United Kingdom · Research and development · Director/VP (16-20 years)

Director, Global Innovation

Here is the whole job, in plain words. What it is, what you decide, how you're judged, how people get here and where they go next. Then the part no course gives you: twelve AI tutors who learn your work.

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As a Director, Global Innovation, a good place to start on AI-Driven Strategic Foresight & Trend Prediction is Planning Automation Across a Department, a free Future Fluency module at Level 5. You'd practise working out what in your department's work could be automated, what should not be, and what to recommend.

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One email: what AI is changing in this job, the new skills it asks for, where it leads, and where to start free. With a link back here. Nothing else follows unless you confirm your address.

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  • Experience bandDirector/VP (16-20 years)
  • Direct reports10-25 reports
  • Reports toChief Innovation Officer / VP, R&D
  • UK framework levelUsually a director, accountable for a division and its numbers

Also advertised as VP of Innovation Strategy · Head of R&D Portfolio · Innovation & New Ventures Director

Built on 43,079 real UK job descriptions we analysed · grounded in what real qualifications cover

1From this job to a course

The qualifications matched to this job

OCNLR Level 4 Certificate in Business Administration OCN London · Level 4 · covers 1 of 3 standards
Focus Awards Level 4 NVQ Diploma in Customer Service (RQF) Focus Awards Limited · Level 4 · covers 1 of 3 standards
Open Awards Level 2 Diploma in Skills for Health and Care Professions (RQF) Open Awards · Level 2 · covers 1 of 3 standards

Matched from the standards this job is measured against: a suggestion, not an official ruling.

The units you would start with

Contribute to Innovation in a Business Environment OCNLR Level 4 Certificate in Business Administration
Research skills for health and social care NCFE CACHE Technical Level 3 Extended Diploma in Health and Social Care
Encourage innovation Focus Awards Level 4 NVQ Diploma in Customer Service (RQF)
Research Skills Open Awards Level 2 Diploma in Skills for Further Learning and Employment (RQF)

The future skills this job leans on

AI Fluency working with AI as a thinking partner
Data Fluency turning numbers into a decision
AI Governance Fluency using AI responsibly
Foresight Fluency seeing round the corner
Change Fluency taking people through change
Your Plan Illustration

Built for Director, Global Innovation

4 units that map to this job, from the qualifications that cover it.

  1. Contribute to Innovation in a Business Environment OCN London · covers 1 of 3 standards Level 4
  2. Research skills for health and social care NCFE · covers 1 of 3 standards Level 3
  3. Encourage innovation Focus Awards Limited · covers 1 of 3 standards Level 4
  4. Research Skills Open Awards · covers 1 of 3 standards Level 2
These are the real units behind this job, in the order they rank for it. Nothing here is marked done, because this plan has not been started by anyone yet. Yours would fill in as you go.

2AI and this work

Will AI change your work as a Director, Global Innovation?

Nobody can say exactly how. Here is what this job is being asked for next, and where to start.

The new skills this role is being asked for

  • AI-Driven Strategic Foresight & Trend Prediction
  • Ethical AI Governance & Responsible Innovation
Why each one is rising

The future skills this job leans on

We'll only ever tell you what we can actually back up. No hype, no scare tactics.

What happens when you start

Next, a free account. We build your Director, Global Innovation plan as you set up, starting with the free Automation Fluency module. No card.

Your first Future Fluency module is free. After that, your AI tutor is £70 a month.

Keep this read. One email with what AI is changing in this job, the new skills it asks for and where to start free. Nothing else follows unless you confirm your address.

3What this role really is

This role sets the direction for innovation across a large part of the business, deciding where investment and effort go over several years.

4What you'd actually use

The tools this job runs on, and how well you'd need to know each one.

Aha! / Planview / Brightidea (Innovation Management) Strategic

Leading the selection and integration of enterprise-wide innovation platforms, architecting the entire innovation pipeline logic, and ensuring the platform supports our strategic objectives. You'll define how we capture, manage, and track ideas at a global scale.

PatSnap / PitchBook / CB Insights (Tech & Market Intelligence) Strategic

Defining our intelligence priorities, managing vendor relationships for these platforms, and integrating the data into our corporate strategy. You'll use these to spot the next big trend before anyone else.

Miro / Mural (Collaborative Whiteboarding) Strategic

Championing visual collaboration tools across the enterprise, establishing best practices, and creating templates for high-impact global workshops (e.g., multi-day design sprints, strategic roadmapping sessions). You'll be the one showing everyone how to use these effectively.

