Innovation Challenge Manager

Job description

DESCRIPTION

If you are passionate about improving the digital experiences for students and citizens by enabling digital transformation in the government, non-profit and education sectors, through innovative application of cloud technologies, then please read on. Public sector customers are transforming the way government services are developed and delivered via the AWS cloud. The AWS Worldwide Public Sector Cloud Innovation Center (CIC pronounced “kick”) team is looking for a technology savvy business development leader comfortable working with Universities and delivering innovation workshops to public sector customers.

The CIC program improves citizen digital experience by facilitating customer-driven innovation challenges to identify and gain the benefits inherent in cloud adoption. An innovation challenge is any problem or opportunity that end customers deem significant in their community. Challenges are generally tangible such as optimizing utilization of police body camera data, tracking water quality, or publishing city transportation data. The challenge can be thought of as a rapid product development lifecycle that identifies technology alternatives and may result in a prototype. Each challenge is in itself a time-bound project that must be planned, marketed, and managed to completion. The challenge process leverages proven Amazon innovation methodologies. Challenge output is published in such a way as to promote regional and global collaboration among like-minded public sector organizations.

The CIC also interacts extensively with commercial entities that can deliver solutions. Associated economic development objectives that promote start-up and enterprise interaction to address challenges is an important aspect of the CIC. CIC is about the business of government. Permanent CIC initiatives are physically located in the United States and in a growing number of countries around the world.

As the business development or challenge manager (BDM) in Melbourne you will have an exciting opportunity to lead and deliver digital innovation engagements. You will work with cross-functional teams (e.g. sales, marketing, solution architecture, partner, etc.), regional offices, and worldwide program leadership. Your primary responsibility will be to identify, develop, and lead engagements with public sector customers in Australia – communicating with line of business, policy makers and CXO leaders, qualifying opportunities, leading innovation workshops, driving resultant prototypes, and publishing lessons learned. You will work closely with start-up and local AWS partner business development activities.

The right candidate will have a strong understanding of how digital innovation and cloud can accelerate transformation in enterprise and/or public sector customers. This includes demonstrated experience in developing digital innovation opportunities for customers, a proven track record of leading and driving multiple projects to meet customer business objectives, excellent project management skills, a customer-obsessed and collaborative approach, strong data and metrics bias, and a passion for helping customers transform using cloud technologies.

The position is based in Melbourne and requires the ability to travel primarily in Australia, at least once a month, and with occasional international travel for training/meetings.

Core Responsibilities:
· Work with sales leadership to identify and qualify customers for CIC engagement.
· Develop CXO and line-of-business relationships with national policy makers and leading innovators within customer organizations.
· Deliver high quality workshops using Amazonian innovation mechanisms to identify and articulate specific end-customer problems or opportunities.
· Lead and coordinate translation of those solutions into working cloud prototypes, working with relevant engineering and services teams, and partners where appropriate.
· Work with public sector funding organizations, venture capital, startup accelerators and start-up resources to promote the Amazon innovation culture to spur economic development.
· Build value propositions/business cases for permanent CIC initiatives and individual challenges across the region.
· Share knowledge effectively across the WW digital innovation team.
· Work with the Partner team to identify, engage and enable partners who can accelerate our approach to digital innovation.
· Conduct customer briefings, present at customer events, and further AWS solutions-led thought leadership.

Desired profile

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS

· Bachelor's Degree in communications, marketing, business or information technology management.
· Minimum of 6 years of IT industry experience in sales, pre-sales, marketing, product development, or project management.
· Minimum 3 years of experience specifically focused on communicating complex IT concepts, value propositions, and use cases in a manner easily understood by non-technical stakeholders and business owners.
· A personal passion to make things better through the resourceful and effective application of IT.
· Able to prioritize and manage portfolio of projects in a complex, fast-paced environment.
· Proven track record of taking ownership and driving results. Ability to effectively lead and work with a variety of organizations, management levels, cultures, and personalities.
· Strong English communication skills.