Innovation Excellence Leader

At DuPont, our purpose is to empower the world with essential innovations to thrive. We work on things that matter. Whether it's providing clean water to more than a billion people on the planet, producing materials that are essential in everyday technology devices from smartphones to electric vehicles, or protecting workers around the world. Discover the many reasons the world's most talented people are choosing to work at DuPont. Why Join Us | DuPont Careers

This is an exciting opportunity working directly with the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and the Technology & Sustainability Leadership team to drive strategic initiatives in Innovation Excellence to increase speed and impact of innovation investments and growth outcomes across DuPont. This position facilitates implementation of the overall technology, innovation and sustainability strategy through effective leverage of core managing processes, systems, communications and initiatives. The successful candidate should be well versed in science, technology and engineering, demonstrate continuous improvement and agile capabilities, and committed to enable success across the company including within the Technology & Sustainability line organization. Expect a dynamic, intensive immersion into the strategic operations of the company with a breadth of exposure across all businesses, functions and regions. This assignment will provide experiential development that will not only broaden the candidate's perspective but also equip the candidate with critical capabilities required in broad leadership roles across the company.

Drive strategic initiatives enabling advancement of capabilities and processes that drive innovation excellence

• Support the development and implementation of innovation capabilities that deliver innovation-led growth across DuPont businesses, partnering with commercial excellence and integrating internal and external initiatives to enable business growth.
• Collaborate with global business and functional teams to align technology initiatives with business objectives.
• Provide tactical support to implement initiatives while leading strategically.

Process owner to track key corporate innovation and R&D metrics

• While management of R&D programs is the responsibility of the businesses, the CTO has responsibility to strengthen Innovation outcomes and provide an integrated view of the portfolio of investments supporting DuPont's growth objectives to the Board and additional stakeholders.
• This position supports the CTO in tracking Innovation investments and portfolio progress and key metrics such as New Product Sales and Innovation Platform investments/pipeline that may be required for external reporting working in tandem with corporate finance and the businesses.
• Drive standardization, simplification and transparency with all partners.

Lead and represent CTO in key strategic initiatives

• Key areas of responsibility include change management leadership in areas of current importance to the company, including proprietary information, leveraged laboratory footprint and strategic initiatives, with particular attention to the Experimental Station as the largest integrated business-R&D site.
• This position represents Technology in various forums to ensure strategic actions are consistent with overall direction, and there is fast alignment on next decisions for speed and agility.
• A key responsibility is relentless communication for alignment and efficient action. Recent examples of strategic initiatives include Proprietary Information Steering Committee (PISC), 2020 Global COVID Playbook, Global Technology engagements, Lavoisier & Pedersen awards, DuPont Laureates process, etc.

Process owner for Technology Leadership Team

• Lead routine cadence for the Technology Leadership Team (including all business technology top leaders) to advance the Innovation Strategy to (1) Make strategically aligned choices, (2) Execute differentially, and (3) Enable future capabilities.
• Process owner is responsible to drive workstream engagement, prioritization, and schedules to meet deliverables in an efficient and effective manner given the highly resource constrained context.
• Partner across functions so the technology leadership team is an efficient decision-making organization with high leverage for productivity.

Enable enterprise/business M&A from a Technology perspective

• Provide project leadership for M&A (divestitures and acquisitions) from a corporate Technology perspective, including principles and engagement on Proprietary Information, Product Stewardship and Regulatory, Core Analytical Sciences, Information and Data Sciences and leveraged laboratory footprint. This requires significant partnering across Technology, FS&RE, IT, Legal and Finance organizations and project teams.
• Participate in monthly M&A processes led by corporate Strategy and M&A team.

Process owner for Technology & Sustainability organization and Sustainability Leadership Council

• Lead key forums for Technology and Sustainability such as Sustainability Leadership Council to align objectives, prioritization, budget processes, and to ensure issues are addressed with clear outcomes and action items promptly communicated to the participants.
• Responsibilities include increasing alignment and integration of innovation goals for our 2030 Sustainability goals and metrics between Technology, PS&R and Sustainability to maximize leverage for progress.

