Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Samsung Innovation Agent
💰 $120,000 - $190,000
🎯 Role Definition
Are you a visionary, a strategist, and a doer, passionate about shaping the future of technology? Samsung is seeking a dynamic and forward-thinking Innovation Agent to join our elite team. In this pivotal role, you will be at the absolute forefront of Samsung's global innovation engine, tasked with identifying and capitalizing on the "next big thing."
You will act as an internal venture catalyst, scouting disruptive technologies, business models, and consumer trends. This is a unique opportunity to operate with a high degree of autonomy, transforming ambiguous ideas into tangible, market-leading products and services. You will be a storyteller, a data-driven analyst, and a master collaborator, working across R&D, design, marketing, and executive leadership to champion your vision and drive projects that will define the next decade of consumer electronics and services. If you thrive in ambiguity and are driven to build a legacy of innovation, we want to hear from you.
📈 Career Progression
Typical Career Path
Entry Point From:
- Product Manager / Senior Product Manager
- Management Consultant (with a focus on TMT)
- Venture Capital / Corporate Venture Analyst or Associate
- Corporate Strategy or Business Development Manager
Advancement To:
- Senior Innovation Manager / Head of Innovation
- Director of Product Strategy or New Ventures
- Product Line Director
- Head of a New Business Unit
Lateral Moves:
- Senior Corporate Strategy Manager
- Senior Product Manager for a flagship product line
Core Responsibilities
Primary Functions
- Conduct continuous, in-depth scouting and analysis of emerging technology ecosystems (e.g., AI/ML, IoT, AR/VR, Web3) to identify disruptive threats and opportunities.
- Develop and champion a thesis-driven innovation strategy, aligning scouting efforts with Samsung's long-term corporate vision and business unit objectives.
- Author comprehensive business cases and investment-style memos for new ventures, including market sizing, competitive analysis, financial modeling (ROI, NPV), and go-to-market strategies.
- Lead the end-to-end incubation process for new concepts, from initial ideation and hypothesis validation through Proof-of-Concept (POC) and Minimum Viable Product (MVP) development.
- Forge and manage strategic relationships with external partners, including startups, venture capital firms, universities, and research labs, to build a rich innovation pipeline.
- Translate complex technological concepts and abstract market trends into compelling, data-backed narratives and strategic recommendations for C-level executives.
- Drive cross-functional alignment by leading project teams comprised of members from R&D, Engineering, Design (UI/UX), Marketing, and Sales to ensure a cohesive product vision and execution.
- Design and execute qualitative and quantitative market research, including consumer surveys, focus groups, and ethnographic studies, to uncover latent needs and validate product-market fit.
- Define and meticulously track key performance indicators (KPIs) and success metrics for innovation projects, pivoting产品的 or recommending termination when data dictates.
- Structure and negotiate pilot programs and commercial partnerships that enable rapid in-market learning and scalable growth for new initiatives.
- Act as a primary subject matter expert and internal consultant on assigned technology domains, educating and influencing stakeholders across the organization.
- Manage the innovation project portfolio, providing regular status updates, risk assessments, and budget-to-actual reporting to the leadership team.
- Facilitate high-energy ideation workshops and design thinking sessions to generate a broad set of creative solutions to strategic business challenges.
- Develop detailed product roadmaps for new ventures, outlining feature prioritization and phased rollouts based on technical feasibility and market feedback.
- Monitor and deconstruct competitors' product launches and strategic moves to inform and refine Samsung's own innovation roadmap and defensive strategy.
Secondary Functions
- Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis to answer critical questions from senior leadership.
- Contribute to the organization's data strategy and roadmap by identifying new data sources and analytical tools.
- Collaborate with business units to translate their strategic data needs into tangible engineering and analytics requirements.
- Participate in sprint planning, retrospectives, and other agile ceremonies within the innovation and data teams.
- Mentor junior analysts and associates on the team, fostering a culture of curiosity, analytical rigor, and creative thinking.
- Prepare and maintain a knowledge base of market intelligence, research findings, and trend reports for broader organizational access.
Required Skills & Competencies
Hard Skills (Technical)
- Technology Scouting & Assessment: Deep ability to evaluate the maturity, scalability, and strategic relevance of emerging technologies and startups.
- Financial & Business Case Modeling: Expertise in building detailed financial models (P&L, ROI, DCF) and compelling, data-driven business cases.
- Market Sizing & Competitive Analysis: Proficient in various methodologies (top-down, bottom-up) for market sizing and using frameworks like Porter's Five Forces for competitive intelligence.
- Lean Startup & Agile Methodologies: Practical experience in applying lean principles, running experiments, and managing projects using Agile/Scrum frameworks.
- Data Analysis & Visualization: Competency in using tools like Excel, SQL, Tableau, or Power BI to analyze complex datasets and create insightful visualizations.
- Product Lifecycle Management (PLM): Thorough understanding of the stages of product development, from concept and R&D to launch and end-of-life.
Soft Skills
- Strategic & Visionary Thinking: Ability to see the "big picture," connect disparate trends, and formulate a clear, forward-looking vision.
- Ambiguity Tolerance: A high level of comfort with uncertainty and the ability to forge a path forward with incomplete information.
- Exceptional Communication & Storytelling: Capable of synthesizing complex information into a simple, compelling narrative for diverse audiences, especially senior executives.
- Influence Without Authority: Proven ability to lead and persuade cross-functional teams and stakeholders where you have no direct reporting line.
- Creative Problem-Solving: A natural inclination to challenge assumptions, reframe problems, and generate novel solutions.
- Intellectual Curiosity: A relentless desire to learn and explore new domains, technologies, and business models.
Education & Experience
Educational Background
Minimum Education:
- Bachelor's Degree from a top-tier institution.
Preferred Education:
- Master of Business Administration (MBA), or a Master's degree in a relevant technical or design field (e.g., MS in Engineering, MS in Human-Computer Interaction).
Relevant Fields of Study:
- Business Administration, Economics, Finance
- Computer Science, Electrical Engineering
- Industrial Design, Strategic Foresight
Experience Requirements
Typical Experience Range: 5-10 years of professional experience in roles directly related to innovation, strategy, product management, or venture capital.
Preferred: Experience in a top-tier management consulting firm, a corporate strategy/innovation team at a leading tech company, or a product leadership role at a successful venture-backed startup is highly desirable. A demonstrated track record of taking-an-idea-from-concept-to-launch is a significant plus.