Engineering Innovation Program Leader

Position Summary

This Engineering Innovation Leader supports the innovation pipeline – from problem discovery and ideation through evaluation, proof‑of‑concept, and hand‑off into development. It combines strategic portfolio management with hands‑on leadership of the innovation process, design‑thinking workshops, rapid prototyping, and cross‑functional collaboration to accelerate concept maturation and de‑risk early‑stage initiatives. The position requires strong analytical and storytelling skills to translate insights into ideas, influence evidence‑based decisions, and align innovation efforts with overarching business strategy.

Success is measured by portfolio throughput, strategic impact, and fostering a culture of innovation across the enterprise.

• Own the innovation pipeline and governance:
  Govern the gate system with clear entry/exit criteria, disciplined review cadence, and crisp go/kill decisions; drive progression from ideation through proof‑of‑concept to development hand‑off.
• Drive rigorous evaluation and portfolio decisions:
  Apply standardized scoring against the Innovation Review rubric (IP, income, peak sales, market readiness, risk, strategic alignment, investment) and deliver investable recommendations to leadership forums.
• Accelerate concept creation and maturation:
  Lead design‑thinking workshops and white‑paper sprints, orchestrate rapid prototyping across engineering functions; drive to shorten cycles and de‑risk early.
• Ensure smooth integration to development:
  Define “definition‑of‑ready” for Pre‑Development and PDP insertion, align requirements with Engineering for clean hand‑offs.
• Build and sustain an innovation culture:
  Run charrettes/challenges; codify fast‑fail learning; align efforts with strategic themes to maximize business impact.
• Partner externally and internally:
  Lead make/buy/partner analyses; engage suppliers and universities for feasibility accelerators and benchmarking; maintain strong ties across product and engineering teams.
• Measure what matters:
  Establish and track portfolio health and impact metrics (idea throughput, ARL cycle time, kill rate, number of charters, innovation vs. pre‑dev investment mix, program stability/speed), and publish transparent, actionable readouts.
• Support end‑to‑end innovation pipeline:
  Drive problem discovery, ideation, evaluation, proof‑of‑concept, and seamless hand‑off into development to ensure disciplined progression from concept to execution.
• Champion adherence to the innovation process:
  Model best practices and actively coach teams to follow established frameworks, reinforcing consistency and rigor across initiatives.
• Mentor and develop innovation capabilities:
  Build organizational competency through coaching, training, and hands‑on engagement, fostering a sustainable innovation ecosystem across Polaris Inc.
• Apply critical thinking and analytics:
  Leverage structured analysis and data‑driven insights to evaluate opportunities, mitigate, and optimize portfolio outcomes.
• Facilitate cross‑functional collaboration:
  Orchestrate technology road mapping, ideation sessions, and portfolio reviews to align innovation efforts with enterprise priorities and accelerate decision‑making.
• Align innovation with business strategy:
  Ensure initiatives support overarching objectives and strategic themes, maximizing impact on growth, profitability, and competitive advantage.

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, STEM, Business, or Strategy; advanced degree a plus.
• 7+ years in product development/engineering with demonstrated early‑stage delivery (concept through proof‑of‑concept) and prior ownership of stage‑gate or ARL processes.
• Ability to translate customer insights and competitive/macro scans into high‑potential problem statements and investable charters; excellence in technical storytelling/white papers.
• Portfolio judgment using the standard Innovation Review rubric; comfortable facilitating teams to make evidence‑based go/kill calls and presenting to leadership.
• Track record building cross‑functional coalitions and running charrettes/white‑paper sprints that result in prototypes and charters.
• Excellent communication and…