Incubation Partnerships Manager, Open Innovation

Incubation Partnerships Manager

Reports to Senior Group Director, Open Innovation Incubation Programs

At Chanel, we are focused on creating an inclusive culture that nurtures personal growth, contributing to collective progress. We believe the uniqueness of each individual increases the diversity, complementarity, and effectiveness of our teams. We strongly encourage your application, as we value the perspective, experience, and potential you could bring to CHANEL.

About The Job

The Open Innovation team is a future-forward innovation ecosystem for CHANEL. Operating at the intersection of the organization and the wider world, we envision the road ahead for luxury and for CHANEL, fast-tracking potential responses through our network of investments and partnerships. We pressure-test these ideas both inside and outside CHANEL, enabling the House to create positive impact from leading-edge learnings and capabilities and to prepare its businesses for the future.

The Digital & Startup Programs team manages our start-up programs and communities, building upon our external partnerships and connecting them with our other new ventures and across the House. They ignite initiatives with innovation teams across the house and launch new internal programs as well as a future of luxury and technology think tank.

The team is looking for an Incubation Partnerships Manager in New York, reporting into the Senior Group Director, Open Innovation Incubation Programs. Our ideal candidate will have experience working in a corporate environment and a passion for innovation and entrepreneurship.

What impact you can create at CHANEL:

In this role, you will support the team in opportunity identification, project planning and logistics, coordination with stakeholders and partners, and setting up milestone events for startup programming. Your work will touch on the realms of Corporate Innovation, Startup Acceleration, Business Development, and Partnerships.

YOU ARE ENERGIZED BY

• Prepare timelines and coordinate cross-functional teams to meet key innovation milestones
• Set up regular communication and workstreams with internal and external stakeholders to ensure fruitful relationships
• Assist in procuring, scoping, and negotiating new incubation opportunities with partners that align with strategic initiatives
• Develop external event and conference programming for the Open Innovation team
• Working closely with emerging startups, creative technologists, and entrepreneurs
• Support the Senior Group Director, Open Innovation Incubation Programs and Incubation Project Manager in building and maintaining strong relationships with key external partners and vendors through incubation partnerships and programming
• Support the development and execution of partnership engagements and deliverables
• An experimental and innovative environment, with a focus on continuous learning and improvement

What You Will Bring To The Team

• Focus on integrating diverse viewpoints and cultures, to better understand the world of today as well as tomorrow, in an inclusive and globally minded way
• Strong attention to detail and ability to prioritize and multitask
• Expertise in Microsoft Suite
• Prior professional experience in luxury is not essential, but an interest in the intersection of luxury, sustainability and innovation is strongly preferred
• Excellent communication skills in English, both verbal and written; French language skills a plus
• Ability to work under deadlines and manage multiple workstreams simultaneously
• Strong strategic thinking, communication, deal structuring, and presentation skills
• Program management, relationship management, and startup or venture experience preferred
• University degree or equivalent

POSITION LOGISTICS

• At least 4 years of experience in a corporate environment in a closely related role
• University degree
• Position based in New York (:60% in office, :40% remote, flexible)
• Occasional travel may be required

WHAT SKILLS WILL YOU LEARN, WHAT EXPERIENCES MIGHT YOU HAVE

• Working as part of a collaborative global team that partners closely with corporate functions and external vendors
• Entrepreneurial project management and responsive ways of working to allow for continuous test-and-learn for new ideas
• Hands-on experience supporting the development and execution of innovative projects and events
• Exposure to new technologies, ways of working, and trends and future disruptions in the worlds of luxury, retail, and client experiences

The anticipated base salary range for this position is $63,400 to $100,000. Base salary is one component of the total compensation for this position. Other components will include additional compensation, benefits, and perks.

About Chanel

Chanel is a private company whose values are grounded in creating the conditions for people to perform at their best and feel fulfilled and confident in their work. We offer a unique work environment where individuals are encouraged to better understand the brand, the business, and motivations, so that together we can unlock the possibilities of growth. This is reflected in:

Diversity and Inclusion

• At CHANEL, we are intentional in promoting Diversity & Inclusion. We foster respect, empathy and dignity for all. We believe strongly that the diversity of our people across the full spectrum of human differences is essential to our organisation and the connections we have with each other and our clients.
• We offer Employee Resource Groups in the US that are voluntary, open to all, employee-led groups formed around a shared identity or lived experience, whose aim is to foster a diverse, inclusive, and equitable community aligned with the values and missions of the communities they support.

Chanel Community

• CHANEL Community empowers our employees to channel their passions, talents and sense of purpose to contribute to and learn from our communities.
• Employees are encouraged to take time off annually to volunteer through CHANEL Community. CHANEL also matches employee donations to select charitable organizations.

Sustainability

• Employees are encouraged to contribute to our US Sustainability efforts at the corporate level and within the divisions, through organized taskforces and initiatives.
• CHANEL Mission 1.5° is our climate action plan. It is focused on transforming the business in line with the ambitions of the Paris Agreement on climate change to limit the average global mean temperature increase to 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels.

Arts and Culture

• We are committed to extending our legacy of cultural engagement. Global support includes the CHANEL Culture Fund, which supports a select group of leading art culture institutions across the globe, and the CHANEL Next Prize for the next generation of creative talent. US support currently includes Annual sponsorship of the MoMA film program, Tribeca Film Festival programs and Through Her Lens, Support of the Academy Gold Fellowship for Women and Sponsorship of the BAAND Together Dance Festival at Lincoln Center.

Career and Leadership Development:

• We have dedicated in-house teams focused on supporting the onboarding of employees, developing leadership skills via custom programs like Imagine Chanel People, Heart of Leadership and group and individual coaching, and blended online and live classes offered on our Bloom platform and by skilled trainers, such as Shape Your Career, to develop career building skills.

Compensation

• Base salary, bonus potential and other forms of variable pay will be offered for this position

Benefits And Perks

• Flexibility (flexible time and hybrid work options)
• Generous paid time off policies to include vacation, holiday, sick and volunteer days
• Wellbeing resources include dedicated paid time off for wellbeing (2-week August Office Closure and Wellbeing Days in Retail) and a Wellbeing fund
• Robust healthcare offerings; medical, dental, vision, MDLIVE (virtual care), One Medical, Flexible Spending Accounts (Health Care & Dependent Care), Health Savings Account and Employee Assistance Program
• Family and care giving benefits (inclusive of parental leave, fertility support, Milk Stork, and Care.com Membership)
• Life insurance, Accidental Death & Dismemberment, Short Term Disability, Long Term Disability, Health Advocate, International Business Travel Accident & Medical, and Commuter Transit & Parking
• 401K, pension, and other incentives