Responsibilities
Key accountabilities and decision ownership:

• Emerging Trends and Innovation Scouting
• Identify global fintech trends and disruptions
• Monitor advancements in AI, blockchain, and open banking
• Analyze competitive and startup ecosystems
• Engage with innovation hubs and research bodies
• Evaluate relevance of new technologies to business
• Track regulatory developments impacting innovation
• Provide insights to shape innovation strategy

Innovation Strategy Development

• Define fintech frontier strategy aligned to business goals
• Prioritize innovation themes and focus areas
• Develop long-term innovation roadmaps
• Align initiatives with customer and market needs
• Balance experimentation with commercial viability
• Secure leadership alignment on innovation agenda
• Continuously refine strategy based on outcomes

Experimentation and Pilot Execution

• Design and run proofs of concept (POCs)
• Lead pilot programs for new technologies
• Apply agile and rapid prototyping approaches
• Test use cases in controlled environments
• Measure pilot success against defined KPIs
• Iterate solutions based on learnings
• Scale successful pilots into full products

Ecosystem and Partnership Development

• Build relationships with startups and fintechs
• Collaborate with technology providers and platforms
• Explore partnerships for co-innovation opportunities
• Engage venture capital and innovation networks
• Identify investment or acquisition opportunities
• Facilitate joint product development initiatives
• Strengthen ecosystem positioning and reach

Product and Platform Integration

• Integrate new technologies into existing platforms
• Collaborate with product and tech teams
• Ensure interoperability within ecosystem solutions
• Support API and platform-based development
• Align innovation with customer experience goals
• Ensure scalability and performance of solutions
• Drive adoption of frontier capabilities

Commercialization and Value Realization

• Translate innovation into revenue-generating solutions
• Develop business cases for new initiatives
• Define monetization and pricing strategies
• Support go-to-market for new innovations
• Track ROI and commercial impact
• Align innovation with growth objectives
• Scale solutions across markets and segments

Governance, Risk, and Compliance

• Ensure compliance with regulatory frameworks
• Assess risks associated with new technologies
• Collaborate with legal, risk, and compliance teams
• Establish governance for innovation initiatives
• Ensure data privacy and security standards
• Monitor ethical implications of emerging tech
• Balance innovation speed with risk management

Qualifications
Must have technical / professional qualifications:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Finance, Technology, Business, Innovation, or related field (MBA preferred)
• 8–12 years’ experience in fintech, banking, innovation, or digital transformation roles
• Strong knowledge of emerging technologies (AI, blockchain, APIs, open banking, embedded finance)
• Proven experience in innovation strategy, product incubation, or new venture development
• Experience working with fintech startups, ecosystems, and partnership models
• Solid understanding of financial services regulations, risk, and compliance frameworks
• Strong analytical, strategic thinking, and ability to translate trends into business opportunities
• Experience in leading cross-functional teams and driving complex innovation programs
• Proficiency in data analysis, business case development, and ROI evaluation
• Excellent stakeholder management, communication, and executive influencing skills