Manager Innovation Strategist Jobs in Arizona (NOW HIRING)

Step into a role where you'll help shape the future of finance. As part of our Finance Transformation team, you'll collaborate with CFOs, finance leaders, and executive clients to solve their most complex challenges. Leveraging Deloitte's unmatched resources and deep industry insights, you'll deliver innovative, market-driven solutions that modernize finance functions, elevate performance, and drive meaningful organizational change. Join us to empower clients to become strategic business partners, manage risk, and unlock new levels of financial and operational excellence.

As a Manager and Innovation Lead within our Finance Transformation Tech Enablement team, you will own the incubation lifecycle from validated idea through MVP handoff. You will define stage-gate criteria, manage prototype-to-product transitions, and coordinate across product and Core teams to ensure new capabilities move from concept to production with rigor and velocity. This role bridges strategy and execution, turning product hypotheses into market-ready solutions.

Recruiting for this role ends on 09/30/2026.

Work you'll do

As a Manager - Innovation Lead on the Finance Transformation Tech Enablement team, you will be responsible for:

Incubation Lifecycle Management

• Own the end-to-end incubation process for new Finance Operate Platform capabilities from validated idea through MVP delivery and production handoff.
• Define and enforce stage-gate criteria for each phase: prototype validation, alpha testing, beta pilots, MVP readiness, and production transition.
• Manage the active incubation portfolio: prioritize experiments, track progress against stage gates, and escalate risks and dependencies proactively.
• Ensure rapid iteration cycles with clear success/failure criteria and fast kill decisions when hypotheses don't validate.

Prototype-to-Product Transition

• Lead transition planning from prototype to production-ready product, including technical debt remediation, quality standards enforcement, and operational readiness.
• Partner with the Solution Architect and AI/Automation Architect to ensure prototypes meet architecture standards before MVP promotion.
• Coordinate MVP handoff to Core delivery teams, including documentation, training, and support model definition.
• Establish feedback loops from pilot clients and early adopters to inform product iteration and roadmap adjustments.

Cross-Team Coordination

• Partner with the Solution Portfolio Manager on intake validation and business case refinement for ideas entering incubation.
• Collaborate with Service Design Lead and UX/Product Designer on rapid prototyping and user validation sprints.
• Work closely with Governance & Standards Lead to embed quality gates and controls into the incubation process without slowing velocity.
• Coordinate with Finance Operate offering leads to identify pilot engagement opportunities for beta testing.

Innovation Operating Model

• Build and refine the incubation operating model, including templates, checkpoints, decision frameworks, and escalation paths.
• Champion a test-and-learn culture; celebrate fast failures and rigorous validation over feature completion.
• Track and report incubation portfolio health, velocity metrics, and stage-gate pass/fail rates to leadership.

 A successful candidate would possess these skills:

• Ability to work independently and collaborate as part of a team
• Effective written and verbal communication skills
• Meticulous attention to detail and quality of work product
• Ability to build and sustain professional relationships
• Ability to lead projects or workstreams
• Ability to manage and prioritize multiple tasks in a fast-paced and dynamic environment
• Strong interpersonal skills and professional demeanor
• Ability to meet deadlines
• Ability to mentor and provide clear guidance to others

The team

Our Finance Operate offering provides ongoing operation of the Finance function as an extension of Deloitte's Finance Transformation Advise and Implement offering portfolio. The team works across finance strategy, process, operations, and technology to help organizations enable scalable finance outcomes. Professionals in this practice support delivery in complex environments while helping clients advance modernization across Finance Operate capabilities.

Qualifications

Required:

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Technology, Engineering, or related field (MBA or advanced degree preferred).
• 7+ years of experience in product management, innovation, consulting, or technology delivery, with at least 2 years managing incubation or R&D portfolios.
• Demonstrated experience managing prototype-to-product transitions and MVP delivery in fast-paced environments.
• Strong project and stakeholder management skills; ability to coordinate across technical and business teams.
• Excellent judgment on when to iterate vs. pivot vs. kill; comfort with ambiguity and rapid decision-making.
• Experience with stage-gate processes, Agile/Lean Startup methodologies, or similar innovation frameworks.
• Ability to travel 25%, on average, based on the work you do and the clients and industries/sectors you serve
• Limited immigration sponsorship may be available

Preferred:

• Background in Finance Transformation, SaaS product management, or enterprise software innovation.
• Familiarity with AI/ML, automation, and workflow platform prototyping.
• Experience running pilot programs and beta testing with enterprise clients.
• Product management or innovation certifications (Lean Product, Design Thinking, Agile/Scrum).

The wage range for this role takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to skill sets; experience and training; licensure and certifications; and other business and organizational needs. The disclosed range estimate has not been adjusted for the applicable geographic differential associated with the location at which the position may be filled. At Deloitte, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for their role and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case. A reasonable estimate of the current range is $128,000 - $252,500.

You may also be eligible to participate in a discretionary annual incentive program, subject to the rules governing the program, whereby an award, if any, depends on various factors, including, without limitation, individual and organizational performance.