Planview PPM Pro / Jira Align (Portfolio & Project Management) Strategic

Designing the overall portfolio structure for your business unit, defining the scoring models for project prioritisation, and using the platform for executive-level 'what-if' analysis and resource allocation across your entire innovation pipeline.

Tableau / Power BI Premium (Executive Dashboards) Strategic

Designing and overseeing the executive reporting suite for innovation KPIs. You'll present these insights and defend the underlying data to the C-suite and Board, ensuring they have a clear, real-time view of our innovation performance.

Anaplan / Pigment (Financial Planning & Business Case Modelling) Strategic

Owning the long-range financial model for the innovation portfolio within your business unit, ensuring it aligns seamlessly with corporate finance and supports our multi-year strategic planning. You'll be building the financial future.

Diligent Boards / Nasdaq Boardvantage (Board Reporting) Expert

Using these platforms to manage all board-level communication related to innovation, track feedback from directors, and ensure robust governance on strategic initiatives. You'll be preparing and presenting directly to the Board.

5What you get to decide, and how that grows

Power in a job isn't your title. It's what you're allowed to decide. Here's how it grows as you move up.

The choiceComing in Where you are nowThe step above
Strategic Innovation Direction Escalate all strategic direction questions to supervisor. Propose strategic adjustments within existing frameworks; seek manager approval. Recommend strategic shifts for specific workstreams; consult Director for alignment.
Innovation Project Funding (Go/Kill) No authority. Provide data for others' decisions. Recommend funding for small PoCs (up to £50K); manager makes final call. Approve project spend up to £250K within an approved programme budget; consult Director on significant deviations.
External Partnership Engagement Identify potential partners; supervisor initiates contact. Initiate informal discussions with potential partners; manager approves formal engagement. Lead negotiations for specific project-level partnerships (e.g., university research agreements up to £100K); Director approves terms.

6How you'll be judged

The scoreboard, and what is not on it. The hard targets, how often each is actually looked at, and the quiet signals that never reach a dashboard.

Innovation Portfolio ROI
The projected return on investment across the innovation projects you manage, from initial investment to expected commercial value.
Target · Achieve a 3x-5x projected return on the managed innovation portfolio within a 3-5 year horizon.

If we invest £5M in innovation projects this year, we expect to see a projected £15M-£25M in new revenue or cost savings from those projects within the next 3-5 years. You'll track this through our financial models and actual market performance.

New Product Revenue Contribution
The percentage of a business unit's total revenue that comes from products or services launched within the last three years, directly from your innovation pipeline.
Target · Ensure >15% of the business unit's annual revenue is derived from products launched in the last 3 years.

If the business unit does £100M in revenue, £15M of that should come from the new innovations you've helped bring to market recently. This shows we're not just resting on old laurels.

Strategic Partnership Establishment
The number of new, high-value strategic university or corporate venture partnerships secured and actively managed, bringing in new technology or market access.
Target · Secure 2-3 new strategic university or corporate venture partnerships annually.

This year, you'll need to sign agreements with a leading AI research institute and a promising clean energy startup, for example. It's about opening new doors for our R&D.

Innovation Pipeline Velocity
The average time it takes for a project to move from a validated concept (e.g., TRL 4) to a commercial pilot (e.g., TRL 7), indicating efficiency of the stage-gate process.
Target · Reduce average time from TRL 4 to TRL 7 by 15% year-on-year.

If it currently takes 30 months to get a concept to pilot stage, we want to see that drop to 25.5 months. It's about getting things to market quicker, without cutting corners on rigour.

Strategic Influence & Alignment
Your ability to shape the overall R&D strategy for the business unit, ensuring innovation efforts are truly aligned with corporate goals and supported by key leaders.
  • You're regularly invited to C-suite strategy sessions
  • your proposals are adopted without significant resistance
  • other department heads actively seek your input on their long-term plans
  • you're seen as a trusted advisor on future growth.
Organisational Innovation Culture
The extent to which you foster a culture of experimentation, learning from failure, and proactive idea generation across the business unit.
  • You see a measurable increase in quality idea submissions from across the business (not just R&D)
  • teams are openly discussing lessons learned from failed projects
  • you're seen as a champion for new ways of thinking
  • employee engagement surveys show higher scores for 'opportunity to innovate'.
Talent Development & Leadership
How effectively you develop your direct reports and the wider innovation team, building a strong bench of future leaders and specialists.
  • Your direct reports are consistently meeting or exceeding their objectives
  • you have a clear succession plan for key roles
  • team members actively seek your mentorship
  • you're known for giving constructive feedback that helps people grow.
Board & Investor Confidence
The level of confidence the Board and external investors have in our innovation pipeline and strategy, often demonstrated through their engagement and support.
  • Board members ask insightful, rather than sceptical, questions about innovation
  • you receive positive feedback on your board presentations
  • investors mention innovation as a key differentiator in their reports
  • you're trusted to represent the company's innovation story externally.

