Innovation Catalyst

Working at Critical is more than just a career choice, is more than a business: we're a community with a strong sense of purpose, values, and togetherness. Our engineering excellence ensures that we are a trusted partner to some of the world's leading companies in markets such as Finance, Aerospace, Railway, Medical Systems, Energy, Manufacturing, and many more.

We are always on the lookout for bright and ambitious individuals to join us.

We are currently seeking a disruptive **Innovation Catalyst **to help us with our mission of building a better and safer world by addressing the most challenging problems in mission and business critical industries, through trusted software technologies.

The Innovation Catalyst will be first of all a beacon and evangelizer for the culture of innovation, creativity, collaboration, risk taking, and entrepreneurship which are strong foundations of Critical Software. We are team of 1,400+ at Critical Software but we're part of a bigger ecosystem that includes spinoffs, startups, joint ventures (such as Critical TechWorks with BMW), a venture capital fund (Critical Ventures), and more. The Innovation Catalyst should bring extensive exposure to international and diverse business cultures and ecosystems.

The Innovation Catalyst will lead the company technology innovation strategy and work closely with the business divisions and CTOs to stimulate innovation and creativity, promote research initiatives, understand client needs, identify promising technologies, and help bring them to market. The Innovation Catalyst reports to the Management Board.

Are you the visionary **Innovation Catalyst** **we are searching for?

**What do we expect from you?**
- Contributing to the company's technological vision and implementing strategies for technology scouting, enablement, dissemination, as well as R&D, while ensuring alignment with business goals;
- Foster innovation from the ground up, supporting ideation, exploration and validation activities of new projects, technologies and ideas, such as the Fikalab playground and ideas contests;
- Working alongside business divisions and key customers to tackle difficult challenges and identify opportunities for addressing industry wide problems through disruptive innovation;
- Keeping up with technology trends and research for new potentially disruptive technologies that can create strategic differentiation for the company;
- Bootstrap and incubate new emerging technology areas of strategic interest to the company before disseminating internally through the various divisions;
- Develop a strong ecosystem for innovation including universities, scientific and research entities, customers, and startups, and promote collaboration internally and with the ecosystem though R&D projects, talks, hackathons, meetups, sabbaticals and more;
- Coordinating the Internal AI Ops team, aimed at transforming the company's internal processes through Generative AI, enhancing how we work across the organization;
- Manage the innovation budget and attract external funding sources;
- Represent the company at conferences, trade and other events;
- Support hiring efforts for key tech positions within the company;
- Promoting Critical Software values and culture.
- Passionate for technology and progressive tech ideas, disruptive thinking, typically an early adopter and risk taker, intensely curious about everything technology;
- Enthusiastic and natural communicator, outspoken, ability to evangelizer, excellent in both English and Portuguese;
- Exceptional Technological skills and business acumen, and preferably knowledge of the industries we serve;
- Degree in Computer Science, Engineering or related field with 5+ years working in a similar role in technology and management;
- A masters in business, technology commercialization, or innovation, would be an asset;
- Solid leadership competences - ability to unite people, inject enthusiasm, inspire action;
- Excellent interpersonal skills, natural ability to build trust and lasting relationships, mentor others, resolve conflicts and build strong teams;
- Strategic, out of the box, big-picture thinker, able to align multiple strategies and ideas;
- Availability to travel;
- International working experience, with special value given to working in countries with a strong innovation culture (e.g. USA).

**What can you expect from us?**
- A challenging environment where you can thrive, both personally and professionally
- A real possibility of impacting the lives of millions of people while working in the most critical industries
- The opportunity to make the difference while participating in social initiatives
- Work-life balance: flexible work policies designed to fit your life around your career at Critical
- Fringe Benefits and Wellbeing especially planned to support you and those who are important to you
- Modern and cozy offices that will make you feel just like home.
- Critical Software is proud to be a Benefit Corporati