Director, Unum Labs

Unum Group Innovation Leader

When you join the team at Unum, you become part of an organization committed to helping you thrive. Here, we work to provide the employee benefits and service solutions that enable employees at our client companies to thrive throughout life's moments. And this starts with ensuring that every one of our team members enjoys opportunities to succeed both professionally and personally. To enable this, we provide :

• Award-winning culture
• Inclusion and diversity as a priority
• Performance Based Incentive Plans
• Competitive benefits package that includes : Health, Vision, Dental, Short & Long-Term Disability
• Generous PTO (including paid time to volunteer!)
• Up to 9.5% 401(k) employer contribution
• Mental health support
• Career advancement opportunities
• Student loan repayment options
• Tuition reimbursement
• Flexible work environments

All the benefits listed above are subject to the terms of their individual Plans.

With 10,000 employees helping more than 39 million people worldwide, every role at Unum is meaningful and impacts the lives of our customers. Whether you're directly supporting a growing family, or developing online tools to help navigate a difficult loss, customers are counting on the combined talents of our entire team. Help us help others, and join Team Unum today!

General Summary

This position is responsible for discovering and driving innovative solutions that help drive the Unum Group long-term growth strategy. The leader in this role will develop and manage an enterprise innovation framework, manage and own associated governance models, lead internal and external business engagement opportunities, help coordinate and drive execution, manage their own fund / budgets, and take on additional responsibilities as needed. The incumbent will work closely with external partners and effectively bridge the gap between entrepreneurs and internal business teams. The leader in this role will require a solid understanding of our franchise business models and have a strong network of relationships across the Unum ecosystem. They will be instrumental in making sure investments align with our financial and P&L strategy and provide a strong ROI.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

Strategic Alignment & Opportunity Identification

Support Unum Group's enterprise strategic priorities by identifying, analyzing, and addressing complex business challenges.

Ensure innovation initiatives align with Unum Group's overall growth strategy and corporate goals.

Explore and assess new business opportunities within Unum and the broader market, including adjacent industries and emerging macro trends (regulatory, technological, economic, social, and demographic).

Startup Engagement & Ecosystem Development

Source, evaluate, and prioritize startup opportunities through competitive research, market analysis, and entrepreneur engagement.

Manage relationships with founders and investors, including day-to-day consulting with startups on business structure, roadmap, and partnership potential.

Handle due diligence efforts for potential portfolio additions.

Innovation Analysis & Business Case Development

Analyze emerging technologies, business models, and markets to identify strategic opportunities.

Assess potential revenue and profit impacts of innovative ideas and evaluate them against associated costs.

Build comprehensive business cases and strategic theses to support concept testing and investment decisions.

Internal Collaboration & Communication

Develop and maintain a strong internal network to validate concepts, support innovation frameworks, and drive opportunity assessments.

Prepare and deliver presentations to senior leadership and the Board of Directors as needed.

Operational Management

Own team-wide reporting

Manage to a defined budget

Mentor junior team members

Job Specifications

Bachelor's Degree required, MBA preferred

Unum experience preferred. Employee benefits preferred

7+ years experience in business strategy, innovation, working with startups, Venture Capital, or consulting; or equivalent relevant work experience

Comfortable working at all levels in the organization from the C-suite to business unit professionals

Assimilate and adapt to Unum's culture while managing change using strong influencing skills, while operating in a new / unfamiliar environment, and working effectively within a highly matrixed organization.

Knowledge of the basic economics of financial services & business services companies

Focused on quick results and fast turnaround.

Very strong problem structuring and analytical skills

Very strong modeling and presentation writing skills

Very strong verbal and written communication skills

Superior project management skills; strong collaborator

Fast paced; comfortable with tight deadlines, fast turnaround times and ambiguity

Travel Requirements

Travel requirements vary significantly based on active project requirements and can be higher and lower throughout the year; estimated overall travel is 10-25%

Existing remote employees are eligible to apply

Unum and Colonial Life are part of Unum Group, a Fortune 500 company and leading provider of employee benefits to companies worldwide. Headquartered in Chattanooga, TN, with international offices in Ireland, Poland and the UK, Unum also has significant operations in Portland, ME, and Baton Rouge, LA - plus over 35 US field offices. Colonial Life is headquartered in Columbia, SC, with over 40 field offices nationwide. Unum is an equal opportunity employer, considering all qualified applicants and employees for hiring, placement, and advancement, without regard to a person's race, color, religion, national origin, age, genetic information, military status, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, or protected veteran status. The base salary range for applicants for this position is listed below. Unless actual salary is indicated above in the job description, actual pay will be based on skill, geographical location and experience. $89,900.00-$169,900.00 Additionally, Unum offers a portfolio of benefits and rewards that are competitive and comprehensive including healthcare benefits (health, vision, dental), insurance benefits (short & long-term disability), performance-based incentive plans, paid time off, and a 401(k) retirement plan with an employer match up to 5% and an additional 4.5% contribution whether you contribute to the plan or not. All benefits are subject to the terms and conditions of individual Plans. Company : Unum