7Would you like it

Both sides. What people enjoy, and what grinds them down.

What people enjoy
Shaping the Future

You'll spend your days strategising about what our products and services will look like in 5-10 years, identifying the technologies that will get us there. This isn't theoretical; you're putting the pieces in place to make it happen.

You're leading the charge on a new sustainable materials programme, knowing that your decisions today will define our environmental impact and market leadership for decades.

Solving Big, Hairy Problems

You'll be tackling complex, multi-faceted challenges that don't have obvious answers – the kind that require deep thought, cross-functional collaboration, and a willingness to fail fast and learn. These are the problems that keep others up at night.

Figuring out how to integrate a completely new AI capability into our legacy product architecture, balancing technical feasibility with market demand and regulatory hurdles.

Building & Empowering Teams

You'll get a real kick out of seeing your team grow, develop, and deliver groundbreaking work. You're not just directing; you're mentoring, removing roadblocks, and creating an environment where people can do their best, most innovative work.

Successfully coaching an Innovation Manager to lead their first major cross-business unit programme, seeing them present confidently to senior leadership.

What frustrates people
  • Fighting the Corporate Immune System: The core business is optimised for execution and predictability. Your job is to introduce variance and risk, and the organisation will naturally try to reject it, often subtly.
  • The Tyranny of Quarterly Earnings: You'll constantly battle pressure to divert long-term R&D funds to solve short-term revenue gaps, which can feel like a never-ending fight.
  • 'Show me the 5-year ROI': Being forced to create detailed financial projections for highly uncertain, nascent technologies, which is often more of a creative writing exercise than genuine forecasting.
  • The Pilot Purgatory: Successfully completing a pilot, only to see it die on the vine because no business unit has the budget or mandate to scale it, despite clear evidence of its potential.
  • Navigating 'Pet Projects': Being forced to support a senior executive's favourite idea, even when it has failed every objective stage-gate criterion and is clearly a 'Zombie Project'.
  • The Scaling Hurdle: A technology works perfectly in the lab but fails spectacularly when faced with the complexities of mass manufacturing, global supply chains, and real-world usage – it's a common and painful reality.
What this role does not give you
  • A clear, linear path with predictable outcomes. Expect detours and dead ends.
  • Immediate, tangible results for every project. Many will fail, and that's part of the process.
  • A quiet, solitary working environment. You'll be constantly interacting, persuading, and collaborating.
  • Freedom from corporate politics. You'll be right in the thick of it, trying to get buy-in for risky ventures.

8Who you work with

This role directly shapes the future growth trajectory and market position of a significant business unit. You're responsible for ensuring our innovation pipeline is robust, commercially viable, and aligned with the company's long-term strategic goals. Your decisions can lead to multi-million pound revenue streams or, if misjudged, significant financial write-offs and missed opportunities.

Inside the business
  • C-Suite (CEO, CFO, COO)
  • Business Unit Managing Directors
  • Heads of Product Development
  • Global Sales & Marketing Leadership
  • Legal & Intellectual Property Teams
Outside the business
  • Strategic Research Partners (universities, national labs)
  • Corporate Venture Capital Funds
  • Key Technology Vendors
  • Industry Bodies & Regulators
  • Major Customers for co-development projects

9What you need before you start

Not a wish list. The things you would be expected to already have.

  • Proven experience leading large-scale innovation programmes or R&D portfolios, with a track record of bringing new products or technologies to market.
  • Demonstrable experience managing budgets of at least £2M and leading teams of 10+ people, including managers.
  • Strong experience presenting to and influencing C-suite executives and Board members on strategic R&D and innovation topics.
  • A deep understanding of financial modelling and business case development for highly uncertain, long-term investments.
  • Extensive experience with Stage-Gate processes, Technology Readiness Levels, and other structured innovation methodologies.
  • A history of successfully building and managing external partnerships (e.g., university collaborations, corporate venturing).

10What to practise next

Where the job is going, and what to do about it starting this week.

