Global Strategy & Long-Term Innovation Partnerships Analyst

At Avolta (SIX: AVOL), our people are at the driving force behind our success. With a team of over 76,000 individuals representing more than 150 nationalities, we are a truly global company driven by passion, innovation, and excellence.

With a traveler-centric philosophy and a geographically diverse network, the travel retail and F&B company addresses the needs of up to 2.3 billion passengers each year, with 5,500 outlets in more than 75 countries across six continents. Guided by their Destination 2027 strategy and boosted by their recent combination with travel F&B giant Autogrill, the company is well positioned to realise their ambition to create a Travel Experience Revolution through their many locations at airports, motorways, cruise lines, seaports and railway stations amongst others.

PURPOSE OF THE ROLE

The Global Strategy & Long-Term Innovation Partnerships Analyst is responsible for driving the company's innovation agenda by actively engaging with startups, evaluating disruptive technologies, and fostering strategic partnerships. This position leads the implementation of proof of concepts, identifies emerging technologies, and cultivates a culture of innovation within the organization. This position effectively collaborates cross-functionally with different teams across the Group. The role is based at our Basel, Switzerland Headquarters and requires the valid work permit.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Engagement, Partnerships and Alliances

• Actively scouts, evaluates, and establishes partnerships with startups and external innovators that align with the company's strategic goals
• Collaborates with startup ecosystems, incubators, and accelerators to identify potential disruptive technologies and business models
• Identifies and cultivates strategic partnerships with external organizations, startups, and academic institutions to enhance innovation capabilities
• Negotiates and manages collaborative agreements to leverage external expertise and resources
• Analyze investment decisions in the start-up ecosystem

Proof of Concept Implementation

• Leads the design and execution of proof of concepts (POCs) to validate the feasibility and viability of innovative ideas
• Works closely with internal teams to implement and scale successful POCs into fully developed solutions

Technology Assessment

• Stays informed about emerging technologies and trends, evaluating their potential impact on the organization, and updating the strategic focus accordingly
• Leads efforts to assess and adopt cutting-edge technologies that can enhance efficiency and effectiveness
• Promotes a culture that values and rewards creativity, experimentation, and calculated risk-taking
• Develops and implements programs to engage employees at all levels in the innovation process

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in Business Administration, innovation management or a related field
• Experience in strategic partnership engagement, and/or the start-up ecosystem are an asset
• Familiarity with emerging technologies and industry trends, and an entrepreneurial mindset with a passion for driving innovation
• Knowledge of the retail or consumer goods industry are an advantage
• Very strong dynamic, forward-thinking and engagement skills
• Excellent project management, communication and negotiation abilities
• Ability to think strategically and drive results in a fast-paced environment.
• Hands-on personality, getting things done

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We look forward to connecting with you soon!