Business Innovator

X is Alphabet’s moonshot factory with a mission of inventing and launching moonshot technologies that could someday make the world a radically better place. We are a diverse group of inventors and entrepreneurs who build and launch technologies that aim to improve the lives of millions, even billions, of people. Our goal: 10x impact on the world’s most intractable problems, not just 10% improvement.

We approach projects that have the aspiration and riskiness of research with the speed and ambition of a startup. As an innovation engine, X focuses on repeatedly turning breakthrough-technology ideas into the foundations for large, sustainable businesses.

This senior role sits within the critical Business Innovation team at X. We partner and embed with our deep-tech project teams to accelerate and transform our moonshots from the earliest and riskiest stages into de-risked, investable ventures. We work with our moonshot projects to build and iterate on their moonshot investment theses, setting the holistic business foundations for successful moonshots. We prove and build our path to the moon through early contact with the real world across market and ecosystem validation, business model and GTM iterative de-risking, product creation, investment readiness, and internal and external partnerships.

We are seeking experienced business innovators with deep expertise in business building and commercialisation who are motivated by a passion to change the world for the better.

This role seeks motivated individuals that enjoy working in small, interdisciplinary teams, have a growth mindset, a passion for problem-solving directed at achieving meaningful business and commercial breakthroughs, and are comfortable with uncertainty, exploration, and iteration.

As a Business Innovation team member, you will work closely with several cross-disciplinary teams across the factory, Alphabet and external partners.

• Lead market, business, product and partnerships strategy for specific moonshot projects including diving into exciting experiments and shaping key strategic initiatives
• Roll up your sleeves on projects as an embedded Business Innovation team member with radical collaboration to accelerate our moonshots
• Apply first principles systems thinking with the ability to set hypotheses and test them in the market with stakeholders and partners to progressively de-risk moonshot projects from a business perspective
• As ‘player-coaches’, show up as critical thought partners and co-builders with our project leads
• Support the investment readiness process for internal ventures preparing to graduate
• Leverage our convening power and resources at X and Alphabet in your pursuit of accelerating moonshots

• 10 years of professional business experience with a significant focus on deep tech either through entrepreneurship, investing, management consulting or operating in a technical industry
• Growth mindset with a strong propensity to learn and innovate through proactive problem, market, customer discovery
• Deep analytical rigour, including demonstrable expertise with financial modelling for market, business and product development strategy. Specifically, deep experience and comfort with:
  • Market discovery and analysis including stakeholder/expert interviews
  • Product marketing analysis (e.g. identifying and translating current unmet needs to moonshot product requirements, identifying target customer/user segments, revenue models and pricing)
  • Go-to-market strategy and sequencing
• Ability to create significant strategic partnerships around early stage technology or ventures including sourcing, building alignment and closing strategic partnerships
• Strong understanding of deep tech, emerging technologies, and the unique challenges of commercializing research and early technology innovations
• Exceptional project management with a track record of successful, end‑to‑end project or deal execution, or entrepreneurial venture-building
• Outstanding communication and interpersonal skills including ability to effectively communicate both technical and non-technical information to mixed…