Who Are We?

Taking care of our customers, our communities and each other. That’s the Travelers Promise. By honoring this commitment, we have maintained our reputation as one of the best property casualty insurers in the industry for over 170 years. Join us to discover a culture that is rooted in innovation and thrives on collaboration. Imagine loving what you do and where you do it.

Operations

Compensation Overview

The annual base salary range provided for this position is a nationwide market range and represents a broad range of salaries for this role across the country. The actual salary for this position will be determined by a number of factors, including the scope, complexity and location of the role; the skills, education, training, credentials and experience of the candidate; and other conditions of employment. As part of our comprehensive compensation and benefits program, employees are also eligible for performance-based cash incentive awards.

Salary Range

$161,400.00 - $266,300.00

1

Travelers is seeking a Senior Director of Innovation Ecosystem & Partnerships to bring an outside-in perspective and accelerate innovation through external partners. In this role, you will lead engagement with venture capital firms, accelerators, startups, universities, and research partners—identifying and advancing opportunities that align with Travelers’ strategic priorities.

The ideal candidate combines a strong external network with deep insurance knowledge and excels at connecting internal business needs to emerging solutions. You will champion pilots with startups and translate new technologies into measurable business value for the enterprise

What Will You Do?

Ecosystem Leadership & Scouting

•    Build and manage relationships with VCs, accelerators/incubators, and academic research partners.
•    Identify and prioritize startups and technologies aligned to Travelers’ strategic objectives.
•    Maintain a transparent pipeline of external opportunities mapped to enterprise priorities.
•    Represent Travelers at industry events, forums, and partner engagements.

Internal Matchmaking & Enablement

•    Partner with business leaders to articulate innovation needs and opportunity areas.
•    Facilitate introductions between Travelers teams and external innovators.
•    Organize demo days, showcases, and co-development workshops.
•    Ensure alignment and accountability for innovation initiatives across teams.

Strategic Insights & Storytelling

•    Research market, academic, and technology trends to inform strategy.
•    Synthesize ecosystem signals and industry shifts into insights for senior leadership.
•    Prepare executive briefings, innovation reports, and portfolio updates.

Pilot Execution

•    Lead end-to-end delivery of startup pilots and POCs—from identification through evaluation and handoff.
•    Collaborate with internal sponsors to define problem statements, KPIs, and ROI metrics.
•    Translate pilot outcomes into actionable insights and strategic recommendations.
•    Drive cross-functional teams to accelerate pilot design, execution, and evaluation.
 

What Will Our Ideal Candidate Have?

•    7–10 years in insurance, re/insurance, financial services, or adjacent sectors, with strong P&C knowledge.
•    Proven ability to influence senior leaders and align technical and non-technical audiences.
•    Comfortable navigating ambiguity and driving progress in evolving environments.
•    Exceptional research and analytical skills; ability to assess emerging technologies and synthesize insights.
•    Demonstrated success in innovation scouting, partnerships, and startup collaboration.
•    Hands-on experience leading pilots, POCs, or strategic collaborations.
•    Experience leading teams or cross-functional groups to deliver measurable outcomes.
•    Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s or MBA preferred
 

What is a Must Have?

• Bachelor's degree in business, marketing, economics, engineering, mathematics, statistics, or comparable analytical degree or equivalent
• Five years’ experience in strategy consulting, innovation, market research, project management, product management or related field
• Three years of people management.