Director, Venture Strategy Jobs

BE PART OF PILOT44

We are working hard to become the most trusted, advanced, and sought-after Disruptive Innovation Studio. Curious and want to be part of our innovative and fast-moving growth story? Find us at www.pilot44.com.

ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY

The role of the Director, Venture Strategy is a unique position that requires a highly-motivated and battle-tested startup employee or entrepreneur, who’s ready to develop creative solutions and roll up their sleeves and get things done. In the Pilot44 Director, Venture Strategy role, you will function as the “co-founder” in building new brands and businesses (ventures), in collaboration with our corporate clients. Leveraging Pilot44’s venture building methodologies and tools, you will help guide new ventures from the research and ideation stage through early-market incubation and growth.

WE ARE PILOT44

We believe that traditional models of corporate innovation are broken. They are too slow and are overly encumbered by processes & procedures that are often antithetical to promoting disruptive innovation and new growth strategies.

Pilot44 is a Disruptive Innovation Studio; we help our clients do more than keep pace, we show them how to see around corners to get ahead of emerging trends & technologies and stay ahead. Unlike traditional consultants, we don’t just advise; we work alongside our clients to embrace digital transformations in product development, operational efficiency, and more meaningful, valuable customer engagements.

We guide the largest, most sophisticated product and innovation teams through an entrepreneurial approach to drive growth across a full range of research, pilot development, and fully realized ventures with a speed and sophistication traditional approaches can’t match. We work with top-tier Fortune 500 clients to deliver new innovative solutions to test and take to market.

YOUR KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategy & Research

• Work with Pilot44 Research & Strategy teams to lead the development of new business ideas and solution concepts.
• Develop “venture pitches” that convey the strategic opportunity and narrative to clients’ executive sponsors.
• Work directly with corporate clients to understand key business drivers, challenges and future growth opportunities.
• Create a high-level plan for developing the business through incremental test & learn steps.

Venture Pitch & Business Plan Development

• Manage internal and external stakeholders throughout the process and development of the business plan, including executives, external agencies, designers and researchers
• Define and support a clear opportunity and solution concept supported by validation, research, and entrepreneurial instinct
• Work with brand strategists and designers to develop new brands from the research and insights gathered.
• Build a fundable business model and plan around the solution concept, including operations / commercialization strategy, go-to-market and brand strategy, distribution models and business model / financials
• Form and lead a strategic narrative for the venture plan including relevant research, market, consumer, and other trends

Design & Development

• Determine all required staffing and partners necessary for early operations of the venture.
• Develop detailed and creative go-to-market strategies and marketing channel strategy.
• Work with Pilot44 team and clients to design, develop and source manufacturing for physical products (if necessary).
• Leverage new in-market models to build and iterate early lean experiments that validate new ventures.
• Work with Pilot44 digital innovation team and clients to assist in design and implementation of all supporting digital systems (MVP) required to support business ventures.
• Work with clients to determine operational and manufacturing sources/processes necessary to support physical products (where applicable).

Incubation & Growth Hacking

• Make and implement recommendations to improve or pivot the business based on real market signals and ensure that the client is always comfortable with the state of the business.
• Ensure that the entire team is working effectively in the same direction to drive the business forward and to ensure end-customer satisfaction.
• This position requires someone who can wear multiple hats, manage multiple work streams on their own.
• Work with the performance marketing team to ensure correct instrumentation is in place to drive early market demand and to gather and analyze all necessary performance metrics.
• Be the co-leader of the venture and a growth hacker helping to guide all strategic decisions for validating product market fit and managing early market incubation.
• Ensure that the business operates and iterates smoothly and quickly, addressing all issues that arise in an early stage company.

ABOUT YOU

• BA/BS degree (Masters or higher a plus)
• Must be comfortable with ambiguity and be willing to do whatever is required to make the business successful
• Self-starter with superior work ethic and personal integrity
• Demonstrated ability to thrive in an entrepreneurial environment with limited supervision (including proactively seeking guidance when needed)
• 5+ years experience in marketing or product marketing related field, demonstrating an ability to communicate the value in a product or service and tie that back to the corporate strategy
• Bias towards action and ownership with strong commitments to accuracy and speed in equal measure
• Wants to be part of a highly collaborative team, where we all aim to win together
• A strong commercial acumen and comfortability speaking up against popular opinion when needed
• 5+ years’ experience working in a consultative role on complex projects and with corporate executives with stellar client management skills
• 10+ years’ experience working in early stage startups or entrepreneurial experience with demonstrated success in launching and growing new products, brands or businesses
• Expert storyteller with 5+ years crafting compelling and highly strategic stories for senior leadership buy-in
• A deep understanding and experience with the start-up business / product development process including design strategy, venture pitch development, solution development, go-to-market planning, and incubating
• Experience in business or technology innovation, preferably in a digital marketing and/or related software technology role
• Experience building and leading high-functioning teams
• A solid grasp of business fundamentals, and an ability to articulate the value of a service and product in alignment with clients’ businesses

WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT FROM US

• A culture of excellence working with passionate and committed colleagues
• Comprehensive benefits package including medical / dental / vision, PTO that increases over time, and 401k with an employer contribution
• Autonomy and the room to make decisions
• An excellent salary based on experience
• A great culture for the fun and curious
• Possibilities to do what you do best and to develop your skills even further
• A fast-paced and dynamic startup environment

FINE PRINT

• Our compensation reflects the cost of labor across U.S. geographic markets, and we pay differently based on those defined markets. Pay varies by work location, job-related knowledge, transferrable skills, work experience, business needs and market demands. The pay range for this position in CA, MA and NY is $170,000 - $230,000 annually. This range is subject to change and may be modified in the future.
• Pilot44 is committed to hiring the best and brightest people from the broadest talent pool possible - all qualified individuals are encouraged to apply. We believe a diversity of ideas, skills, and experiences fosters innovation and inspiration. If you would like to request reasonable accommodation during the application process, please email [email protected].
• Employees currently residing in the Bay Area are expected to work a hybrid model of 2 days in office (San Francisco), 3 days remote.
• This role is salaried, full time, and open to remote candidates based in the U.S.