Work Flexibility: Remote or Hybrid or Onsite
Position summary:
Leads Stryker’s Innovation Lab, responsible for scouting, experimenting with, and prototyping frontier technologies that can transform how the company operates and delivers value.
Serves as the bridge between emerging technology and business needs, turning disruptive ideas into validated proofs of concept and actionable roadmaps.
Partners with internal CoEs, business stakeholders, and external partners to accelerate innovation, reduce risk, and build competitive advantage.
Essential duties & responsibilities:
Technology Scouting: Identify and assess frontier technologies (AI, AR/VR, IoT, digital twins, etc.) with potential application to Stryker’s business.
Experimentation & Prototyping: Rapidly design and deliver prototypes and pilots to validate feasibility, business value, and scalability.
Partnerships & Ecosystem Engagement: Build relationships with startups, vendors, academia, and research institutions to co-develop innovations.
Business Co-Creation: Partner with business leaders and product teams to align innovation efforts with strategic priorities and pain points.
Transition to Scale: Define clear criteria and pathways for successful pilots to transition into enterprise platforms or business solutions.
Innovation Culture: Foster a culture of experimentation, curiosity, and creativity across ETS and the broader enterprise.
Thought Leadership: Represent Stryker at industry events and forums to share innovation stories and bring back insights.
Governance: Manage an innovation pipeline and track ROI, learnings, and scalability outcomes.
Education & special trainings:
Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university in Computer Science, Data Analytics, Business Analytics, Data Science, Computer Information Systems, a related technical field, or equivalent applicable experience is required
Master’s degree in Computer Science, Data Science, Engineering, Business Analytics, or a related field, or equivalent applicable experience, is preferred
Qualifications & experience:
12+ years of professional experience in technology, innovation, or product development in large global fortune 100 companies
At least 7+ years in leadership roles building or managing innovation programs, labs, or incubation functions.
Strong background in rapid prototyping, experimentation, and emerging technology evaluation.
Demonstrated ability to partner with business and IT to translate disruptive ideas into tangible outcomes.
Proven success in managing vendor/startup ecosystems and external partnerships.
Experience in regulated industries (healthcare, med-tech, pharma, life sciences) strongly preferred.
Familiarity with agile delivery, lean startup, and design thinking methodologies.
Physical & mental requirements:
Strong creativity, problem-solving, and strategic thinking skills.
Ability to simplify complex technology trends and communicate to executive and non-technical stakeholders.
Comfortable with ambiguity and risk-taking in pursuit of innovation.
Occasional travel required for partner engagement, industry events, and global alignment.
Must demonstrate resilience, curiosity, and an entrepreneurial mindset.
205,800.00 - 291,690.00 salary plus bonus eligible + generally eligible for short-term and long-term financial incentives + benefits. Individual pay is based on skills, experience, and other relevant factors.
Travel Percentage: 30%
Stryker Corporation is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, or protected veteran status. Stryker is an EO employer – M/F/Veteran/Disability.
Stryker Corporation will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information.