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Director Open Innovation Jobs (NOW HIRING)

CYNET SYSTEMS

Alliance Director (Open AI)

San Francisco, CA · On-site

$245K - $250K/yr

Innovation orientation. Founded in 2010 and headquartered in the Washington, DC metro area, Cynet Systems Inc. is a leading staffing and recruiting powerhouse. Proudly recognized as a nationally and ...

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JP Morgan Chase

Open Banking Product Director

Manhattan, NY · On-site

$256K - $268K/yr

Ignite your passion for product innovation by leading customer-centric development, inspiring ... As an Executive Director, Open AI in Open Banking, you will lead innovation through the development ...

J.P. Morgan

Open Banking Product Director

New York, NY

$254K - $266K/yr

Ignite your passion for product innovation by leading customer-centric development, inspiring ... As an Executive Director, Open AI in Open Banking, you will lead innovation through the development ...

Air Liquide

Investment Director

Newark, DE · On-site +1

R10087983 Investment Director (Open) Location: Newark, DE (ICD) - Support functions The Innovation and Development Division (IDD) drives the innovation strategy for the Hubs and Operations, and ...

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Director Open Innovation information

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How much do director open innovation jobs pay per year?

As of Jul 16, 2026, the average yearly pay for director open innovation in the United States is $110,481.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $55,000.00 and $168,500.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is the difference between Director Open Innovation vs Innovation Manager?

AspectDirector Open InnovationInnovation Manager
CredentialsBachelor's or Master’s in Business, Engineering, or related fields; often requires experience in innovation or R&DBachelor's or Master’s in similar fields; focus on project management and innovation processes
Work EnvironmentStrategic leadership, cross-functional collaboration, executive-level interactionsProject execution, team coordination, supporting innovation initiatives
Employer & Industry UsageUsed in large corporations, tech firms, and R&D departmentsCommon in corporate innovation teams, startups, and product development units

The main difference is that the Director Open Innovation focuses on strategic leadership and high-level innovation initiatives, while the Innovation Manager handles day-to-day project execution and supports innovation processes. Both roles require relevant credentials and are integral to fostering innovation within organizations, but they differ in scope and seniority.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive as a Director of Open Innovation, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Director of Open Innovation, you need a strong background in innovation management, cross-industry collaboration, and strategic leadership, often supported by an advanced degree in business, engineering, or a related field. Familiarity with open innovation platforms, intellectual property management systems, and experience with tools for partnership management are typically required. Outstanding relationship-building, negotiation, and change management skills set top performers apart in this role. These competencies are essential to successfully drive external collaborations, accelerate innovation pipelines, and deliver business value through strategic partnerships.

What is a Director of Open Innovation?

A Director of Open Innovation is a senior leader responsible for driving innovation by fostering collaboration between an organization and external partners, such as startups, universities, and research institutions. They create and manage programs that encourage the exchange of ideas, technology, and knowledge to accelerate product development and solve complex business challenges. This role involves identifying strategic partnerships, overseeing innovation projects, and ensuring alignment with the company's goals. The Director of Open Innovation plays a key part in building an innovative culture and expanding the organization's capabilities beyond its internal resources.

What are some common challenges faced by a Director of Open Innovation when integrating external partnerships into existing company structures?

A Director of Open Innovation often encounters challenges such as aligning external partners' goals with internal business objectives, managing intellectual property concerns, and ensuring smooth communication across different organizational cultures. Successfully integrating new ideas or technologies can require navigating resistance to change within the company and establishing clear processes for collaboration and knowledge sharing. Building trust, setting transparent expectations, and fostering strong internal advocacy are key strategies for overcoming these challenges and maximizing the value of external collaborations.
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Director Open Innovation jobs near you
Infographic showing various Director Open Innovation job openings in the United States as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 1% As Needed, 83% Full Time, 14% Part Time, 1% Temporary, and 1% Contract. Highlights an 93% Physical, 2% Hybrid, and 5% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $110,481 per year, or $53.1 per hour.
Director, Open Innovation Technology Partnering, L'Oréal Research & Innovation

