proven experience to handle large teams. The role sets the strategy, portfolio and operating model that convert business ideas into scaled, AI- and automation-enabled solutions. The role is accountable for measurable improvement in the company's top-line growth and cost efficiency, and for the disciplined management of the IT cost and budget. It also ensures the performance, governance and continuous improvement of the systems, sales applications and processes that support business operations, and leads the team that delivers this work.

Innovation Strategy and Portfolio:

- Define the System Innovation strategy and annual portfolio, aligned to Business Innovation objectives, top-line targets and cost-efficiency targets.

- Own the innovation lifecycle from ideation and conceptualization through execution to scale, and set stage-gate criteria and investment decisions across the portfolio.

- Sponsor the identification and implementation of AI/ML and RPA solutions, with priority on initiatives that increase revenue or significantly reduce operational cost.

- Establish and govern a standard innovation methodology applicable across business units, and foster a culture of continuous improvement.

- Set the standard for business cases and benefit validation, and require verified revenue and cost impact before scaling an initiative.

Organizational Transformation and Process Excellence:

- Lead large-scale organizational transformation programs to modernize how the business operates.

- Direct the analysis of operational data and the redesign of business processes across the end-to-end supply chain, from demand to supply.

- Drive the elimination of redundant or low-value tasks and the implementation of streamlined processes that improve productivity.

IT Cost and Budget Management:

- Own the annual IT budget for System Innovation, covering labor, cloud, telecom, infrastructure and vendor or partner spend, and align it to portfolio priorities.

- Lead IT cost planning and forecasting, and present cost baselines, variances and forecast-to-complete to leadership and Finance.

- Reconcile budget against actuals on a regular cycle, investigate variances, and agree and track corrective actions.

- Approve and govern spend on projects, vendor contracts and change requests against the approved budget and the underlying business case.

- Drive cost optimization, including vendor rationalization, license and cloud usage review, and removal of duplicated spend, without compromising system performance.

System Performance and Governance:

- Hold accountability for sales applications, technical infrastructure and the change request process that support business processes and operating standards.

- Define the KPI framework and monitoring approach for new innovations, and ensure that abnormal trends are flagged and acted upon.

- Oversee process re-design and report operational efficiency outcomes to senior leadership.

Stakeholder and Cross-Functional Leadership:

- Present innovation status, benefits, risks and decisions required to senior leadership stakeholders.

- Lead cross-functional teams and manage internal and external delivery partners to ensure technology projects are delivered on time and within agreed scope.

- Channel market and field feedback into system design so that the company can build high-tech systems that enable a faster Go-To-Market (GTM) strategy.

People Leadership and Capability Building:

- Build a high-performing, cohesive team with clear roles, shared goals and accountability for innovation and transformation outcomes.

- Develop individual capability plans for each direct report, covering AI and automation, data analytics, process excellence and project management.

- Coach and mentor direct reports to build problem-solving, business ownership and stakeholder management skills, and to prepare them for greater responsibility.

- Identify skill gaps within the team and drive targeted learning, certification and on-the-job development to close them.

Candidate Requirements:

Education & Experience:

- Academic Background: MBA from a premier institute.

- Professional Experience: 15+ years of experience in Business Process excellence & System Innovation, AI led project implementation and IT ops management, Business Analytics, System Development, IT Project management, Digital Transformation, Team management.

- Proven Track Record: Full scale Implementation of digital transformation projects and have clearly established revenue growth or cost reduction.

Technical Skills:

- AI & Automation: Hands-on experience in AI led tools for automation.

- Data Proficiency: Ability to handle and analyse large volumes of complex data.

- Software Tools: AI tools, enterprise level ERP systems, productivity tools.

- Project Management: Proven experience in managing full-cycle IT and business transformation projects.

Soft Skills:

- Agility: A quick learner capable of mastering new systems and technologies rapidly.

- Communication: Excellent verbal and written communication skills for presenting to senior leadership.

- Collaboration: A team player who can influence and lead cross-functional teams.