Innovation Manager (m/w/d)

About Us

Ready to rock the future with us? At Hellmann we put our people at the heart of everything we do, because for us, relationship matters. Joining us does not just mean becoming part of a global company. It is an invitation to shape the future of the logistics industry together with us. Our Hellmann culture is based on our four values: Caring, Entrepreneurial, Forward-Thinking and Reliable. These values resonate with yours? Then become part of our FAMILY that consists of around 10.000 employees in more than 200 locations worldwide.

For the better. Together.

We are seeking an Innovation Manager / Venture Clienting to drive impactful new products, services, and business models from conception to productive rollout — with a sharp focus on AI and Agentic AI use cases in Operations, Customer Service and Corporate Functions. You will scout the most relevant AI and LogTech startups globally and dock them onto Hellmann, sharpen our Venture Clienting playbook as a strategic instrument — from use case identification to productive rollout — and set up pilots that do not die in the demo phase but actually scale. You will partner closely with business units and corporate functions to understand pain points, identify the most promising opportunities, and lead cross-functional teams through rapid prototyping, validation and refinement. For initiatives showing clear value potential, you will develop business cases, model financial impact, and craft go-to-market strategies to scale them across the organization.

About the Job

Scout the most exciting AI and LogTech startups globally and dock them onto Hellmann via structured Venture Clienting

Set up pilots that actually scale: drive AI and Agentic AI initiatives through rapid prototyping, validation and de-risking into productive operations

Co-manage the innovation pipeline from ideation to implementation, aligned with customer needs and key strategic search fields

Partner with business units and corporate functions to understand pain points, identify innovation opportunities and develop a robust pipeline

Lead cross-functional teams through prototyping, testing and structured experimentation to validate and refine innovative concepts

Develop business cases, model financial impact and plan go-to-market strategies for validated concepts

Establish and curate the relevant logistics and AI innovation ecosystem to continuously be at the frontier

Foster a culture of innovation across the organization through change management, capability building and storytelling

Collaborate globally with colleagues from Hamburg to Singapore — innovation at Hellmann is thought globally, not from one HQ

About You

Strategic vision and leadership abilities

Deep understanding of current AI and agent architectures, with the curiosity to stay at the frontier

Strong understanding of innovation processes and methodologies

Familiarity with the logistics industry and innovation ecosystems

Strong problem-solving skills to tackle complex challenges and come up with innovative solutions

Excellent communication and collaboration skills

Proven track record in driving innovation and/or transformation initiatives

Ability to identify and leverage emerging technologies and trends

Ability to navigate ambiguity and drive organizational change

Project management and organizational skills

Willingness to take risks, experiment with new ideas, and drive a culture of entrepreneurship within the innovation hub

Excellent communication and collaboration skills — comfortable presenting to operations, leadership, founders and investors alike

Pioneering mindset paired with hands-on mentality to deliver innovation projects that leverage innovative tech solutions solving operational logistics problems

Alignment with the values and mission of your innovation hub & Hellmann

About our Benefits

Hellmann Spirit: Culture focusing on people and relationships, networking with other students within the company

Work-life integration: Balancing work with your studies through flexible working hours and remote working

Health & wellbeing: Company fitness via Hansefit, mobile massage services, and a varied menu with new dishes every day in our canteen

Professional & personal development: Targeted onboarding, regular feedback and an open culture of learning from mistakes, personal support from the department, digital further education and training opportunities in our “LearningHub”

Modern equipment: Your own laptop, state-of-the-art office equipment

Inclusion and social diversity are firmly anchored values in our corporate culture. Regardless of gender, age, any disabilities, religion, ethnic origin or sexual identity: We are looking forward to meeting you!

If you are excited by this fantastic opportunity and have what it takes, then click APPLY!

Any open questions? Please feel free to contact our responsible Recruiter.

Viktoria Warkentin

+49 (1517) 4480984