Director, Open Innovation Technology Partnering, L'Oréal Research & Innovation

L'Oreal

Clark, NJ • On-site

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Retirement, PTO

Posted 27 days ago

L'Oreal rating

7.2

Company rating: 7.2 out of 10

Based on 77 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

3rd of 24 rated health and beauty retailers

Job description

Director, Open Innovation Technology Partnering, L'Oréal Research & Innovation - Clark, New Jersey
Life is too short for a boring career, so build an extraordinary one with us. We believe your career should spark the same thrill and curiosity as your personal interests. Creativity drives everything we do, turning ideas into meaningful impact. With opportunities across brands, markets, and divisions, your growth knows no boundaries.
Who We Are
Join us at L'Oréal, the world's #1 beauty company present in over 150 markets. For over a century, we have been transforming; fueled by data, tech, innovation, and science. Together, we tackle big challenges while making sure we stay committed to making the world a more inclusive and a better place for everyone & our planet.
At L'Oréal Research & Innovation we are pushing the boundaries of Science & Tech. We invest heavily in cutting-edge research, leveraging advanced technologies to understand skin, hair, and microbiome, while discovering new active ingredients and launching outperforming formulas. Our 3,500 L'Oréal R&I experts leverage Science & Technology to invent safe, trustable, sustainable & responsible beauty products and experiences that will change people's lives.
Our Open Innovation function for North America R&I exists to keep L'Oréal at the absolute cutting edge of what science and technology can deliver for beauty. We do this by scouting unique and disruptive technologies from external partners - spanning Biotechnology, Biomedical, Biology, Advanced Materials, Devices, Diagnostics, and beyond - building deep, strategically aligned relationships with the startups, VCs, and innovators shaping tomorrow, and managing the end-to-end coordination of disruptive projects in taskforce-mode to bring breakthrough external technologies all the way to the beauty market.
You will be a key contributor to L'Oréal's superior product portfolio pipeline - with a meaningful, tangible impact on consumer lives around the world. Some examples of L'Oréal Open Innovation partnerships that have already changed the game: Debut Bio's collaboration to bio-manufacture sustainable and novel ingredients; Timeline's Mitopure incorporated into Lancôme's LongevityMD skincare range; the Cell BioPrint device for personalized skin analysis (CES 2025); and the AirLight Pro hairdryer using infrared technology for faster, more sustainable haircare (CES 2024).
The Director of Open Innovation Technology Partnering reports to the Head of Open Innovation in R&I for North America, is a full-time hybrid role, and is based at L'Oréal's state-of-the-art research center in Clark, New Jersey.
A Day in the Life: As an Open Innovation Director you will:
  • Scout the future of beauty - identifying new, unique, and disruptive technological opportunities from external partners across North America, from early-stage startups to larger corporates, through a dynamic combination of active networking, ecosystem immersion, and cutting-edge digital scouting tools.
  • Make the calls that shape the pipeline - analyzing and rigorously selecting the most strategically valuable external opportunities in close alignment with internal R&I stakeholders, ensuring every partnership we pursue advances L'Oréal's innovation agenda with purpose and precision.
  • Orchestrate cross-functional transformation - coordinating the cross-functional project taskforces and global counterparts across Advanced Research, Safety, Regulatory, Claims, Legal, IP, Business Development, Formulation, and Operations to drive the full journey from technology evaluation through to the development phase and commercial readiness.
  • Build the contractual foundation for collaboration - working hand-in-hand with Open Innovation Business Development, Legal, and IP teams to establish the right partnership frameworks that protect L'Oréal's interests while enabling bold, fast-moving innovation with external partners.
  • Own and grow L'Oréal's innovation ecosystem - building and maintaining a robust, high-value network of startups, VCs, accelerators, incubators, and key opinion leaders operating across the most relevant scientific fields and industries, and positioning L'Oréal as the partner of choice for the world's most disruptive innovators.

