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AVP, Enterprise Innovation (Dallas)

AVP, Enterprise Innovation (Dallas)

DallasFort Worth International Airport BoardDallas, TX, United States
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Innovation Manager

Under the general direction of the VP Product Development & Innovation, responsible for advancing enterprise innovation efforts from concept through execution to create competitive advantage, enhance operational processes, and transform the travel experience. Identifies opportunities, assesses emerging technologies and their business relevance to solve internal business problems, and ensures the successful testing and piloting of technology solutions. Drives the innovation pipeline, structuring cross-functional projects, and ensures that new ideas translate into measurable business value.

What You Will Be Doing :

  • Leads the identification, development and execution of innovation initiatives from ideation through pilot delivery, including project scoping, feasibility analysis, stakeholder engagement, and implementation support.
  • Partners with internal departments to define problem statements, gather requirements, and assess solution viability from both operational and technical standpoints to deliver transformational outcomes through innovation and process optimization.
  • Collaborates closely with internal stakeholders including the PMO and IT teams to align innovation pilots with technology roadmaps, delivery frameworks, and product development methodologies.
  • Maintains an active innovation pipeline by identifying, refining, and evaluating high-impact opportunities that solve internal challenges and improve the travel experience.
  • Applies appropriate tools and innovation methodologies (e.g., Design Thinking, Lean Startup) to facilitate structured ideation, generate insights, create and assess innovative capabilities and business models, and build business cases for emerging solutions that enable the airport to meet customer needs, and increase revenue.
  • Leads cross-functional project teams to plan and launch prototypes, pilots, and proofs of concept, including defining success metrics, timelines, budgets, and vendor engagement as needed.
  • Conducts ongoing market research, competitor analysis, and monitors consumer trends to inform ideation, opportunity development, ensure relevance to business needs, and transform the travel industry.
  • Facilitates ideation workshops and capability-building programs to promote innovation awareness and digital fluency at all levels, promoting employee engagement across the organization.
  • Analyzes pilot performance, collaborates on the implementation of prototypes, tracks KPIs and success metrics, prepares recommendations for scale, modification, or retirement based on results, and oversees project hand-offs to business units to operationalize new models, services, and products.
  • Leads a high-performing team responsible for innovation project delivery, ensuring a collaborative, fiscally conscious, outcome-driven, and agile work environment.
  • Manages and builds relationships with internal and external innovation partners, startups, universities, and other non-traditional collaborators to advance the innovation process, idea flow, enhance solution sourcing.
  • Performs other related duties as assigned.

What You Need :

  • Bachelor's in Business Administration, Product Development, Marketing, Finance, Entrepreneurship, or a related field.
  • Seven (7) or more years of progressively responsible experience leading digital transformation, innovation programs, product development, or technology-enabled business change initiatives.
  • Five (5) or more years managing and coaching high-performing, multidisciplinary teams within corporate or public-sector setting.
  • Demonstrated experience delivering large-scale innovation or emerging technology pilots with measurable outcomes in complex environments such as management consulting, regulated industries, ideation firms, or public infrastructure sectors (e.g., airports).
  • Any equivalent combination of education and experience may be substituted for the above.
  • Possession of a valid Class C driver's license.

    • Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities :

  • Knowledge of innovation methodologies (e.g. Design Thinking, Lean Startup, Jobs to Be Done), ideation frameworks, facilitation methods, and business model development.
  • Working knowledge of the product development lifecycle and underlying ecosystems, including product, marketing, technology and operations alignment.
  • Familiarity with pilot implementation practices, user research, prototype testing, and vendor evaluation.
  • Ability to think strategically, work cross-collaboratively with stakeholders and influence across all levels of an organization.
  • Knowledge of qualitative and quantitative research methods, insight generation, concept and value proposition development.
  • Proven success leading multi-disciplinary teams and developing new products, services and business models through product development, process improvement or innovative process.
  • Ability to remain accountable for the creation of unique, market-defining ideas, deliver on deadlines, foster a creative environment and act with appropriate urgency. Capable of blue-sky thinking while balancing practical application of new ideas.
  • Proven success in managing multi-disciplinary team of innovation, business acumen, marketing and development experts to rapidly prototype and test new products / services.
  • Knowledge of technology development lifecycle and agile methodologies; ability to bridge business needs with technical execution.
  • Skill in relationship-building and networking, with the ability to form and sustain internal and external partnerships that support innovation and digital-transformation objectives.
  • Ability to communicate and interact clearly, professionally, and respectfully, both verbally and in writing, with senior leadership, and a diverse range of guests, employees, contractors, and the public.
  • Proficiency with Microsoft Office tools (Outlook, Teams, Excel, Word, PowerPoint, SharePoint) and mobile technology such as tablets or iPads.
  • Skill in managing large, complex projects within a corporate environment including building relationships with procurement, legal, data, and IT functions.
  • Comfortable operating in ambiguity and navigating evolving priorities with a solution-oriented mindset.

    • What We Desire :

  • Master's degree in Business Administration, Product Development, Marketing, Finance, Entrepreneurship, or a related field.
  • Project Management Professional (PMP) or Program Management Professional
  • Certified Product Manager (CPM) or Pragmatic Institute Product Management Certification.
  • Certification in Lean Six Sigma (Green Belt or Black Belt), Agile, Scrum Master (CSM), or SAFe (Scaled Agile Framework).
  • IDEO or Stanford D- school Design Thinking Certification, or equivalent training in human-centered design.

    • About Us

    We are Dallas Fort Worth International (DFW) Airport-one of the most successful airports in the world by any definition. We are recognized for our innovation, leadership, drive for excellence and talented employees.

    Our success is made possible because of the diverse talents of over 2,100 employees who champion our mission of providing an exceptional airport experience to our customers and connect our community to the world. We are looking for the best talent to join us and help reimagine what an airport can be.

    Bring your talents to DFW. Live and work with purpose.

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    Enterprise Innovation • Dallas, TX, United States