Innovation Lab Leader

At Northwestern Mutual, we are strong, innovative and growing. We invest in our people. We care and make a positive difference.
About the Role
The Innovation Lab Leader role is a high-impact leadership role responsible for designing, launching, and leading the People function's Innovation Lab-a strategic incubator for pioneering ideas that advance people priorities. Initially focused on AI use cases in HR, the lab will bring teams together to brainstorm, ideate, articulate, prototype, incubate, and evaluate innovation ideas before transitioning them to other teams for execution.
This role requires a visionary yet hands-on leader who can establish and facilitate a structured, high-impact innovation pipeline-curating and refining ideas that deliver measurable business value. The ideal candidate brings expertise in innovation, strategy, and transformation, fluency in digital and AI trends, and a proven ability to mobilize cross-functional teams in a complex, matrixed enterprise.
Key Responsibilities

• Build and lead the Innovation Lab , defining its vision, governance, and operating model to align with the People function's strategic priorities.
• Develop success metrics to track the lab's impact, ensuring transparency and accountability in outcomes from idea generation to execution.
• Develop a robust selection process for lab participants, ensuring a mix of perspectives, skills, and experiences.
• Curate and run structured ideation sessions , workshops, and incubators, ensuring diverse participation and creative problem-solving.
• Establish and maintain a pipeline of high-impact ideas , balancing desirability, feasibility, and viability while driving tangible business outcomes.
• Facilitate the end-to-end innovation process , from idea generation to refinement and prioritization , ensuring the strongest ideas are vetted and handed off for execution.
• Foster strong internal and external partnerships to accelerate idea refinement and implementation.
• Continuously iterate on lab methodologies based on stakeholder feedback, evolving best practices, and business needs.
• Craft compelling business cases that articulate the value and viability of lab-generated ideas, gaining executive sponsorship and buy-in.
• Facilitate executive briefings, stakeholder engagement sessions, and leadership forums to drive visibility and credibility for the lab's work.

The Ideal Candidate
You are a strategic facilitator and orchestrator of innovation -a leader who thrives in ambiguity, translates vision into action, and builds high-performing, collaborative environments. You have deep experience leading innovation and transformation initiatives , ensuring the right ideas move forward and deliver measurable impact.
Key Qualifications & Experience

• 7+ years of experience in innovation, strategy, digital transformation, HR, or a related field .
• Strong AI fluency -not as a technologist, but as a strategic thinker who understands its applications in HR.
• Proven ability to build and scale new teams or initiatives , particularly in large, matrixed organizations.
• Exceptional facilitation and collaboration skills , with experience leading brainstorming, ideation, and prioritization sessions.
• Strong business acumen , with the ability to craft persuasive business cases and influence senior leaders.
• Experience in HR, or a strong ability to assess HR-relevant innovation opportunities .
• Background in human-centered design, agile innovation, or structured problem-solving methodologies preferred.

Leadership Attributes

• Visionary & Pragmatic - You inspire bold thinking while ensuring execution and impact.
• Influential & Persuasive - You build trust and drive change without direct authority.
• Master Facilitator - You create dynamic, engaging ideation environments that surface the best ideas.
• Pipeline Owner & Orchestrator - You maintain a steady flow of high-quality, prioritized ideas for execution.
• Agile & Adaptive - You navigate ambiguity and pivot when needed.
• Data-Driven & Results-Oriented - You quantify success and drive accountability.

#LI-Hybrid
Compensation Range:
Pay Range - Start:
$123,480.00
Pay Range - End:
$229,320.00
Northwestern Mutual pays on a geographic-specific salary structure and placement in the salary range for this position will be determined by a number of factors including the skills, education, training, credentials and experience of the candidate; the scope, complexity as well as the cost of labor in the market; and other conditions of employment. At Northwestern Mutual, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for their role and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case. Please note that the salary range listed in the posting is the standard pay structure. Positions in certain locations (such as California) may provide an increase on the standard pay structure based on the location. Please click here for additional information relating to location-based pay structures.
Job Posting End Date:
The timeline for this job posting may be shortened or extended based on organizational needs
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We are an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age or status as a protected veteran, or any other characteristic protected by law.
If you work or would be working in California, Colorado, New York City, Washington or outside of a Corporate location, please click here for information pertaining to compensation and benefits.
FIND YOUR FUTURE
We're excited about the potential people bring to Northwestern Mutual. You can grow your career here while enjoying first-class perks, benefits, and commitment to diversity and inclusion.

• Flexible work schedules
• Concierge service
• Comprehensive benefits
• Employee resource groups