We Are Looking For: You're a great match for this role if you are an innovator, entrepreneur, integrator, and problem-solver with a research-minded approach - someone who sees the future before others do and knows how to turn scientific possibility into consumer reality.
  • Education: A completed MS or PhD in biology / biotechnology / biochemistry / chemistry / formulation / material science or engineering required.
  • Experience: 7-10+ years of relevant experience in open innovation, venture capital, or a startup environment is required, with a demonstrated track record of identifying, evaluating, and managing high-impact innovation partnerships from concept through to development.
  • Technical Expertise:
    • Strong scientific and technical knowledge across one or more of the following domains: beauty, biotechnology, biomedical sciences, advanced materials, or diagnostics - with the intellectual curiosity and breadth to engage credibly across adjacent fields.
    • Proven project management experience in complex, cross-functional, fast-moving environments - with the rigor to manage multiple workstreams simultaneously and the agility to pivot when the landscape shifts.
    • Robust analytical skills, with the ability to assess both the scientific merit and the strategic business value of emerging technologies with speed and confidence.
  • Soft Skills & Attributes:
    • A natural networker and ecosystem builder - you are energized by the startup world, you move fluidly between scientific and business conversations, and you instinctively know how to position L'Oréal as an irresistible innovation partner.
    • Highly resilient, adaptable, and solutions-oriented - you thrive in ambiguity, navigate complexity without losing momentum, and bring calm, strategic thinking to even the most challenging environments.
    • A masterful influencer and communicator - able to engage, align, and inspire internal and external stakeholders at every level, from founding startup teams to L'Oréal's most senior scientific and business leadership.
    • An entrepreneurial, decisive mindset - you take ownership, act with courage, and are never content with the status quo when there is a better, bolder path forward.
  • Mandatory Requirements:
    • Authorization to work in the U.S. on a permanent, ongoing basis. No immigration support/sponsorship offered for this role
    • The ability to be onsite, in the office at least 3 days a week as an essential function of the position.

What's In It For You
  • A place for you to leave your comfort zone and grow beyond your potential (here, you'll be encouraged to try new things and take risks!)
  • Real responsibility from day 1, there's no sitting on the sidelines at L'Oréal
  • An environment where people of every ethnicity, social background, age, religion, gender and sexual orientation as well as people with disabilities are accepted, can speak up, will thrive and are celebrated!
  • A place where you can contribute to something bigger! Many of our brands have societal /environmental causes to make concrete difference
  • Competitive Benefits Package (Medical, Dental, Vision, 401K, Pension Plan)
  • Base Salary Range: $126,900 - $184,000 (The actual compensation will depend on a variety of job-related factors which may include geographic location, work experience, education, and skill level)
  • Flexible Time Off (Paid Company Holidays, Paid Vacation, Vacation Buy Program, Volunteer Time, Summer Fridays & More!)
  • Access to Company Perks (VIP Access to L'Oréal's Internal Shop for Discounted Products, Monthly Mobile Allowance)
  • Learning and Development Opportunities (Unlimited Access to E-learnings, Lunch & Learn Sessions, Mentorship Programs, & More!)
  • Employee Resource Groups (Think Tanks and Innovation Squads)
  • Access to Mental Health & Wellness Programs

Don't meet every single requirement? At L'Oréal, we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and innovative workplace. If you're excited about this role but your past experience doesn't align perfectly with the qualifications listed in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyways! You may just be the right candidate for this or other roles!
We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and take pride in a diverse environment. We're committed to guaranteeing inclusive recruitment processes and advocating for hiring and promoting each candidate in an ethical and equitable way. The Group strictly prohibits discrimination against any applicant for employment because of the individual's gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, visible and/or invisible disabilities, socio-economic and/or multicultural origins, health conditions, age, religion, or any other characteristics protected by law.

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About L'Oreal

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

L'Oreal, based in New York, NY, US, is a globally recognized leader in the beauty and cosmetics industry. Founded in 1909 by French chemist, Eugène Schueller, L'Oreal started off as a hair dye company and has since significantly expanded its product lines and geographical reach. Today, L'Oreal offers a diverse array of products ranging from skincare, cosmetics, hair care, and perfumes. Operating in over 130 countries, L'Oreal's mission is to provide anyone, anywhere with beauty products that meet the infinite diversity of their beauty needs and desires. It is committed to sustainable business practices and continually innovates to reduce its environmental impact, contributions which were recognized when it was named one of the "World's Most Ethical Companies" by Ethisphere Institute in 2020.

Industry

Consumer goods and commercial equipment rental services

Company size

10,000+ Employees

Headquarters location

New York, NY, US

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