Manage CTO investments and DuPont budget

• Overall responsibility for all CTO budget management to meet financial goals by working in close cooperation with Corporate Finance and budget owners within Technology & Sustainability.
• Requirements include strong partnership for corporate financial processes (cost, capital) including allocation principles and specific external investments associated with Technology / PS&R and Sustainability investments (Delaware Innovation Space, American Chemical Society, National Science Foundation, Innovation Research Institute, Project Engage, etc).

Competencies

• Technically astute - understanding how technology and innovation works across DuPont and Is passionate about science/innovation/sustainability creating value.
• Trust, influence and communications- building trust and handling highly confidential information from personal to corporate, able to credibly represent DuPont to key external stakeholders. Comfortable working with senior management, peers, subordinates, and prominent scientists and influential people outside DuPont in science, technology and commercial arenas.
• Organization and Planning - effectively manage complex initiatives and priorities. Ability to orchestrate multiple activities and marshal resources to get things done. Understands how to utilize effective work processes to drive execution. Anticipate and adjust for problems and roadblocks.
• Collaborative - ability to ensure that all the functions work together effectively to deliver the results
• Learning Agility - learns quickly when facing new problems. Open to change and enjoys the challenge of unfamiliar tasks.
• Dealing with Ambiguity - can decide and act without the whole picture, can deal with change and shift gears comfortably. Comfortable with complexity and uncertainty in a dynamic business environment.
• Problem Solving - Uses logic and analysis to solve difficult problems with effective solutions, probes and looks beyond the obvious for answers.
• Networking - ability to network broadly within the corporation and externally to bring the very best science and technology to bear.
• Strong leadership capabilities- ability to inspire and earn the trust of the business team, technical community and the Technical Director community. Ability to communicate clearly, transparent and effectively with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures.
• Self-assured - able to listen effectively and integrate inputs from diverse sources to develop a clear position or plan while being self-confident and able to stand own ground in the face of conflicting demands and views.
• Willingness to stop/redirect work if direction is wrong.
• Self-starter - high energy level and a positive, results-oriented approach.
• Is fully versed in both technology and market trends across the businesses, and eager to learn
• Understands business drivers/imperatives, the competitive situation, and what is required for the business and R&D programs to be successful at both a regional and global level and how R&D can contribute to and transform the business for growth
• Ability to build a compelling business case for investment in R&D/innovation and communicate it in a way that business people understand.
• Understands financial evaluations and terms.
• Understands how to utilize information and data management systems within a scientific organization.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelors degree
• 5-10 years working in technology related roles with progressing levels of accountability
• An experience as an innovation leader with a demonstrated track record of both selecting the right programs and then executing on them to bring superior value to the company via technology.
• Demonstrated ability as a project/program manager to meet milestones and deliver a project on time and on budget, and to interface seamlessly across functions.
• An experience that develops fluency and demonstrated capability in the product development process from ideation through commercialization and an understanding of how all the different functions need to work together, including well versed in the Product Commercialization Framework and Innovation Platforms
• An assignment in which it has been shown that the person can work across multiple cultures. An example is a global role where the person has led people effectively across regional and country boundaries

Preferred Qualifications

• PhD

Join our Talent Community to stay connected with us!

On May 22, 2024, we announced a plan to separate our Electronics and Water businesses in a tax-free manner to its shareholders. On January 15, 2025, we announced that we are targeting November 1, 2025, for the completion of the intended separation of the Electronics business (the "Intended Electronics Separation")*. We also announced that we would retain the Water business. We are committed to ensuring a smooth and successful separation process for the Future Electronics business. We look forward to welcoming new talent interested in contributing to the continued success and growth of our evolving organization.

(1)The separation transactions are subject to satisfaction of customary conditions, including final approval by DuPont's Board of Directors, receipt of tax opinion from counsel, the filing and effectiveness of Form 10 registration statements with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, applicable regulatory approvals, and satisfactory completion of financing. For further discussion of risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could impact the achievement, expected timing and intended benefits of the separation transactions, see DuPont's announcement.

DuPont is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, national origin, age, veteran status, disability or any other protected class. If you need a reasonable accommodation to search or apply for a position, please visit our Accessibility Page for Contact Information.

DuPont offers a comprehensive pay and benefits package. To learn more visit the Compensation and Benefits page.