Account Manager for Innovation & Business Development Expert at Ericsson Nigeria

Ericsson is a world-leading provider of telecommunications equipment and services to mobile and fixed network operators. Over 1,000 networks in more than 180 countries use Ericsson equipment, and more than 40 percent of the world's mobile traffic passes through Ericsson networks. Using innovation to empower people, business and society, we are working towards the Networked Society, in which everything that can benefit from a connection will have one. At Ericsson, we apply our innovation to market-based solutions that empower people and society to help shape a more sustainable world.

We are truly a global company, working across borders in 175 countries, offering a diverse, performance-driven culture and an innovative and engaging environment where employees enhance their potential everyday. Our employees live our vision, core values and guiding principles. They share a passion to win and a high responsiveness to customer needs that in turn makes us a desirable partner to our clients. To ensure professional growth, Ericsson offers a stimulating work experience, continuous learning and growth opportunities that allow you to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to reach your career goals.

We are recruiting to fill the position of:

Job Title: Account Manager for Innovation & Business Development Expert

Location: Lagos
Req ID: 85622

Job Description

• Lead and drive innovation activities as well as encourage the right conditions for creativity and innovation, with the purpose to create value from ideas within a defined strategic scope, including new products, services, business models, processes, and ways of working. Identify and develop new business opportunities with the purpose to capture value in new areas, typically outside and beyond current core businesses.

Main Responsibilities

• Work with technical experts to help our customer maximize the benefits from the existing technologies in the network
• Work closely with customer teams to develop the next generation of products and services that will drive the customers business.
• Establish a relationship with stakeholders inside and outside the company to promote an innovation ecosystem
• Help define and set the strategy for the teams and ensure there is a robust mechanism for tracking and measuring success.
• Promote and position Ericsson as a leader in the ICT area
• Drive and create new business opportunities for Ericsson by creating new customer offerings and sourcing 3PP partner solutions
• Build a close relationship with customer CIOs and CMOs in order identify business needs
• Promote knowledge sharing and solution re-use across the innovation teams

Detailed Responsibility and Task
Task:
Perform and facilitate foresight, insight, ideation (Innovation Manager, Innovation Coach):

• Drive foresight and scenario development (outside-in, from the future and back perspective
• Analyze markets, customers and users to identify key insights and stakeholder values per area/opportunity
• Drive and facilitate idea generation sessions with internal and external participation

Drive pre-studies, business case/plan creation (Innovation Manager, Innovation Coach, Business Builder):

• Describe and develop business concept incl. values for stakeholders and effort to realize
• Business model and business case development, investment and risk analysis
• Shape and align expectations of internal and external stakeholders, customers
• Prepare decision-making (communication, networking, presentation)

Initiate and drive innovation activities/funnel (Innovation Manager):

• Define innovation objectives and scope based on business goals and strategy
• Seek mandate for, establish and drive an innovation initiative, process
• Secure relevant people, funding and time
• Define and set-up a systematic way of working, incl. innovation process, funnel
• Define selection criteria and identify/establish relevant decision-making board
• Define roles and competences development needs
• Identify and make available relevant tools, methods
• Propose incentives and recognition. Set relevant KPIs, measure, follow-up
• Communicate innovation needs and success stories to engage relevant stakeholders
• Manage the opportunity flow: screening, pre-study, realization, commercialization
• Collaboration and knowledge sharing in internal and external innovation networks
• Build relations and engage customers and partners in joint innovation activities

Promote a culture that supports innovation (Innovation Manager, Innovation Coach, Line Manager):

• Create awareness of what innovation is and why it is important
• Drive activities to strengthen innovation capabilities, boost creativity and accelerate implementation
• Communicate innovation strategy and innovation success stories

Build new business, incl. team creation, internal alignment, commercial trials, market launch (Business Builder):

• Create team and secure resources, competences and network for realization
• Build internal support and alignment
• Build prototype, manage experiments, trials and validation with internal and external stakeholders
• Manage customers and partner relations
• Make build, buy or ally decisions. Manage M&A, minority investment, partnership and alliances issues
• Venture execution, commercial launch and initial scale-up

Coach and facilitate opportunity development (Innovation Coach):

• Coach and support other persons to develop ideas/opportunities
• Use tools and methods to identify opportunity value and estimate effort
• Encourage and motivate, build relevant relations internally and externally

Typical Interfaces:

• Relevant LTs and boards, including strategy, technology and portfolio management
• Customers CIO and CMO teams
• Partners for jointly exploring new business opportunities
• Internal subject area experts, e.g. product, solution and innovation managers, innovation coaches, new business development & innovation

Behavioral competences:

• Creating and innovating
• Commercial thinking
• Persuading and influencing
• Analyzing
• Leading and supervising
• Relating and networking

Qualifications and Experience

• B.Sc or similar theoretical background
• Business building, entrepreneurial experience
• Opportunity and business case development, and business modeling experience
• Coaching and facilitation experience
• Qualification as an Innovation coach would be an advantage.
• Experience working in a marketing or related role
• Previous Management experience and experience leading teams

Application Closing Date
Not Specified.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online