Tech Innovation Director, Emerging Markets

Hyderabad, Telangana
Permanent
Full-time

7 hours ago

Job Description:OverviewThis role is responsible for shaping and executing PepsiCo’s enterprise strategy and innovation agenda across emerging and developing markets. It involves translating long-term strategic priorities into scalable, market-relevant platforms, identifying white space opportunities, and fostering strategic partnerships with global and regional tech players.Key responsibilities include:

Enterprise Strategy Development: Define and align enterprise strategy with global priorities, ensuring relevance to high-growth regions and operational feasibility.
Innovation Program Leadership: Design and manage end-to-end innovation programs, from terrain selection and vendor scouting to pilot execution and scale-up.
Vendor & Pilot Management: Lead the vendor selection process, coordinate proof-of-concept (POC) pilots, and ensure alignment with business needs and legal standards.
Stakeholder Engagement: Collaborate with business leaders and executive sponsors to drive decisions, align innovation with business goals, and report progress.
Scale-Up & Incubation: Refine scale-up processes, support implementation, and establish frameworks for incubating Horizon 2 & 3 technologies.
Event & Communication Management: Plan and execute key program events, manage internal and external communications, and promote a culture of innovation.
Collaboration & Ecosystem Building: Build partnerships with startups, academia, and industry leaders to drive collaborative innovation and research.

ResponsibilitiesBuild Enterprise Strategy for Emerging & Developing Markets

Inform and define the future of enterprise strategy for emerging/developing markets, aligned with the key global priorities
Translate long-term enterprise strategies into scalable, market-relevant platforms that address the unique dynamics of high-growth regions
Connect the needs of emerging markets to PepsiCo’s largest-scale platforms, ensuring strategic alignment and future readiness
Identify strategic opportunities and white spaces in developing markets that require tailored platform approaches and unique solutions (e.g., price, implementation etc. to ensure operational fit)
Develop strategic partnerships with global and regional tech players to secure access to next-gen platforms for emerging and developing regions

Innovation Program set up

Ensure alignment of business unit objectives with the overall innovation strategy and technological feasibility
Manage and drive the innovation programs from start to finish, ensuring timely and effective delivery of use cases and POCs
Set clear objectives and KPIs for the programs, continuously monitoring progress and adjusting strategy to maximize impact

Manage process selecting vendors for POC/pilotStep 1: Select priority terrains

Ensure strategic terrains, ripe for startup tech innovation, are identified and clear briefs developed
Support driving full alignment of terrains across organization

Step 2: Meet vendors

Ongoing mapping and scouting of the tech landscape
Coordinate eco-systems immersions (virtual/in-person) to scout for relevant vendors – right people attend & right timing with effective engagement tools
Ensure timely follow-ups with attendees to drive alignment on prioritized vendors and next steps

Step 3: Select vendors

Consolidate immersion output (selected vendors, initial use cases etc) for sign off from program executive sponsors
Maintain database (CRM) of all startup discussions & status to ensure efficiency for program and ongoing startup engagement

Co-lead, with transformation owners, to ensure well-run POCs/pilotsStep 1: Prepare for kick off

Work with advisory to assign business partner to ‘own pilot’ and executive sponsor
As needed, navigate org to ensure experts engaged
Support initial discussions introducing business partner and vendors
Coordinate with Legal all documentation (e.g., NDAs, MOUs) to ensure adherent to PEP standards and protected from IP

Step 2a: Project kick off

Facilitate kick-off sessions by
Defining use case and objectives for the pilot
Setting ways-of-working for rapid decision: e.g., micro-team (DICE framework), milestones, KPIs and timeline)
Progress POC/pilot process with weekly business partner calls & monthly senior sponsor calls
Act as a bridge between vendors and PEP and remove roadblocks or stepbacks
Support vendors & business partners to build effective communications that inspire PEP engagement with the startup (e.g., well written presentations/videos on case for action and opportunity for PepsiCo)
Consolidate communications for ongoing advisory updates

Step 2b: Use case discovery (when needed, for relevant technologies that are cross functional)

Showcase technology internally to PEP experts to discover use-cases
Work closely with business leaders – business partners and executive sponsors - to drive decisions
Provide external lens to help shape and refine focus areas
Develop process flows to identify opportunities for innovation
Lead process for post pilot evaluation and scale-up recommendation
Engage and manage internal stakeholders across various departments, ensuring alignment on program goals and outcomes
Regularly report to senior leadership on the progress of innovation initiatives, highlighting key achievements, challenges, and opportunities
Provide thought leadership on industry trends, emerging technologies, and innovation best practices.

Refine design of scale up process and support implementation of scale up

Refine design of scale-up process
Guide business owner through the process and best practices

Lead planning & execution of key program events – immersion sessions, kick-offs, interim & final events with senior leaders and vendors

Design and execute effective and engaging immersion session
Coordinate and lead thorough debriefs with internal attendees and drive selection of vendors to progress to pilot
Design program kick-off and events – multi-day events with broad range of attendees

Collaboration Management

Build strong, mutually beneficial partnerships with industry leaders, start-ups, and academic institutions to drive collaborative research, development, and pilot programs
Manage relationships with internal business units, aligning innovation initiatives with business needs and challenges

Create ongoing and inspiring communications on progress to gain executive support & continue infusing innovation culture

Support executive updates on priority use cases, project status and lessons learned
Sector comms on progress with successful pilots and scale up

Establish incubation framework for horizon 2 & 3 technologies to focus on developing PEP specific use cases with strategic vendorsProvide guidance to vendor partners on PEP use cases * Co-develop with vendors to evaluate and create stage gate process to pilot in real world scenarioQualifications

Minimum 12-15 years of experience in innovation management, technology partnerships, and program leadership
Preference to Consulting background/M&A/Venture Capital
In-depth knowledge and experience with deep tech areas such as AI, machine learning, blockchain, IoT, and advanced analytics
A strong track record of successfully executing innovation programs, from ideation to POC and full-scale implementation
Demonstrated success in driving tech adoption of innovation within large organizations
Ability to build and manage a network of technology partners, VCs, and innovation hubs
Strong interpersonal and team leadership skills
Ability to think strategically and translate to action to ‘get things done’
Experience working in a multinational company with matrix processes and activities
Experience in leading complex and multi-functional project teams
Effective communication (written and oral) to senior management
Flexibility and ability to deal with complexity under time pressure
Bachelors degree, MBA preferred

PepsiCo

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