X Labs Lead

Team Context:

The Innovation Office IO is responsible for driving the firmsinnovation strategy by continuously exploring new and emerging technologies for firm wide benefit. Capturing opportunities connecting ideas to resources and leadership to accelerate business innovation value identification and implementation.

BlackRock is seeking a lead for its X Labs in Edinburgh with innovation agile project management preferably engineering or software development experience.

The X Labs team is an integral part of the Innovation Office. X Labs is a global team with its physical Labs based in Atlanta (US) Edinburgh (United Kingdom) Mumbai (India)

Key X Labs objectives are:

• To centralize management of ideation and innovation across the firm.
• Proving business value of an idea or innovation opportunity to justify future investment or defer the opportunity.
• Crowdsource ideas for product and service innovation process optimization and even revenue generation.
• Manage the Innovation Platform and host Hackathons surveys and Ideation events.
• Run and facilitate innovation Sprints to accelerate ideation innovation and business value identification for BlackRock covering opportunities in:
• Technology
• Processes
• Products and services

Responsibilities include:

• Lead multiple cross functional teams on various projects both using Agile & Hybrid methods.
• Analyze and translate opportunities / problem statements into tangible measurable solutions.
• Ability to effectively communicate at all levels of the organization.
• Actively remove or facilitate removal of impediments that block progress of X Labs deliverables.
• Support and educate Sprint squads to ensure the X Sprint methodology is understood and outcomes are achieved.
• Partner and collaborate with internal teams stakeholders vendors and dependent teams.
• Lead planning sessions to establish scope and benefit identification.
• Manage and facilitate efficient crossfunctional team X Sprint and internal Sprint ceremonies.
• Champion and foster project change management processes and procedures
• Foster team accountability while ensuring continual flow of highquality value from X Sprints.
  Ensure that projects follow standard operating policies procedures and best practices.
• Exhibits a goal driven aptitude to take on stretch goals.
• Strong stakeholder engagement skills a pragmatic approach and confidence to deliver projects in an environment undergoing significant transformation.
• Creativity in problem solving and communicating.
• Selfmotivated work ethic managing activities throughout the various stages of project lifecycle.
• Pays attention to team needs and pivots his/ her approaches accordingly to support the delivery of business value.
• Ensure diversity equality and inclusions is applied and respected in all behaviors and actions.

Required Experience:

• 10 yearsexperience of working with technology teams in a Project Management Scrum Master Team lead Capacity.
• Experience of working with collaborating or leading strategic initiatives or innovation projects
• Direct experience in working with Cloud teams Data Engineering Artificial Intelligence or software development teams.

• Experienced in IT infrastructure and technical project delivery
• Technical aptitude understanding technology in a business context
• Experience working with global distributed teams across multiple cultures and time zones
• Ambitious and proactive able to show initiative and come up with ideas without prompting
• Advanced user of agile management and productivity tools
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills

• Experience in managing and working with Squads covering endtoend delivery lifecycles:
• Business Case / value definition
• Design
• Rapid prototyping
• Security compliance
• Implementation
• Post Implementation Support and Consultancy
• Code Automation
• Lifecycle Management and Cost controls

Preferred Skills:

• Technology driven project delivery into Businesses
• Business and stakeholder management
• ADO Jira
• Excel: developing Macros.
• Scrum Master heading towards being a Scrum Coach

Qualifications:

• Bachelors Degree (Computer Science or Engineering preferred)
• Project Management qualifications/ certifications

What we offer :

• Competitive salary and benefits package including monthly absence free bonus;
• Private health scheme including Private Medical Dental Optical and Holiday Travel Insurance that are applied according to company policy;
• Extra vacation days;
• Opportunities to learn and develop: training programs;
• Personalized career path within the organization;
• Exposure to an international environment as part of a multicultural team spread across Europe.