Customer Solutions and Innovation (CSI) is a DHL's cross divisional commercial and innovation unit. We are responsible for managing DHL's largest and most strategically important customers. In a very competitive market, CSI work with our Business Units colleagues and provide value beyond what the customers expect, building stronger ties with Customer key decision makers. We focus on understanding our customer business and industry challenges and applying proven DHL solutions.
In DHL Innovation Center, we use the topic of innovation to build partnerships with our customers. We help them discover possibilities, inspire them to look for opportunities to advance their supply chain functions, connect them to subject matter experts and create business cases that are applicable to them.
We are looking for a Senior Innovation Engagement Manager to/with…
a. Workshop facilitation:
- Drive the innovation-focused customer engagement program through the set-up and coordination of Customer Innovation Workshops
b. Customer experience:
- Consult account managers to plan their customer meetings and tailor guided visits or innovation workshops on relevant business topics in an engaging way using state-of-the-art creative methodologies
- Work with sales leads to understand and define customer requirements and pain points, develop customer engagement strategies and deliver high-quality innovation workshops
c. Customer engagement:
- Deliver customized guided visits through the Innovation Center, involving subject matter experts
- Transform the Innovation Center into an inspiring demo and showcase environment that positions DHL as the Innovation leader in the Logistics industry underscoring the company's vision/strategy for the future and its continuous investment in the development of best-in-class logistics solutions and services today and tomorrow
d. Innovation mindset:
- strong interest in helping to drive innovation and work with global colleagues on new workshop and engagement formats – helping to shape the future of the four Innovation centers around the world
- Adapt and regularly update the content demo showcase portfolio creating a pipeline of new demo showcases for the Innovation Center, in close alignment and cooperation with Trend research, Business units, Industry sectors experts as well as corporate functions
e. Project management:
- coordinate alignment across business unit’s and with other stakeholders to ensure the smooth planning and execution of customer engagements.
f. Leadership:
- Lead, mentor and manage the team of innovation engagement managers, ensuring alignment with organizational goals.
- Cultivate a high-performance culture, emphasizing on collaboration, optimization and continuous improvement
Principal Accountabilities
- Strategic Pre-Sales Enablement: Customer Innovation Workshops, Tours, Deepdives
- Coordinate and conduct Customer Innovation Workshops unlocking sales & business growth opportunities and strengthening customer relationships
- Develop a portfolio of Customer Innovation Workshops by permanently assessing business priorities and customer needs, aiming at sharing best practices, developing new value and/or exploring logistics trends
- Prepare and successfully deliver fully customized Customer Innovation Workshops, including understanding of customer needs, topic selection, customization of workshop agenda including a choice of best-suited creative modules and assignment of expert speakers
- Issue a detailed Customer Innovation Workshop summary highlighting joint opportunities and action items identified and ensure structured follow-up including a tracking in close alignment with the responsible account manager
- Build a network of internal DHL subject-matter experts
- Stay-up to date regarding innovation management methodologies/tools in order to permanently improve and extend the portfolio of customer innovation workshops
- Consult requestors on different formats/options and execute workshops as well as guided visits through the Innovation Center Demo & Content Management
- Translate the content framework and storyline into engaging and state-of-the art demo showcases
- Permanently assess the Innovation Center content framework and storyline, working in close alignment with CSI, BU, trend research and corporate function
- Continuously update and improve a modular content framework and storyline which allows customization to the needs of the customer/business including latest insights, best practices, customer testimonials etc.
- Manage the centralized content/demo & showcase management system on a day-to-day basis and support the regional implementation of the content/demo & showcase management system within the Innovation Center Satellites ensuring worldwide content/story consistency, localization & customization and virtualization
- Continuously share best practices with other regional Innovation centers
Knowledge, Skills & Experience
- 8-10 years professional experience in sales or marketing role; a master degree in Sales, Marketing or Communications is a plus
- Strong customer focus and proven experience in delivering customer workshops
- Insight in Innovation methodologies (Creative problem solving, Design thinking, Agile development)
- High self-motivation and ability to work independently and in a structured way
- Strong presentation and communication skills
- Fluent in English.
- International exposure and cultural sensitivity
- Team leader and team player
- Sound logistics understanding or exposure to manufacturing operations an advantage
- Strategic and entrepreneurial way of thinking
- Very good interpersonal, communicational and problem solving skills
