NBCUniversal is seeking a Senior Director, Innovation & Emerging Solutions to identify, incubate, prototype, and accelerate the next generation of capabilities that will shape the future of advertising, audience intelligence, measurement, identity, automation, and AI.
This role is responsible for transforming emerging ideas and technologies into validated solutions through rapid development, experimentation, and cross-functional collaboration. The ideal candidate combines strategic thinking, technical fluency, and a builder's mindset, with a passion for exploring what comes next.
Unlike traditional product leadership roles focused on established roadmaps and mature platforms, this position is dedicated to identifying new opportunities, rapidly testing concepts, developing working prototypes, and helping shape future capabilities across NBCUniversal's advertising ecosystem.
Role Overview
The Senior Director, Innovation & Emerging Solutions will lead a portfolio of incubation initiatives focused on emerging technologies, AI-powered workflows, audience intelligence, measurement, data interoperability, automation, and next-generation advertising capabilities.
Operating as an incubation and rapid development leader within AP&S; this individual will work across Product, Engineering, Data Science, Strategy, Sales, Operations, and external partners to quickly transform concepts into prototypes, pilot solutions, and validated capabilities.
Success in this role requires the ability to operate in ambiguous environments, challenge conventional approaches, rapidly iterate on new ideas, and accelerate the development of future-facing solutions.
Key Responsibilities
Innovation & Opportunity Discovery
- Identify emerging technologies, industry trends, customer needs, and market opportunities that may influence the future of advertising and media.
- Continuously assess evolving technology landscapes to identify areas for experimentation, exploration, and future investment.
- Maintain a portfolio of incubation initiatives spanning AI, automation, audience intelligence, identity, measurement, and data-driven capabilities.
- Develop recommendations for future solution development based on experimentation, validation, stakeholder input, and learnings.
Incubation & Rapid Development
- Lead development of prototypes, proof-of-concepts, MVPs, and pilot solutions that convert early ideas into tangible working concepts.
- Establish rapid experimentation frameworks that accelerate learning, validation, iteration, and decision-making.
- Translate conceptual ideas into practical, testable solutions with clear hypotheses, design principles, success criteria, and learning objectives.
- Drive initiatives from idea through prototype with an emphasis on speed, adaptability, user feedback, and iterative development.
- Partner closely with engineering and technology teams to evaluate technical feasibility, integration needs, data requirements, and scalability considerations.
AI & Emerging Technology Innovation
- Explore and develop practical applications for AI, agentic systems, generative AI, automation, and emerging technologies across advertising and operational workflows.
- Evaluate new tools, platforms, and technologies to determine their applicability to NBCUniversal's advertising ecosystem.
- Develop pilot programs designed to validate emerging technology opportunities, user experiences, workflow improvements, and operational value.
- Identify opportunities to improve efficiency, decision-making, insight generation, and user experiences through intelligent technologies.
Future Solutions Development
- Explore next-generation capabilities across audience intelligence, measurement, interoperability, automation, analytics, and data-driven decision-making.
- Partner with stakeholders across AP&S; to identify unmet needs, whitespace opportunities, and future-state capability requirements.
- Evaluate new concepts and determine pathways toward operationalization, integration, ownership transition, and scale when appropriate.
- Help shape long-term product and technology direction through experimentation, discovery, and structured learning
Innovation Leadership
- Lead cross-functional innovation initiatives involving Product, Engineering, Data Science, Strategy, Operations, Sales, and external partners.
- Facilitate innovation workshops, design sprints, prototype reviews, discovery sessions, and stakeholder alignment forums.
- Promote a culture of experimentation, agility, learning, and practical problem solving across teams.
- Communicate findings, recommendations, risks, and opportunities to senior leadership with clear synthesis and actionable next steps.
Required Qualifications
- 8+ years of experience in innovation, product management, product strategy, emerging technology, advertising technology, data platforms, or related fields.
- Demonstrated experience developing prototypes, proof-of-concepts, pilot programs, or emerging technology solutions.
- Strong understanding of AI, automation, data platforms, audience intelligence, measurement, identity, and digital advertising ecosystems.
- Proven ability to operate effectively in ambiguous environments with limited precedent or established processes.
- Experience leading cross-functional initiatives involving both technical and business stakeholders.
- Strong strategic thinking, problem-solving, analytical, and prioritization skills.
- Exceptional written, verbal, and executive communication abilities.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience with generative AI, agentic AI, machine learning, intelligent automation, or emerging technology platforms.
- Experience working in advertising technology, media technology, marketing technology, customer intelligence, or data-driven environments.
- Experience establishing innovation, incubation, rapid prototyping, or rapid development programs.
- Track record of bringing new concepts from idea to operational prototype.
- MBA or advanced degree preferred.
What Makes This Role Unique
- Focused on what comes next, not managing existing products.
- Functions as an incubation and rapid development leader across AP&S.;
- Operates with a startup mindset inside a large enterprise environment.
- Prioritizes experimentation, iteration, and learning over long-term roadmap ownership.
- Develops prototypes and emerging capabilities that may become future products, platforms, workflows, or business functions.
- Helps define the future direction of AP&S; through innovation and exploration.
Additional Requirements
Hybrid: This position currently has a hybrid schedule, which requires contributing from the office a minimum of four days per week. The Company reserves the right to change in-office requirements at any time.
This position is eligible for company sponsored benefits, including medical, dental and vision insurance, 401(k), paid leave, tuition reimbursement, and a variety of other discounts and perks. Learn more about the benefits offered by NBCUniversal by visiting the Benefits page of the Careers website.
Salary range: $195,000 - $235,000 (bonus and long-term incentive eligible)
As part of our selection process, external candidates may be required to attend an in-person interview with an NBCUniversal employee at one of our locations prior to a hiring decision. NBCUniversal's policy is to provide equal employment opportunities to all applicants and employees without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, gender identity or expression, age, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, pregnancy, veteran status, membership in the uniformed services, genetic information, or any other basis protected by applicable law.
If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran and require support throughout the application and/or recruitment process as a result of your disability, you have the right to request a reasonable accommodation. You can submit your request to [email protected].
