Associate Director – Innovation & Strategy

Based in London – Hybrid

Salary: up to £105,000

The Opportunity

We are partnering with a leading global professional-services organisation to appoint an Associate Director of Innovation & Strategy.

This individual will work with senior internal stakeholders to identify business challenges, evaluate new opportunities and shape strategies that deliver measurable commercial and operational value.

The role requires a strong combination of strategic thinking, data analysis and stakeholder management. You will be expected to understand the “why” behind each request, challenge assumptions constructively and determine whether the organisation should build, buy or partner when developing new capabilities.

Key Responsibilities

• Build trusted relationships with senior stakeholders across a complex, matrixed organisation.
• Partner with internal clients to understand their objectives, challenges and underlying business needs.
• Ask insightful questions and challenge existing thinking to ensure the right problems are being addressed.
• Analyse and synthesise complex quantitative and qualitative data.
• Translate findings into clear insights, recommendations and executive-level presentations.
• Develop business cases, strategic proposals and opportunity assessments.
• Apply build, buy or partner methodologies to evaluate potential solutions.
• Assess the strategic, commercial and operational value of new initiatives.
• Identify emerging technologies, market trends and opportunities that could benefit the organisation and its clients.
• Turn early-stage ideas into structured, actionable strategies.
• Bring together stakeholders from business, technology, product and operational functions.
• Influence senior decision-makers and build support for strategic initiatives.
• Ensure innovation activity is connected to tangible business and client outcomes.

Essential Experience

• Previous experience within a Big Four or comparable professional-services organisation.
• A strong background in innovation strategy, corporate strategy, digital strategy, ventures or management consulting.
• Proven experience synthesising complex data into clear and commercially relevant recommendations.
• Experience working with and influencing senior internal stakeholders.
• A strong understanding of build-versus-buy decision-making, including potential partnership models.
• Experience developing business cases and presenting recommendations to senior leadership.
• Strong commercial awareness and the ability to identify how new ideas can create value.
• Experience operating within a large, complex and highly matrixed business.
• Excellent written, verbal and presentation skills.

Personal Attributes

• Entrepreneurial, inquisitive and commercially minded.
• Comfortable asking “why?” and constructively challenging assumptions.
• A natural relationship builder who can establish credibility with senior stakeholders.
• Analytical and evidence-led, with strong strategic judgement.
• Able to turn ambiguity into structure and clear direction.
• Collaborative, pragmatic and focused on delivery.
• Comfortable balancing strategic thinking with hands-on analysis.
• Motivated by solving complex problems and creating measurable value.

Please reach out to Liam Meikle if you have any questions!