Position Summary:

The Director of Strategy and Innovation will be responsible for leading strategic projects and programs for NAR, including both the annual Innovation, Opportunity and Investment (iOi) Summit and the Strategic Think Tank. You will report to the Vice President of Strategy and Innovation in the Strategic Business, Innovation & Technology (SBIT) group and will own all aspects of both iOi and the Strategic Think Tank as well as other strategic projects. The Director will need to focus on continuing to establish and grow the iOi Summit as one of the real estate industry’s most influential and relevant conferences when it comes to the technology, capital and innovation driving the industry. You will also be responsible for creating a strategic think tank of senior executives to advise the CEO of National Association of Realtors® on technology and business trends impacting other industries across the globe. To be successful in this role, you will be a strategist, creative thinker, a self-starter, extremely detail-oriented, scrappy, passionate about technology and excited about the opportunity to drive innovation in one of the largest industries in the country. Finally, you must be results-oriented and have a proven track record of exceeding expectations throughout your career.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Manage the Strategy and Innovation team and their projects and output
• Create, grow and manage a Strategic Think Tank that represents a cross-section of world-class business and technology executives from Real Estate and adjacent industries that is relevant/active throughout the year
• Establish the iOi Summit as one of the industry’s premier annual events when it comes to innovation in the industry, emerging technology and thought leadership – both where it comes to attendance as well as the desire to speak at the conference
• Develop and maintain strategic relationships with executives at technology vendors, government agencies, national research laboratories, non-governmental organizations and
  university research labs tobuildpipeline for Think Tank membership
• Work closely with the Emerging Technology, REach and Second Century teams (as well as other relevant NAR groups) to understand/internalize emerging trends that are or may impact the real estate/housing market and the process of buying/selling properties
• Act as a primary face of NAR when it comes to showcasing NAR’s leadership in technology within the real estate industry and with adjacent industries
• Act as a primary face of NAR at state and local association meetings, industry conferences and in the press when it comes to technology and trends driving the real estate/housing market
• Act as resource for Second Century Ventures and REach assessing technology viability and scalability of portfolio companies and REach candidates
• Create and actively manage the Strategy and Innovation team budget
• Other duties, as assigned

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing, Business Administration, Computer Science or related field
• 6-8+ years of experience in a fast-paced environment with related experience in strategic thinking, management consulting, managing events or marketing programs
• Proven ability to develop, adapt, and manage long-term plans and business strategies to create value
• Existing knowledge of real estate and its adjacent industries including key constituents, the technology landscape, and marketplace dynamics is a plus
• Existing relationships with technology and business leaders across the real estate industry is a plus
• Ability to think in innovative ways to find solutions to problems
• Comfortable speaking in front of a large group or leading a small group
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and analytical skills including the ability to present design concepts clearly and persuasively
• Highly organized and possessing effective project management capabilities
• Comfortable with a variety of responsibilities and ability to effectively multi-task
• Ability to work efficiently and demonstrate a bias for action in a fast-paced, sometimes ambiguous environment
• Comfortable with minimal direction but high expectations
• Proven attention to detail that can be demonstrated through prior work experience.
• Strong customer relations and interpersonal skills with a high level of response to all inquiries
• Ability to travel up to 15-20%

The National Association of REALTORS® (NAR) is a team of professionals dedicated to providing world-class service to over 1 million REALTORS® working in the United States and around the world. The real estate industry is fast-paced and fast-changing--each year, our members participate in the sale, lease, and management of billions of dollars in real estate. As in every industry, our members’ value proposition is constantly being challenged by innovation.

It is our mission to help REALTORS® navigate that change and thrive in their careers. We cannot do that without the ideas, passion, and commitment from our talented employees. As our greatest assets, employees are offered their pick of competitive benefits/perks and flexible work options. Our most successful employees are committed to our Core Values, which are: