About this role
About the Role The Head, Innovation & R&D Studio leads Polaris Bank's innovation agenda by exploring emerging technologies and building new solutions to drive future growth. The role oversees three functions — Emerging Technology Research, Rapid Prototyping, and Proof of Concept Development — through specialist leads and engineers to turn ideas into validated pilots. What You'll Do
- Emerging Technology Research Oversight: Direct research into AI, blockchain, IoT, and other emerging technologies relevant to banking; maintain a technology foresight function that keeps the bank ahead of market shifts
- Rapid Prototyping Oversight: Oversee the development of MVPs and prototypes to test new concepts quickly; drive design sprint practices that reduce time-to-market for new ideas
- Proof of Concept Development Oversight: Direct the development and validation of PoCs with partners and customers; ensure innovation pilots are rigorously evaluated before recommending further investment What We're Looking For
- Core Competencies: Technology foresight and innovation strategy; rapid prototyping and design sprint facilitation; business case development and investment validation; partner and cross-functional collaboration
- Qualifications: Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field; advanced degree an advantage
- Experience: Demonstrated track record leading innovation, R&D, or new product incubation functions, ideally in banking or a comparable regulated industry
- Familiarity With Tools: Industry research and technology scouting platforms; Figma, InVision, low-code/no-code platforms; PoC frameworks, validation and collaboration tools