About this role:
This is a joint role based in Singapore where you will lead innovation across the region, while also focusing deeply on building innovation-related success in TBWA\Singapore.
Our definition of innovation is widely defined as the “new” - this can be across creative, strategy, ways of working and more. Specifically, innovation at TBWA is applied to the core areas of: Digital, Social, Technology and Experience Design (UI/UX).
To be successful in this role, you’ll be the regional lead and ambassador of TBWA’s global innovation practice Next. Next helps us unlock the future of brand experiences for clients, today. It comes with a slew of educational & inspirational Next Kits, tools & exercises and partners to tap. Next is often our way in with clients when it comes to innovation, to start (or change) conversations to include innovation in a way that’s both more holistic and more focused.
This is a hands-on role that operates both at a regional and a local level. Much of what is focused on at a Singapore level is what can then be scaled to other markets or used as core learnings. You’ll have a community around you and strong regional peers to partner with you behind a very innovative regional vision.
Singapore:
- Lead innovation for all core clients & pitches
- Manage innovation-specific financial goals, tracking and strategic discussions
- Jointly lead strategy, collaboration and implementation of innovation-related areas of growth (ie: Social, Data, etc)
- Manage Experience Design team (with Experience Design Director) on current clients & growth
- Lead innovation education and inspiration across the agency
- Lead innovation-focused training for the agency in partnership with Head of Talent
Asia:
- Raise the creative & strategic bar across all markets through collaborating with regional CSO, CCO and CMO on regional & market-level work
- Drive innovation in core regional strategies and discussions across other disciplines (ie: Creative, Strategy, Account)
- Lead for all things Next, including:
- Internal & client-facing education around Next shifts (tapping into global for support)
- Internal & client-facing education around Next capabilities (Quantifying Next, Future Mapping, Next Sprints)
- Lead collaboration, guidance and implement of Next-specific initiatives at a regional & market/client level
- Lead regional Next x No Format workshops where we connect top client business opportunities to key pieces of innovative creative experiences
- Build & foster regional community of innovation for market-specific innovation leads
- Drive scalability of innovation-focused initiatives to be cross-market/across the region
- Act as liaison on all-things innovation stemming from global roll-outs to regional collaboration and operationalization
- Lead innovation for key regional & market-specific pitches
- Guide innovation strategy & implementation for key regional & market-specific clients
- Lead innovation-specific strategic partnerships, including:
- Building & maintaining relationships with key partners for areas of innovation
- Identifying and implementing against key opportunities with partners when it comes to innovation focus areas (ie: new features, beta access, trainings, etc)
- Connecting markets with select partners for their innovation needs, through the doors of TBWA
- Lead thought leadership from an innovation perspective
- Lead education around key areas of innovation (ie: Web3, AI, gaming, etc) at a regional, market-specific and discipline level. This includes a combination of Next Shifts through the lens of wider innovation initiatives
Human skills you’ll need to bring to this role:
- Confident in leading senior-level discussions both internally and with clients when it comes to areas of innovation
- Confident and inspirational presenter
- Able to manage senior leaders across the region and mid/junior colleagues in TBWA\Singapore
- Strong drive to collaborate and partner across discipline
- Able to be both “strong” and compromise. There’s times to get your elbows out and push hard for innovation, but you must be able to help people along their journey of innovation
