Innovation Advisor- Information Technology and Digital Transformation

Job Description

Are you passionate about the power of digital innovation and improved digital strategies to transform organizations and society? Do you have demonstrated successes developing and applying emerging digital and information technologies to drive innovation and growth? Do you want to do more with your digital expertise and your career by going beyond building digital assets to helping to build digital organizations? Are you motivated to have impact beyond yourself, for your team, for clients, and for the world? Are you looking for an opportunity where there’s room to grow professionally? Do you want to work for a mission-driven organization filled with smart people who are passionate about what they do and who want to make the world a better place?

If yes, you may be the right person to join RTI Innovation Advisors. Our team has been helping clients solve their toughest technology and innovation challenges for more than 50 years. We share your drive to make the world better and your desire for work with purpose: to solve challenges facing science and society, and to learn and grow in a diverse and inclusive global environment. We make that happen by investing in you—dynamic professional development, employee wellness, and world-class benefits which include paid parental leave and childcare subsidies. We will empower you to accomplish our shared mission.

We’re looking for a collaborative cross-sector team member to help our clients improve their products, services, or processes. Part digital technology expert, part researcher, part strategist, you’ll advise clients on solutions to their digital technology, innovation, and transformation needs, and help define digital strategies that create value for products that include food, packaging, consumer products, manufacturing, health, and more.

Additionally, you will use your strong digital background and your experience with digital platforms and digital development initiatives to help us sell and deliver services to our clients. As a key part of our strategic advising and insights (markets and technologies) team, you will actively engage with clients—corporations, government agencies, and global foundations—to envision and plan digital development and strategic initiatives that have meaningful human and business impact. As a business unit of RTI International—an independent nonprofit research institute dedicated to improving the human condition—we provide an environment that promotes our values of quiet confidence, learning, collaborating, empowered by a culture of trust and respect, responsibility, and accountability.

WHAT YOU’LL BRING

Because you will guide our clients through their digital initiatives and transformations, you will bring a broad understanding of digital technology platforms and implementations. In addition, you will:

• Combine technical rigor with creative thinking, and can see beyond the obvious to imagine “what could be”
• Approach problems with a healthy dose of curiosity that helps you, your team members, and your clients imagine different possibilities and solutions
• Demonstrate strong verbal and written communication skills and an ability to persuasively deliver key messages
• Possess critical thinking, organizational, and analytic skills
• Embrace the team mindset with a commitment to quality and efficiency
• Can successfully manage multiple clients, projects, and deadlines
• Can develop hypotheses, frame problems, and generate relevant insights based on supporting data
• Understand complex business problems and have solid problem-solving skills with a high capacity for strategic thinking.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

We are seeking candidates with skills and experience to:

• Provide research support to clients working on strategic digital technology and transformation initiatives including the creation of strategic plans and roadmaps; however, to be clear, this is a consulting role, and thus the implementation is done either by a vendor or the client.
• Identify and characterize external digital opportunities and threats as key inputs to guiding strategic decisions on business opportunities, given digital realities.
• Translate ambiguous digital and IT challenges into cohesive and practical plans by assessing client status, objectives and needs; and providing analysis through structured client engagement events involving a diverse set of client stakeholders.
• Support our external clients through large and complex digital transformations by bringing technical expertise and experience to inform and inspire cross-functional, multi-stakeholder client teams.
• Build relationships with clients to maintain and grow our profile as a long-term trusted advisor and partner.
• Work across industry sectors to support projects for clients spanning the food, agriculture, consumer products, global philanthropy, and federal agency sectors.
• Provide thought leadership and insights around emerging digital business models and disruptive technologies (intelligent automation, cloud, A.I.), digital, mobile, augmented reality, virtual reality, agile delivery, architecture, etc.
• Create client deliverables (e.g., reports and presentations), including executive summaries, and detailed research (market and technology) deliverables and recommendations.
• Co-design and co-deliver virtual and in-person working sessions and workshops as a central part of client engagements to understand their needs and support their strategic planning.

WHO YOU ARE

We recognize the value of your education and experience, which includes or is equivalent to:

• Undergraduate or graduate education in Industrial Engineering, Computer or Data Sciences or an MBA with strong data and analytics focus.
• 3+ years of experience with IT systems, software and digital implementations, and operations in digital industrial setting.

Ideal candidates will have:

• Expertise in our client areas such as IoT/digital in R&D and production; knowledge and experience with enterprise IT platforms; knowledge of AI/ML; software application and integration; API implementations
• Experience working on complex, internal, or external client-facing projects virtually and in-person
• A desire to grow beyond current technical background into a strategy consultant
• 1-3 years of related internal consulting or industry-relevant experience and strong consultative analytical and problem-solving skills including the ability to develop hypotheses, frame problems, and generate relevant insights based on supporting data.
• Experience developing well structured, logical, and audience-relevant communications
• An ability to work in ambiguous and complex environments
• A commitment to personal growth and professional development

Our Commitment to Our Employees
RTI International is committed to our Lead Forward values: to innovate, develop talent, collaborate, communicate, think globally, act strategically, and engage inclusively. If these align with your values, we would like to hear from you. Join us and experience the RTI Difference.

#LI-CS1

The anticipated pay range for this role is listed below. Our pay ranges represent national averages and may vary by location as a geographic differential may be applied to some locations within the United States.

RTI considers multiple factors when making an offer including, for example: established salary range, internal budget, business needs, and education and years of work experience possessed by the applicant. Further, salary is merely one element to our offer.

At RTI, we demonstrate our commitment to rewarding individual and team achievement through a total rewards package. This package includes (among other things) a competitive base salary, a generous paid time off policy, merit based annual increases, bonus opportunities and a robust recognition program. Other benefits include a competitive range of insurance plans (including health, dental, life, and short-term and long-term disability), access to a retirement savings program such as a 401(k) plan, paid parental leave for mothers and fathers, financial assistance with adoption expenses or infertility treatments, financial reimbursement for education and developmental opportunities, an employee assistance program, and numerous other offerings to support a healthy work-life balance.

Salary range: $77,000-$95,000

About the Organization