Manager, Open Innovation – Mobile eXperience Partnerships

Lab Summary:

Samsung Research America’s Open Innovation Group identifies and incubates innovative external technologies that accelerate Samsung’s development and market position of its industry-leading consumer electronics.  We proactively create partnership and investment opportunities with breakthrough technologies that have a direct impact on Samsung’s core product & services across smartphones, tablets, wearables, PCs, TVs, appliances, and more.  In addition to driving both the technical and business processes to validate and commercialize new technologies in Samsung’s existing products, we maintain a strong pulse on the market to find the next big thing.

Position Summary:

The Open Innovation – Mobile eXperience Partnerships Manager is responsible for developing partnerships with external innovations and formulating strategies to deliver innovative & exciting value to consumers through Samsung mobile (smartphones, tablets, laptops) and wearable (earbuds, watch, ring) products.

The Open Innovation team combines the best of Samsung product expertise with the latest advances in technology to create radically futuristic and innovative products, services and experiences to delight and improve the lifestyles of our customers.  We research, identify, partner and promote new technologies that make the consumer experience better, faster, seamless, more powerful, and multi-dimensional across different product categories.

In this role, you will work with an interdisciplinary team to foster startup partnerships for Samsung’s mobile device ecosystem, develop business cases, and drive pivotal initiatives that lay the foundation for Samsung’s future.

Position Responsibilities:

• Keep a pulse on market trends, advances in core technology, and university research across multiple technology categories that are relevant to Samsung’s Mobile eXperience (MX) business
• Navigate the North America startup landscape to target partnership & investment opportunities in Samsung’s mobile and wearable device ecosystem, and identify new markets Samsung MX should enter to deliver new and exciting value to consumers
• Foster relationships with external technology startups, VCs, accelerators, incubators and universities to find breakthrough innovations and effectively communicate their value proposition to Samsung MX R&D teams and executives globally
• Be the primary liaison between partners and Samsung by leading the discussions, facilitating evaluations, and driving POCs with an eye towards partnership, commercialization, investment, and/or M&A.  Be the internal champion for partner’s strategic goals and vision and advocate their needs to stakeholders ensuring awareness and understanding through effective communication
• Coordinate cross-functional and cross-geo team activities, setting project milestones, and motivating teams to meet project timelines and deliverables
• Proactively address ambiguity through strategic thinking followed by tactical execution
• Form a clear understanding of team priorities to balance urgent vs. daily activities
• Proactively build concepts and define new consumer experiences through partners

Required Skills:

• Bachelor’s degree in technology or engineering discipline required or equivalent combination of education, training, and experience, and post-graduate (MS or MBA) degree strongly preferred
• 5 years of professional experience in a technology company, with at least 2 years experience in a business development or product management role for mobile and/or wearable products
• Deep industry knowledge in at least one core technology vertical, including but not limited to: AI, Digital Health/Fitness, AR/XR, Sensors, IoT, Computer Vision, and wireless technologies (e.g. 5G)
• Ability to transform complex technical information into a clear, concise messaging that can be easily understood by various levels in the organization
• Effective interpersonal and relationship management skills
• Strong personal network within the industry, startup and ventures community
• Experience in leading complex, multi-team and cross-geographic projects to success
• Excellent written, verbal communications and presentation skills
• Ability to deal with ambiguity associated with working in a fast-paced and changing environment
• Must be willing to travel domestically and internationally (20%)

  Special Attributes:

• Positive attitude and energy, persistence, and flexibility
• Great communication skills: clear, patient, and well adapted to the audience and situation
• Analytical skills to formulate and present structured, objective recommendations and respond to challenges and objections
• Personal skills to plan, organize, and prioritize multiple assignments and delivery on tight schedules
• Ability to position and sell technology to executive audiences