Qualifications:

Step into a role where you'll help shape the future of finance. As part of our Finance Transformation team, you'll collaborate with CFOs, finance leaders, and executive clients to solve their most complex challenges. Leveraging Deloitte's unmatched resources and deep industry insights, you'll deliver innovative, market-driven solutions that modernize finance functions, elevate performance, and drive meaningful organizational change. Join us to empower clients to become strategic business partners, manage risk, and unlock new levels of financial and operational excellence.

As a Manager and Innovation Lead within our Finance Transformation Tech Enablement team, you will own the incubation lifecycle from validated idea through MVP handoff. You will define stage-gate criteria, manage prototype-to-product transitions, and coordinate across product and Core teams to ensure new capabilities move from concept to production with rigor and velocity. This role bridges strategy and execution, turning product hypotheses into market-ready solutions.

Recruiting for this role ends on 09/30/2026.

Work you'll do

As a Manager - Innovation Lead on the Finance Transformation Tech Enablement team, you will be responsible for:

Incubation Lifecycle Management

• Own the end-to-end incubation process for new Finance Operate Platform capabilities from validated idea through MVP delivery and production handoff.
• Define and enforce stage-gate criteria for each phase: prototype validation, alpha testing, beta pilots, MVP readiness, and production transition.
• Manage the active incubation portfolio: prioritize experiments, track progress against stage gates, and escalate risks and dependencies proactively.
• Ensure rapid iteration cycles with clear success/failure criteria and fast kill decisions when hypotheses don't validate.

Prototype-to-Product Transition

• Lead transition planning from prototype to production-ready product, including technical debt remediation, quality standards enforcement, and operational readiness.
• Partner with the Solution Architect and AI/Automation Architect to ensure prototypes meet architecture standards before MVP promotion.
• Coordinate MVP handoff to Core delivery teams, including documentation, training, and support model definition.
• Establish feedback loops from pilot clients and early adopters to inform product iteration and roadmap adjustments.

Cross-Team Coordination

• Partner with the Solution Portfolio Manager on intake validation and business case refinement for ideas entering incubation.
• Collaborate with Service Design Lead and UX/Product Designer on rapid prototyping and user validation sprints.
• Work closely with Governance & Standards Lead to embed quality gates and controls into the incubation process without slowing velocity.
• Coordinate with Finance Operate offering leads to identify pilot engagement opportunities for beta testing.

Innovation Operating Model

• Build and refine the incubation operating model, including templates, checkpoints, decision frameworks, and escalation paths.
• Champion a test-and-learn culture; celebrate fast failures and rigorous validation over feature completion.
• Track and report incubation portfolio health, velocity metrics, and stage-gate pass/fail rates to leadership.

 A successful candidate would possess these skills:

• Ability to work independently and collaborate as part of a team
• Effective written and verbal communication skills
• Meticulous attention to detail and quality of work product
• Ability to build and sustain professional relationships
• Ability to lead projects or workstreams
• Ability to manage and prioritize multiple tasks in a fast-paced and dynamic environment
• Strong interpersonal skills and professional demeanor
• Ability to meet deadlines
• Ability to mentor and provide clear guidance to others

The team

Our Finance Operate offering provides ongoing operation of the Finance function as an extension of Deloitte's Finance Transformation Advise and Implement offering portfolio. The team works across finance strategy, process, operations, and technology to help organizations enable scalable finance outcomes. Professionals in this practice support delivery in complex environments while helping clients advance modernization across Finance Operate capabilities.

Qualifications

Required:

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Technology, Engineering, or related field (MBA or advanced degree preferred).
• 7+ years of experience in product management, innovation, consulting, or technology delivery, with at least 2 years managing incubation or R&D portfolios.
• Demonstrated experience managing prototype-to-product transitions and MVP delivery in fast-paced environments.
• Strong project and stakeholder management skills; ability to coordinate across technical and business teams.
• Excellent judgment on when to iterate vs. pivot vs. kill; comfort with ambiguity and rapid decision-making.
• Experience with stage-gate processes, Agile/Lean Startup methodologies, or similar innovation frameworks.
• Ability to travel 25%, on average, based on the work you do and the clients and industries/sectors you serve
• Limited immigration sponsorship may be available

Preferred:

• Background in Finance Transformation, SaaS product management, or enterprise software innovation.
• Familiarity with AI/ML, automation, and workflow platform prototyping.
• Experience running pilot programs and beta testing with enterprise clients.
• Product management or innovation certifications (Lean Product, Design Thinking, Agile/Scrum).

The wage range for this role takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to skill sets; experience and training; licensure and certifications; and other business and organizational needs. The disclosed range estimate has not been adjusted for the applicable geographic differential associated with the location at which the position may be filled. At Deloitte, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for their role and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case. A reasonable estimate of the current range is $128,000 - $252,500.

You may also be eligible to participate in a discretionary annual incentive program, subject to the rules governing the program, whereby an award, if any, depends on various factors, including, without limitation, individual and organizational performance.

Education:Bachelor's DegreeEmployment Type: