Senior Innovation Manager

Job Description:

Company Description

We Dream. We Do. We Deliver.

At Merkle, a dentsu company, we power the experience economy. Whether we’re building the next great app, running CRM at scale for global brands, delivering technology architectures that support millions of users, or providing world-class data, identity, and insights solutions, it’s all in the name of crafting experiences that set brands apart from the competition. Backed by dentsu's legacy of innovation and creativity originating in Japan, we’ve spent over 35 years helping brands build loyalty, drive growth, and connect meaningfully with their audiences.

We’ve been named a global “Leader” by top industry analyst firms in categories as wide-ranging as digital transformation and commerce, experience design, engineering and technology integration, digital marketing, data science, CRM and loyalty, and customer data management.

Why choose Merkle?

Innovation at Our Core: As part of dentsu’s global network, Merkle pushes the boundaries of customer experience, integrating creativity, technology, and data to drive real-world impact. For over 35 years, we’ve been innovating to meet the changing needs of our clients.

Global Reach with Local Expertise: With over 16,000 employees across 30+ countries, and part of a 70,000 employees’ network at dentsu, Merkle blends global insights with a deep understanding of local markets to deliver personalized, effective solutions.

Collaborative Culture: At Merkle, your ideas and contributions truly matter. You’ll join a team that fosters innovation, collaboration, and creative problem-solving. Together, we work on impactful international projects, making meaningful connections every step of the way.

Job Description

What you will do:

• You curate, manage and triage the CE Innovation funnel and Centre for Enablement (C4E) - identifying opportunities, running POCs, scaling winners, and breaking silos across geographies and practices.

• You build conviction through experimentation, not lengthy planning; fail fast, learn, and scale what works.

• You lead a small team (2–8) day to day, and your mandate spans strategy, intake-to-scale delivery, C4E enablement, and celebrating impact.

• Own the innovation funnel: assess emerging technologies, define pitch process and investment criteria, manage POC-to-scale process, and drive rapid iteration cycles.

• Drive strategic technology enablement initiatives (currently AI; emerging opportunities in automation, data intelligence, martech integration, customer experience, and others) from conception through scaled adoption across CE.

• Lead cross-capability collaboration across geographies and practices to unblock pilots and adoption; break silos through shared innovation priorities and aligned delivery.

• Build and grow C4E: define playbooks, tools, training, and support structures that enable consistent delivery and collaboration across practices.

• Own quarterly innovation roadmaps and sprint delivery, prioritizing by business impact and CE strategy alignment.

• Define, track, and communicate key metrics—adoption rates, productivity lift, revenue attribution, time-to-deployment, business value realized—with C-suite visibility.

• Manage the budget, costs, licensing, compliance (AI annexes, data privacy), vendor contracts, and regulatory barriers; negotiate with legal and procurement to unlock value.

• Design repeatable playbooks and scaling strategies for rapid rollout of proven innovations across use cases, verticals, and geographies.

• Own the innovation recognition and celebration program (e.g., “Innovation Champion of the Month”) to build momentum and attract talent.

• Build and coach a team of 2–8 (product, operations, enablement, communications); develop capability and create space for growth.

What you bring

• You combine strong program management expertise with entrepreneurial mindset—comfortable running experiments, surfacing winners, scaling rapidly, and iterating based on real-world feedback.

• You work across business, technical, and creative teams, unblock organizational silos, and deliver tangible value at speed.

• 7+ years leading programs or technology initiatives in enterprise or consulting; experience shipping multiple initiatives from strategy to scaled delivery.

• 5+ years of line management in innovation or delivery; proven ability to build high-performing teams and develop talent.

• 3+ years of C-level stakeholder management in complex, matrixed organizations; comfort presenting emerging opportunities and strategic recommendations.

• 3+ years managing operational budgets (€500K–€2M+), vendor negotiations, and ROI forecasting; track record of resource optimization.

• Proven success driving adoption of new tools or processes across large organizations (2000+ employees); ability to manage change resistance and secure buy-in.

• Track record of delivering MVP-level outcomes in 4–8 weeks; evidence of fail-fast thinking and rapid iteration to build momentum.

• Concrete examples of scaling initiatives—pilot to 50+ teams, across geographies, or to 2000+ end users; ability to replicate playbooks. Experience managing innovation intake funnels; ability to assess emerging technologies, evaluate business fit, and prioritize at portfolio level.

• Strong facilitation skills; experience aligning cross-functional teams on strategy and execution.

• Broad familiarity with technology landscape (martech, data platforms, AI/automation, customer experience); genuine curiosity and learning agility.

• Fluent English (mandatory). German is a plus.

Additional information

Benefits include:

• Premium package private health insurance Globos and yearly paid regular medical check-up (for you, your spouse and children), insured sum of 100.000 Eur/year with 10% participation for all services

• Flexible working hours and hybrid working mode (work from home and/or work from office)

• 100% paid sick leave for a period not exceeding 30 calendar days

• Fully covered certifications for technical roles in Salesforce, Adobe, Microsoft and others

• Full access to Dentsu Academy, our global online learning platform

• 25 days of vacation

• Enjoy 2 additional volunteering days to support your passion project

• Mental Health: Benefit from 3 extra wellness days on top of your vacation days and a Mental Health First Aider and Employee Assisstance program to support your well-being.

• Team events: company parties, after-hour gatherings, board games and team buildings

• Snacks, fruits, and sweets in the office

• House of Benefits allowance

• Fit Pass special offer for you and your partner/children

• Rooftop lounge with an amazing 360⁰ view over Belgrade

• Office in the heart of Belgrade city center

• Table tennis, video games, karaoke set  

• Referral bonus program

Ready to join the team? Shape your unique career and reach your full potential. Apply now and join us in transforming the future together.

*At dentsu, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) is central to our vision: "To be at the forefront of people-centered transformations that shape society."

We cherish the unique talents and perspectives of all individuals, welcoming applicants regardless of gender, gender identity, nationality, religion, ethnicity, cultural background, sexual orientation, age, physical or mental ability. By embracing diverse perspectives, we create meaningful change and sustainable growth for our people, clients, and society. Our hiring decisions are guided by qualifications and role-specific requirements, ensuring a workplace free from discrimination and harassment.

#LI-Hybrid #LI-MERKLE

Location: Belgrade

Brand: Merkle

Time Type: Full time

Contract Type: Permanent