Director of Strategy and Innovation

At Waracle, we exist to create digital products trusted by millions of people, and this leadership role is vital to ensuring we continue to excel in building the right products. Our strategy involves creating a flywheel effect to drive growth and momentum across People, Product, and Profit. We have great people developing their skills and building digital products that are indispensable to our clients.  

This newly created leadership role at Waracle will report to the Waracle CEO and play a critical role on the Waracle Senior Leadership Team (SLT). Contribute as a peer to our executive team. Each member of the SLT has discrete, measurable accountability for a functional area, but within the team, we also take shared ownership of running the business. You will contribute across various areas, especially to the overall company strategy, capabilities, strategic positioning and potential M&A.

Practice Leadership & Capability Building

The Director of Strategy & Innovation will lead and empower our Design and Product practices, each currently guided by strong practice leaders, who will report into this role. Your primary responsibility is cultivating exceptional teams within these practices, fostering outstanding craft and exceptional consulting skills and ensuring our readiness for successful sales and delivery. You will be entrusted with the freedom to strategically shape these practices for future success, exploring innovative approaches such as AI-driven role re-bundling or other transformative initiatives.

Collaborating closely with the Director of Engineering & Delivery, you will champion a culture of craft excellence and high-quality delivery for our clients. As an accomplished expert in product strategy and a servant leader, you will be instrumental in developing design, product, and strategy capabilities recognised as the best in the UK.

Key Responsibilities:

• Support Practice Leads and Heads in defining the vision and executing the strategic roadmap for their respective practices.

• Provide expert coaching and mentorship to foster skills development and professional growth within the practices.

• Cultivate a vibrant design, product, and strategy culture characterised by accelerated learning, honing craft, and enhancing overall consulting acumen.

• Champion a culture of high-quality excellence and forward-thinking digital product strategy.

Driving Growth & Client Engagement

A critical aspect of this role is contributing significantly to Waracle's growth trajectory. We seek a leader who can establish trusted, C-level client relationships and cultivate a robust partnership ecosystem. Your proven experience will be vital in securing significant new clients and achieving ambitious revenue targets.

Key Responsibilities:

• Collaborate closely with the Chief Growth Officer and the wider demand team to build a strong sales pipeline and secure impactful projects.

• Develop market-leading proposals, leveraging established templates and processes, focusing on rigorous qualification and high-quality presentation to maximise win rates.

• Directly contribute to approximately one major proposal per month, and indirectly influence all proposals through expert reviews, strategic advice, and coaching of senior consultants.

• Represent Waracle as a thought leader by speaking at industry events and conferences, showcasing our product and strategy expertise.

• Act as an Executive Sponsor across key accounts, building strong C-level relationships to expand our influence and position Waracle as a valued strategic partner.

Strategic Leadership & Market Insight

We seek a strategic and trusted partner for our clients at the most senior level, serving as an influential Executive Sponsor and a valuable, billable consultant. This role is expected to have an annual billable target of 50%.

As a passionate advocate for all aspects of strategy, you will work directly with the CEO and be a key contributor to Waracle's overarching company strategy. 

Key Responsibilities:

• Providing insightful market intelligence and a well-informed perspective on the evolving digital product landscape. 

• You will play a significant role in effectively communicating our strategy internally and externally. 

• Define and evolve our service offerings and value propositions to maintain our competitive edge.

Professional and Personal Attributes

• This role is for the right person to hit the ground running, driving prioritisation, providing team leadership and mentorship, and generating impact.

• Comfortable with ambiguity; possesses the fortitude to make the right call without having all the information.

• Good prioritisation skills with the ability to steer the team toward quick wins and help maintain focus.

• A humble servant leader without an ivory tower mentality. A person who wants to engage with employees from all parts of the organisation and inspire an atmosphere and culture in which people work together.

• A growth mindset, an entrepreneurial and fast-moving individual who always thinks and acts quickly to drive the business forward.

• A driver personality with a servant leadership mentality, one who can understand what the business needs and roll up their sleeves to get things done.

Essential Requirements:

• Extensive experience in senior leadership roles

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

• Strong people management with evidence of driving progress and decisions from teams that have both direct and indirect reporting lines

• Highly consultative with strong conflict management, C-suite client stakeholder management

• Strong judgment and ability to combine market data, tech services sector acumen and client insights to make high-quality recommendations

• Ability to improvise and lead ambiguous initiatives 

• Ability to handle multiple, potentially conflicting workstreams and priorities simultaneously

• Sensitive, collaborative approach to problem-solving and conflict resolution

The recruitment process you can expect for this role is an initial call with your dedicated Talent Acquisition Partner who will chat with you about Waracle and more details about the role, followed by an interview process meeting key people this role would work alongside.

Your Talent Acquisition Partner will guide you through the whole process to your first day with us.

We have various events, days out, competitions and incentives throughout the year and here are some other benefits you can expect as permanent team member at Waracle:

• 🏡Flexible and Hybrid working

• 🏖35 days holiday (inclusive of bank holidays)

• 💸Matched Pension up to 5%

• 🤒Medicash Proactive Health Cover

• 🧘‍♀️Health and Wellbeing Support through Unum

• 📈Access to 1000s Personal Development Courses

• 🏥Group Life and Sickness Cover

• 🍼Enhanced parental leave

• 🤑Access to exclusive savings and discounts on top brands

Plus many more!

We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons regardless of their race, gender, disability, religion/belief, sexual orientation or age.