Director of Innovation

Company Description Ambac Assurance Corporation (AAC) is a provider of financial guarantee insurance serving clients in the global financial markets. Headquartered in Jersey City, NJ, AAC also has offices in Greenwich, CT, and, through its subsidiary Ambac UK Limited (AUK), in London, UK. The organization works with a broad range of institutional clients and counterparties, offering risk mitigation solutions and credit enhancement. Team members collaborate across locations and disciplines to support innovative financial products and services.
Role Description The Director of Innovation is a full-time remote role responsible for identifying, designing, and driving strategic initiatives that enhance AAC’s products, services, and operational processes. This role leads cross-functional innovation programs, from idea generation and business case development through execution and measurement of outcomes. Daily responsibilities include analyzing market trends and emerging technologies, consulting with internal stakeholders on innovation opportunities, and managing projects and programs that improve efficiency and create new value for clients. The Director of Innovation will collaborate with leadership to align innovation roadmaps with corporate strategy and will develop frameworks, dashboards, and communication plans to ensure transparency, adoption, and impact across the organization. The role also involves mentoring team members, fostering a culture of experimentation, and establishing partnerships with external vendors, fintechs, or industry groups as needed.
Qualifications
Strong analytical skills to evaluate data, identify trends, build business cases, and measure the impact of innovation initiatives.
Program management experience to oversee portfolios of innovation efforts, coordinate resources, and manage timelines and budgets.
Project management skills to plan, execute, and deliver individual innovation projects, ensuring clear objectives, milestones, and risk management.
Strategic planning capabilities to align innovation priorities with corporate goals and develop multi-year roadmaps and implementation strategies.
Consulting skills to engage stakeholders, facilitate workshops, gather requirements, and communicate recommendations to senior leadership.
Experience in financial services, insurance, or related risk management sectors, with familiarity with credit, capital markets, or structured finance preferred.
Proven leadership and collaboration skills, including the ability to influence without direct authority and work effectively in remote, cross-functional teams.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present complex concepts clearly to technical and non-technical audiences.
Bachelor’s degree in business, finance, economics, engineering, or a related field; advanced degree (MBA or equivalent) is beneficial.
Comfort with digital tools and innovation methodologies (e.g., design thinking, agile, lean experimentation) and openness to continuous learning.

Work arrangement
Yes