Director, Strategy & Innovation

About us

WeWork is a global platform for creators, providing hundreds of thousands of members around the world with space, community and services that enable them to do what they love and create their life’s work.

WeWork India, is run by the Indian real estate conglomerate, Embassy Group and commenced operations in 2017. Currently, it has over 62,000 members and 43 locations and six cities in India - Bengaluru, Mumbai, Gurugram, Noida, Hyderabad, and Pune. Its portfolio comprises small and medium enterprises, start-ups, large businesses, freelancers, etc. Our mission is empowering tomorrow’s world of work.

Flexibility is paramount in today’s workforce and the WeWork India team is laser-focused on fuelling growth opportunities and fortifying its position as the leading flexible workspace brand with customisable and innovative solutions for all businesses. In October, WeWork India made its first investment in Bengaluru-based conferencing and collaboration platform, Zoapi. Founded in 2019, Zoapi is a unified conferencing and collaboration solution provider for enterprise companies, coworking spaces, and education centres.

WeWork India’s latest brand campaign ‘Great Inspires Great’, showcases the breadth of products at WeWork India which makes it the ideal end-to-end workspace solutions provider in a hybrid and flexible world. WeWork’s products include digital offerings like On-demand, All Access, Managed Office by WeWork, and its space as a service portfolio consisting of private offices, custom build offices, and conference rooms, among others.

WeWork India is the country’s leading flexible workspace provider that offers a personalised experience to different types of professionals with varied needs through its innovative and customised offerings. WeWork India is home to a community of diverse set of people – from innovators to visionaries to dreamers and go-getters, making it a space where people meet and inspire each other to achieve greater heights of success. You can learn more about our team and organisation here. Read more about our culture code to understand how we do things.

About the Role:

We are seeking a visionary and dynamic individual to serve as our Director of Strategy & Innovation. This role combines the responsibilities of establishing and leading our Global Capability Centers (GCCs) as a separate business line, while also driving forward-thinking innovation initiatives across the organization. The ideal candidate will function as a mini-CEO for the GCC business line and spearhead the identification and development of unique, technology-driven solutions to address large, untapped opportunities within the company and industry.

Roles and Responsibilities:

GCC Business Line Development:

• Develop and implement a strategic plan for establishing GCCs, aligned with the company's overall goals and objectives.
• Build the GCC business line from the ground up, including talent recruitment, budget setting, and forecasting.
• Oversee budget creation, financial planning, and forecasting to ensure the GCCs' financial health and sustainability.
• Coordinate with existing sales, marketing, legal, and other support teams to ensure integrated and efficient operations.

Innovation Leadership:

• Identify and analyze large problem statements or business opportunities that have not yet been addressed within the company or the industry.
• Lead the development of innovative, technology-driven solutions to address these opportunities.
• Prepare comprehensive business cases for identified opportunities and present them to the CEO and senior management.
• Create measurable goals, handover criteria, and KRAs for each project against which success will be measured.

Project Management and Implementation:

• Oversee the implementation of approved solutions, ensuring they are executed effectively and efficiently.
• Work closely with the technology team and respective business teams to ensure timely development, rollout, and adoption of solutions.
• Monitor and analyze performance metrics to ensure the GCCs and innovation projects meet their strategic goals.
• Once projects reach a scalable stage, coordinate the handover to the respective department for ongoing management and execution.

Stakeholder Management:

• Establish and maintain relationships with key stakeholders, both internal and external, to promote the GCCs' objectives and innovation initiatives.
• Provide regular reports and updates to senior management on the progress and performance of the GCCs and innovation projects.
• Foster a culture of innovation within the team and the broader organization, encouraging creative thinking and problem-solving.

Compliance and Best Practices:

• Ensure compliance with all relevant regulations and standards.
• Stay abreast of emerging technologies, industry trends, and best practices in innovation management.

Education and Desired Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Management, Engineering, or a related field; MBA or equivalent advanced degree preferred.
• Proven experience in setting up and managing global operations or similar business lines.
• Strong track record in an innovation/strategy role, with success in developing and implementing technology-driven solutions.
• Excellent financial acumen with experience in budget management and financial forecasting.
• Superior analytical and strategic thinking skills, with the ability to identify and assess opportunities and challenges.
• Exceptional communication and presentation skills, with the ability to articulate ideas and proposals to senior management.
• Strong leadership and managerial skills with a track record of building and leading successful teams.
• Experience in coordinating with multiple departments and managing complex, cross-functional projects.
• Proficiency in project management tools, innovation management methodologies, and relevant software.
• Knowledge of global markets and international business operations.
• Creative thinker with a passion for innovation and a willingness to challenge the status quo.
• Experience in the technology or consulting industry is a plus.

Equal Opportunity Employer

WeWork India is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for our employees and members. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, religion, national or ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, veteran status or other characteristics protected by law.

We expect all employees to embody our values and all aspects of employment including the decisions to hire and promote, are based on merit, competence, performance and business needs.

Our total rewards philosophy is aimed at providing compensation that is competitive, performance linked and helps us attract and retain the talent we need to drive our business forward and serve our members. As part of WeWork India, our commitment to you is that you’ll be surrounded by career opportunities in a culture that fosters collaboration, flexibility and inclusion.