Head of Innovation & AI H/F

Orange Cyberdefense is the cyber security company of Orange Group, providing security consulting, solutions and services to organisations around the globe. We strive to protect freedom and build a safer digital society. We are looking for a manager to support innovation and AI integration in offers at the CTO Department.

The CTO Department guides and supports Orange Cyberdefense's innovation efforts to enable market differentiation. To achieve this, the team develops an innovation strategy in collaboration with internal stakeholders and supports projects that align with this strategy. To facilitate decision-making on which innovations to develop and to accelerate the adoption of promising technologies, the team creates and provides an incubator. The incubator is equipped with resources for developing demos, testing, benchmarking, and prototyping new technologies and features for OCD’s service offerings, in cooperation with voluntary partners and clients, and in connection with Orange Group entities (Orange Business, Orange Innovation). It particularly helps accelerate the integration of cutting-edge automation and artificial intelligence technologies into OCD’s services and products.

Key responsibilities:

• Act both as a conductor and a coach on strategic innovations and AI issues.
• Create and manage governance around innovation and AI: contribute to the development of the company's innovation strategy and support its implementation by organizing decision-making with business units on investment priorities.
• Coordinate the integration of AI into OCD offerings by overseeing projects with the representatives of each business unit.
• Build and manage an incubation mechanism that facilitates intrapreneurship, co-innovation with clients and partners, and enables the development of promising innovations.

What we expect from you:

Consolidate a differentiation roadmap

• Contribute, in collaboration with internal stakeholders, to the development of an innovation roadmap aligned with the company's ambitions (technology watch, priority axes, roadmaps) and the market.
• Identify the necessary investments for the judicious adoption of AI in the services offered to clients.
• Implement performance indicators (ROI, TRL, conversion rate, time-to-market, project sponsor satisfaction) and ensure regular reporting to the CTO.
• Manage innovation budgets, including external funding sources (grants, calls for projects, public/private partnerships).
• Coordinate innovation topics with other Group subsidiaries (Orange Innovation, Orange Business).

Design and oversee an incubator

• Design and implement the operational model of an incubator: governance, processes, funding, reporting.
• Structure the project journey: idea selection, incubation, transfer, POC, demo, MVP.
• Create an open innovation ecosystem in connection with academic partners, startups, laboratories, and institutional actors.
• Supervise innovative projects from ideation to MVP.
• Assess the feasibility, value, and risks of submitted projects.
• Lead innovation and prioritization committees (in collaboration with management and business stakeholders).
• Ensure cross-functional coordination between technical teams (R&D, architecture, cybersecurity), business units, and marketing.
• Guarantee traceability of deliverables, budgets, and KPIs associated with each project.

Profil:

Education:

• Engineering degree, Master's or Ph.D. in computer science, cybersecurity, technological innovation, or a related field.
• Certifications in project management, innovation, or cybersecurity (e.g., PMP, Scrum, CISSP, CISM) are a plus.

Experience:

• 10+ years of experience in technological innovation, ideally with a specialization in cybersecurity and/or artificial intelligence.
• Significant background in managing innovative projects, incubation, or startup creation.
• Proven experience in innovation governance, project portfolio management, and driving market differentiation strategies.
• Deep understanding of cybersecurity, AI, and emerging technologies.

Key Skills:

• Ability to lead innovation governance.
• Excellent leadership skills, with experience managing multidisciplinary teams and facilitating steering committees.
• Ability to coordinate cross-functional projects between R&D, marketing, business units, and external partners.
• Expertise in innovation management, project incubation, and developing collaborative ecosystems.
• Proficiency in innovation methodologies, project portfolio management, and performance indicators (KPIs).
• Knowledge of regulatory and ethical issues related to cybersecurity and AI.

Personal Qualities:

• Innovative mindset, creativity.
• Results&business-oriented, autonomous, and capable of convincing and rallying stakeholders around a strategic project.
• Strong customer and market focus, with the ability to differentiate the company's offerings.

Orange Cyberdefense est l’entité stratégique du Groupe Orange dédiée à la sécurité numérique. Nous accompagnons les entreprises de toutes tailles, organismes critiques, administrations et collectivités locales dans la conception de leurs stratégies de cybersécurité, leur mise en œuvre et leur gestion opérationnelle. 

Nous leur apportons notre expertise afin d’assurer le meilleur niveau de protection de leurs données, de leurs équipements et des services qu’ils offrent à leurs clients ou leurs administrés.

Avec un CA de 1,2 Md€ en 2024, 11% de croissance et plus de 3.000 experts dédiés à la cybersécurité, nous nous positionnons aujourd'hui comme le Leader européen sur le marché de la cyberdéfense.

Notre vocation est de construire une société numérique plus sûre.