Advanced Digital Twin & Simulation Environments

The ability to create highly accurate digital replicas of products, processes, or even entire R&D facilities allows for rapid prototyping, testing, and optimisation in a virtual environment. This dramatically reduces physical prototyping costs and accelerates time-to-market for complex innovations, giving us a huge competitive advantage.

Real-time data integration for digital twins · Physics-based simulation engines · Virtual reality (VR) / Augmented reality (AR) for interaction · Cloud-based high-performance computing (HPC)

  • This quarter: Research leading digital twin platforms and their applications in our industry.
  • Next 6 months: Sponsor a pilot project within your R&D team to implement a digital twin for a critical component or process.
  • Next 12 months: Develop a business case for broader adoption of digital twin technology across your innovation portfolio, highlighting ROI.
  • Ongoing: Engage with technology vendors and industry experts to stay informed on advancements in simulation.

Quick win: Identify one current physical prototyping process that could be partially simulated digitally. Challenge your team to explore how a basic digital twin could reduce iterations or costs.

Quantum Computing & Advanced Materials Science (Strategic Oversight)

While direct application might be years away for some, understanding the strategic implications of quantum computing and breakthroughs in advanced materials is critical. These 'pacing technologies' could fundamentally reshape our industry, and you need to know when and how to start investing in early-stage research or partnerships to avoid being left behind.

Quantum algorithms for optimisation and simulation · Materials informatics and AI-driven discovery · Additive manufacturing for novel materials · Strategic investment in early-stage quantum/materials research

  • This quarter: Read introductory materials on quantum computing and advanced materials science, focusing on their potential industry applications.
  • Next 6 months: Identify 2-3 academic institutions or startups that are leading in these fields and establish initial contact for potential partnerships.
  • Next 12 months: Develop a 'watching brief' for your business unit, outlining potential long-term impacts and recommending early-stage research investments.
  • Ongoing: Attend specialist webinars or conferences to build your network and knowledge in these areas.

Quick win: Set up a Google Scholar alert for 'quantum computing applications in [our industry]' or 'AI for materials discovery' to keep a passive eye on the latest research.

11Staying current once you are in

What people here do to keep up
  • Regularly attend and speak at leading industry conferences on innovation, R&D, and emerging technologies (e.g., World Innovation Forum, R&D Management Conference).
  • Participate in executive education programmes focused on strategic leadership, corporate innovation, or technology commercialisation at top business schools (e.g., London Business School, INSEAD).
  • Engage with venture capital firms and startup accelerators to stay connected with the external innovation ecosystem and identify potential investment opportunities.
  • Mentor junior innovation professionals and actively contribute to internal knowledge-sharing initiatives.
  • Publish thought leadership articles or white papers on innovation strategy to build your personal and our company's reputation in the field.

12The rising capability

The rising capability

Zavmo analysis

What's rising in its place

This is where the work is heading, and the higher pay with it. Get fluent here and the shift stops being a threat and starts being your edge.

AI-Driven Strategic Foresight & Trend Prediction

Traditional market research and trend analysis are too slow and often miss subtle signals. AI can process vast amounts of unstructured data (news, social media, scientific papers, patent filings) to identify nascent trends, predict market shifts, and uncover white spaces for innovation much faster and with greater accuracy. Competitors are already using this to gain an edge.

  • Natural Language Processing (NLP) for trend extraction
  • Predictive Analytics for technology adoption curves
  • Network Analysis for innovation ecosystem mapping
  • Generative AI for 'what-if' scenario exploration

Ethical AI Governance & Responsible Innovation

As AI becomes more integral to our products and processes, the ethical and regulatory landscape is rapidly evolving. We need leaders who can not only drive AI innovation but also ensure it's done responsibly, transparently, and in compliance with emerging guidelines. Getting this wrong can lead to significant reputational and legal risks.

  • AI bias detection and mitigation
  • Explainable AI (XAI) principles
  • AI regulatory frameworks (e.g., EU AI Act, UK AI policy)
  • Data privacy in AI systems

13What you’ll use

What you’ll use

Skills this role draws on

Technical

  • Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) & Investment De-risking
  • Stage-Gate® (or Phase-Gate) Process Leadership
  • Open Innovation & Corporate Venturing Strategy
  • Technology Roadmapping & Strategic Planning
  • Intellectual Property (IP) Strategy & Management
  • Design Thinking / Human-Centred Design Leadership

14The pathway

The pathway

How you actually get there, here

How you become one varies far more by country than what one does. This is the UK route. Most people take one of these ways in; the right one depends on where you're starting from.

