Head of Strategic Foresight & Innovation (m/f/d)

ABOUT US

GHARAGE is the Vision Hub and Venture Vehicle backed by Gebr. Heinemann. Founded in 2019 the company is entirely dedicated to constantly innovating Travel and Retail with a focus on Airports globally. We are a diverse team to partner, build and invest in the future of travel and retail. GHARAGE is active in Northern Europe with a headquarters in Hamburg, as well as in Southeast Asia with an office based in

Singapore.

The future of GHARAGE will involve innovation and venture capital services and will expand to creative impulses and related services to make the airport industry more exciting and sustainable. In this context, we are setting up a new department within GHARAGE under the working title “Creative Hub”, which will focus on providing outstanding strategic, creative and design services for internal and external parties.

The role is based in Hamburg, and the focus is on driving innovative and forward-thinking projects and providing support where required. In your role you will operate globally and collaborate with the international retail business teams, in particular through the GHARAGE hubs in Hamburg, Singapore, Dubai and Miami.

Tasks

Below you will find an overview of your main areas and a description of them. Overall, you will be responsible for the outcome of your as well as managing them and the annual budget.

Area 1: Strategic Foresight

• Research future trends in airports, travel and retail
• Create visionary reports, surveys, and case studies
• Produce bold, high-quality reports, surveys, case studies and keynotes
• Represent GHARAGE at key global events and in media (including presentations)
• Act as a sparring partner for corporate strategy and GHARAGE Ventures
• Internal sparring partner for other GHARAGE units to identify and shape potential venture building cases

Area 2: Innovation Lab

• Operate the GHARAGE Retail Innovation Lab in Hamburg
• Curate, install, and showcase innovative startup solutions
• Host internal teams and external partners (e.g. airports, brands)
• Position GH as a global leader in retail and travel innovation

Area 3: Strategic Innovation

• Identify innovation needs across GH business units and regions
• Develop a visionary approach to integrating advanced robotic as well as automation technologies in future airport operations
• Analyze and explain the technical requirements for implementing robotic and automation solutions
• Build and identify potential partnership opportunities with ecosystem players (e.g. Airbus Inflight Platform)
• Collaborate with corporate stakeholders to evaluate and decide on the strategic approach like develop or partner
• Support pilot implementation and scale-up of startup collaborations
• Develop replicable innovation playbooks

Requirements

• You have at least eight years of relevant professional experience in consulting, strategic foresight or innovation management
• You have experience in managing a wide variety of projects and are proficient in project management
• You have a strong enthusiasm for new technologies, robotics and automation, with a focus on non-personal robotics in retail and F&B sector
• You drive innovation by keeping up to date with industry trends and the latest technologies
• You have experience with vision projects and convince with long-term strategy and vision for projects in retail, at airports or in a comparable environment
• You have an affinity for different people, empathize with them, and strike the right tone in speech and writing
• You think analytically and can translate facts in such a way that they appeal to a broad audience and underpin decisions in projects
• You create expressive presentations and present them in German and English

Benefits

• A great opportunity to become the Head of Strategic Foresight & Innovation unit and to develop the status quo further
• The chance to help to shape the future of travel and retail, backed by Gebr. Heinemann (GH)
• The great opportunity to participate in shaping the team and to work on exciting projects and new topics
• An entrepreneurial environment with flat hierarchies built on trust and respect
• Team events and offsites where we regularly exchange ideas and build connections with colleagues who share our passion for creativity and innovation
• Competitive compensation