Capgemini Invent / Synapse - Sr. Product Innovation & Strategy Manager
Capgemini
About Capgemini Invent
At Capgemini Invent, we believe difference drives change. As inventive transformation consultants, we blend our strategic, creative and scientific capabilities, collaborating closely with clients to deliver cutting-edge solutions. Join us to drive transformation tailored to our client's challenges of today and tomorrow. Informed and validated by science and data. Superpowered by creativity and design. All underpinned by technology created with purpose.
About the Synapse team
Synapse, a part of Capgemini Invent, is a product development consultancy working with the world’s most ambitious companies to envision, create, and launch breakthrough AI-powered intelligent products. Sitting at the intersection of hardware, embedded systems, and AI, we specialize in engineering-led innovation that transforms business and unlocks entirely new market categories.
Join an innovation team based in the heart of Silicon Valley at Capgemini’s global innovation hub, Mission Rock. We bring new human-centered products to market through close collaboration across three capability units: Synapse, frog, and AIE.
Product Innovation & Strategy at Synapse
The Product Innovation & Strategy team builds business value by connecting user needs, market trends, and client goals. We identify unmet customer needs and competitive opportunities, developing innovative and implementable product ideas. Our reason for being is to deliver a strategy that “ships,” with a particular focus on AI-driven and hardware-enabled innovation.
We work upstream in the product development lifecycle, framing opportunities through research, user insights, stakeholder alignment, and competitive analysis while maintaining line of sight to what is actually possible. We design and facilitate workshops to generate and evaluate early-stage concepts followed by multidisciplinary refinement, proofs of concept, and rapid prototyping. We prioritize the most promising ideas and assess them across user desirability, technical feasibility, sustainability, and business viability. Once vetted, we collaborate with engineering and other teams to further define, de-risk, and translate concepts into product requirements, design and engineering timelines, and product roadmaps, supporting development through manufacturing readiness.
YOUR ROLE
As a Product Innovation & Strategy Manager, you will play a pivotal role in guiding clients through the early stages of product development - from ideation to impact.
Opportunity Framing & Concept Development
· Lead client engagements focused on identifying new product and service opportunities across AI and physical technologies.
· Conduct market research, trend analysis, and competitive benchmarking to uncover strategic opportunity areas.
· Lead client interviews to identify business goals, pain points, and unmet user needs.
· Facilitate ideation workshops to co-create innovative product and service concepts.
· Develop and downselect product concepts using our desirability-feasibility-sustainability-viability framework.
· Visualize and communicate ideas using customer journey maps, service blueprints, and value proposition canvases.
· Develop GTM strategies and monetization models aligned with market and business dynamics.
Cross-Collaboration & Execution
· Collaborate with UX, Engineering, Project Management, Supply Chain, and Sustainability to refine and de-risk concepts.
· Design and lead early-stage validation sprints, including assumption mapping, customer testing, and feedback loops to shape MVP direction.
· Work with project managers to create actionable plans for transition into prototyping and product development.
· Develop roadmaps for future products and features.
· Provide strategic support throughout the product lifecycle, from concept to market.
Commercial Development
· Support new client pitches and proposals and contribute to thought leadership to grow our reputation and brand awareness in this space.
· Support development of our commercial growth strategies to connect with new clients in need of this capability.
YOUR PROFILE
We would love to see a candidate with:
· Bachelor's degree in Business, Engineering, Design, or a related field; Masters degree (MBA, Master's in Design Strategy) is a plus.
· 7+ years of experience in strategy consulting, corporate innovation, product management, product marketing, design research, or a related field.
· Proven experience leading ideation and innovation processes with a track record of identifying successful new opportunities.
· Excellent facilitation and storytelling skills, with the ability to engage stakeholders from C-suite to technical teams.
· Demonstrated experience in market research, competitive analysis, and GTM strategy.
· Strong analytical skills, with the ability to synthesize complex information into clear strategies and product concepts.
· Proficiency in innovation tools and methodologies, such as design thinking, Lean Startup, and agile frameworks.
· Ability to work independently and collaboratively with strategy, design, and engineering teams in a fast-paced environment.
· A passion for technology and innovation in the AI-powered physical product space.
· Experience with sustainable product design is a plus.
· To better understand your thinking and approach, we ask that candidates share a portfolio of past work as part of the interview process.
WHAT YOU’LL LOVE ABOUT WORKING HERE?
Empowerment: At Capgemini Invent, we:
· Lead the change and take initiative
· Find the work-life balance that suites us
· Craft or own path through learning and career development programs
Energy: At Capgemini Invent, we:
· Connect as a global community of 13,000+ colleagues worldwide
· Celebrate our diverse perspectives and draw from strength from our differences
· Have fun by providing a range of clubs, events and get togethers to celebrate our wins and successes
Experiences: At Capgemini Invent, we:
· Work internally and with clients to make a difference
· Push boundaries to reimagine what’s possible
· Work to build a more sustainable and inclusive future
NEED TO KNOW
Capgemini is an Equal Opportunity Employer encouraging diversity in the workplace. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, national origin, gender identity/expression, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, genetics, veteran status, marital status or any other characteristic protected by law.
This is a general description of the Duties, Responsibilities and Qualifications required for this position. Physical, mental, sensory or environmental demands may be referenced in an attempt to communicate the manner in which this position traditionally is performed. Whenever necessary to provide individuals with disabilities an equal employment opportunity, Capgemini will consider reasonable accommodations that might involve varying job requirements and/or changing the way this job is performed, provided that such accommodations do not pose an undue hardship.
Click the following link for more information on your rights as an Applicant: http://www.capgemini.com/resources/equal-employment-opportunity-is-the-law
ABOUT CAPGEMINI
Capgemini is a global business and technology transformation partner, helping organizations to accelerate their dual transition to a digital and sustainable world, while creating tangible impact for enterprises and society. It is a responsible and diverse group of 340,000 team members in more than 50 countries. With its strong over 55-year heritage, Capgemini is trusted by its clients to unlock the value of technology to address the entire breadth of their business needs. It delivers end-to-end services and solutions leveraging strengths from strategy and design to engineering, all fueled by its market leading capabilities in AI, cloud and data, combined with its deep industry expertise and partner ecosystem. The Group reported 2023 global revenues of €22.5 billion.
Capgemini discloses salary range information in compliance with state and local pay transparency obligations. The disclosed range represents the lowest to highest salary we, in good faith, believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting, although we may ultimately pay more or less than the disclosed range, and the range may be modified in the future. The disclosed range takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including, but not limited to, geographic location, relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, seniority, performance, sales or revenue-based metrics, and business or organizational needs. At Capgemini, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for their role. The base salary range for the tagged location is $160,000 to $210,000 This role may be eligible for other compensation including variable compensation, bonus, or commission. Full time regular employees are eligible for paid time off, medical/dental/vision insurance, 401(k), and any other benefits to eligible employees. Note: No amount of pay is considered to be wages or compensation until such amount is earned, vested, and determinable. The amount and availability of any bonus, commission, or any other form of compensation that are allocable to a particular employee remains in the Company's sole discretion unless and until paid and may be modified at the Company’s sole discretion, consistent with the law.