  1. 1

    From Manager, Innovation Portfolio (L5)

    3-5 years as an L5

    Skills to master

    • At L5, you'd have mastered managing a specific innovation portfolio and a team of strategists. To move to Director, you need to broaden your strategic scope, take on P&L accountability for a larger business unit, and significantly increase your board-level influence and external partnership management.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Successfully launched 2-3 significant new products that generated substantial revenue.
    • Consistently exceeded portfolio ROI targets.
    • Developed and promoted at least two direct reports into more senior roles.
    • Took the lead on a major strategic external partnership or corporate venture initiative.
  2. 2

    From Head of R&D / Product Development (within a different business unit)

    5-8 years in a similar leadership role

    Skills to master

    • This path requires a strong understanding of product development and R&D execution. To become a Global Innovation Director, you'd need to hone your strategic foresight, open innovation capabilities, and ability to manage a portfolio of early-stage, often higher-risk, ventures rather than just product iterations.

    You're ready to move on when

    • Demonstrated strong strategic thinking beyond incremental product improvements.
    • Successfully led a team through a significant technological pivot or market disruption.
    • Proven ability to build and influence cross-functional teams outside of direct reporting lines.
    • Developed a deep understanding of financial modelling for long-term, uncertain investments.
  3. 3

    From External Senior Innovation Leader

    Direct entry, assuming relevant experience

    Skills to master

    • You'd need to quickly understand our company culture, internal processes, and specific industry dynamics. Your ability to build credibility and influence rapidly across a new organisation would be paramount.

    You're ready to move on when

    • A track record of leading innovation at a comparable scale and complexity in a relevant industry.
    • Strong network and reputation in the innovation ecosystem.
    • Proven ability to quickly adapt to new organisational structures and drive change.
    • Excellent cultural fit and leadership style aligned with our values.

15Where this role leads

The long view: This role can lead to running a spin-off venture as chief executive, taking a seat as a board member or non-executive director, or moving into venture capital or angel investing.

The ten Future Fluencies

Zavmo analysis

The credential is what you can do today. These are what keep you valuable.

A qualification proves you can do the job as it's defined today. These ten are what decide whether you're still the obvious person for it in five years. They're the capabilities employers are now writing into senior roles faster than people are learning them. Zavmo weaves them through whatever you study, so you come out with both: the credential and the fluency.

The highlighted ones are the Fluencies your role leans on hardest, from how Director, Global Innovation is actually changing.

How you would learn this

One to one, on the work you already do

A tutor sets the task against your own job and marks the reasoning, at your pace. There is no cohort to fall behind.

A lesson from Contribute to Innovation in a Business Environment, worked against Director, Global Innovation.

Contribute to Innovation in a Business Environment Level 4

Applied to your work in Director, Global Innovation

This unit aims to provide learners with an understanding of the role of innovation in a business environment and the methods for researching and developing new approaches and solutions. Learners will be able to apply appropriate tools and techniques to research and develop ideas, and understand how to present suggestions for new approaches.

How the thinking builds
  1. 1 Remember
  2. 2 Understand
  3. 3 Apply
  4. 4 Analyse
  5. 5 Evaluate
  6. 6 Create
An illustration of a Zavmo lesson, built from this role’s own route. The unit, its objective and every criterion above are the awarding body’s own words, not an example.

It is £70 a month, billed monthly. Your free first module is Future Fluency, and you can cancel any time.

See Your Progress Grow Illustration
Director, Global Innovation
  • Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs) & Investment De-risking
  • Stage-Gate® (or Phase-Gate) Process Leadership
  • Open Innovation & Corporate Venturing Strategy
  • Technology Roadmapping & Strategic Planning
  • Intellectual Property (IP) Strategy & Management
  • Design Thinking / Human-Centred Design Leadership
This is your Mind Palace on learn.zavmo.ai. Every skill above comes from this role's own record, not an example borrowed from another job. A node lights up when you evidence it, and what you build stays yours between jobs. That is the part a course cannot do.

16The detail, folded away

Everything else the record holds

The career branches in full, how AI is already showing up in the day-to-day, and the questions people ask about this job. Here when you want them, out of the way while you decide.

Where it leads next, rung by rung

Where it leads

The career path, and where it branches

Director, Global Innovation is a start, not a ceiling. Each step below asks for new skills and hands back more autonomy.

  1. Chief Innovation Officer (CINO) / VP, R&D (L7)

    3-5 years in the Director role

    This is the natural next step, moving from leading innovation for a business unit to defining the enterprise-wide innovation agenda. Your scope expands to the entire company, including corporate venturing and investor relations.

    • Managing a corporate venture fund
    • Developing enterprise-wide IP strategy
    • Leading global innovation councils
    • Shaping market-defining innovation policies
  2. Managing Director / Business Unit Lead

    4-6 years in the Director role

    This path shifts your focus from pure innovation to broader P&L responsibility for an entire business unit. Your innovation background would be a huge asset in driving growth and competitive advantage.

    • Go-to-market strategy development
    • Operational efficiency and process optimisation
    • Customer relationship management at an executive level
    • Mergers & Acquisitions execution
Working with AI on the job

Working with AI

Where AI is starting to help

As a Director, your time is gold. You're not just managing; you're shaping strategy, influencing leaders, and making big bets on the future. The good news? AI isn't here to replace you, but to give you back precious hours, letting you focus on the truly strategic work that only you can do. Think of it as having a hyper-efficient, always-on research and drafting assistant.

In Research & Development, especially at a Director level, you're constantly sifting through mountains of data, synthesising complex information, and crafting compelling narratives for diverse audiences. AI tools can dramatically cut down the grunt work, freeing you up for deep analysis, critical thinking, and high-value interactions. We're talking about moving from 'doing the work' to 'directing the work' with unprecedented efficiency.

Automated Tech Scouting

Imagine AI agents continuously scanning patent databases (like USPTO), academic journals (think arXiv), startup funding announcements (Crunchbase), and even regulatory filings. They'll identify and pre-screen emerging technologies that perfectly match your strategic criteria, flagging only the truly relevant ones. You get a curated shortlist, not a haystack.

Accelerated Insight Synthesis

Use Large Language Models (LLMs) to ingest hundreds of pages of dense technical documents, market research reports, or transcripts from customer interviews. The AI will generate concise summaries, identify key themes, highlight potential contradictions, and even pinpoint overlooked opportunities. No more drowning in documents; just the distilled insights you need.

Rapid Scenario Modeling

Leverage generative AI to quickly draft multiple 'what-if' scenarios for a new technology's application. For example, you could ask it to 'Model the impact of this new material on our three main product lines, considering supply chain, cost, and performance under different market conditions.' This lets you explore possibilities faster than ever.

Business Case & Comms Drafting

Use AI assistants to create the first draft of an internal business case, a complex partnership proposal, or a high-stakes presentation for a board-level stage-gate review. You provide the key data and objectives, and the AI structures the narrative, formats the document, and even suggests compelling language. You then refine, ensuring your strategic voice comes through.

Common questions

Common questions

How do you become a Director, Global Innovation?

Common routes in include From Manager, Innovation Portfolio (3-5 years as an L5), From Head of R&D / Product Development (within a different business unit) (5-8 years in a similar leadership role) and From External Senior Innovation Leader (Direct entry, assuming relevant experience). Times vary with prior experience.

Where can a Director, Global Innovation progress to?

This role can lead on to Chief Innovation Officer (CINO) / VP, R&D (3-5 years in the Director role) and Managing Director / Business Unit Lead (4-6 years in the Director role), depending on the skills you build.

What new skills matter most for a Director, Global Innovation?

Increasingly, AI-Driven Strategic Foresight & Trend Prediction and Ethical AI Governance & Responsible Innovation. These are the skills our record of this role lists as growing.

Free tools

Want a read on where you stand?

Three free tools, no account needed. Each one ends with a role, a level and a way in.

17Where to go from here

Other roles at Level 7

Same depth of qualification, different job. Useful if the work appeals but this particular role does not.

More jobs in research and development

Stay in the field you know and move sideways rather than up.

If you leave this industry

A background in R&D, innovation methods and strategic leadership carries across industries going through rapid technological change, including cleantech, biotech, advanced manufacturing and digital services. Spotting future value and building it applies in any of them.

This role profile is © 2026 Growth Engineering Technologies Ltd. Built from UK occupational standards and regulated qualification data, and written for Zavmo.

You're not behind. You're right on time. The shift is only just beginning. Your role won't look the same in two years. Be the one who leads the change, not the one it happens to. Start my free Automation Fluency module What happens next: a free account, then we build your plan as you set up. No card. Build your plan, see your roadmap and meet the twelve tutors matched to you. All free. When you're ready to start learning, it's £70 a month, billed monthly. Cancel any time and billing stops.