Head of Innovation Culture

The Innovation team exists to ensure Aviva is fit for the future by identifying emerging opportunities, building new capability, and embedding a culture of innovation across the organisation.

A bit about the job: This is a high-impact leadership role at the heart of Aviva's innovation agenda, responsible for helping the organisation stay fit for the future by identifying emerging opportunities, shaping new growth areas, and embedding a culture of innovation across the business. Reporting to the Group Innovation Director, you'll act as the front door for innovation within Aviva, leading ideation, early-stage exploration, and concept development across major business units and functions.

Working closely with senior leaders, strategy teams, and operational stakeholders, you'll translate market trends, customer needs, and strategic priorities into tangible innovation opportunities, new propositions, emerging distribution models, and future-facing capabilities. You'll champion innovation across the organisation through initiatives such as hackathons, idea campaigns, and structured experimentation, while building a strong pipeline of opportunities that can be progressed through Innovation Delivery, Partnerships, or external innovation channels.

Success in this role requires a commercially minded and highly collaborative leader who can navigate ambiguity, influence senior stakeholders, spot opportunities ahead of the market, and turn bold ideas into viable business outcomes that support Aviva's future growth.

Skills and experience we’re looking for:

• Experience leading innovation programmes and culture initiatives
• Understanding of financial services and evolving business models
• Awareness of market trends, customer expectations, and competitor activity
• Demonstrates strong senior-level stakeholder engagement, connecting internal business priorities with external innovation opportunities to deliver strategic value.
• Experience of corporate governance in a large listed and regulated company, understanding the risks faced and the controls required to manage and mitigate those risks, avoiding reputational risk to Aviva

What you’ll get for this role:

• Competitive starting salary
• Bonus opportunity – 25% of annual salary, (actual amount depends on your performance and Aviva’s.)
• Generous pension scheme e.g. if you put in 8%, Aviva adds 14%
• 29 days holiday plus bank holidays, and you can choose to buy or sell up to 5 days
• Aviva-funded Private Medical Benefit to help you get expert support when you need it
• Make your money go further – Up to 40% discount on Aviva products, and other retailer discounts
• Up to £1,200 of free Aviva shares per year through our Matching Share Plan and share in the success of Aviva with our Save As You Earn scheme
• Brilliantly supportive policies including parental and carer’s leave
• Flexible benefits to suit you, including sustainability options such as cycle to work
• Make a difference, be part of our Aviva Communities and use your 3 paid volunteering days to help others
• We take your wellbeing seriously with lots of support and tools

Aviva is for everyone: We’re inclusive and welcome everyone – we want applications from all backgrounds and experiences. Excited but not sure you tick every box? Even if you don’t, we would still encourage you to apply. We also consider all forms of flexible working, including part time and job shares. We flex locations, hours and working patterns to suit our customers, business, and you. Most of our people are smart working – spending at least 50% of their time in our offices every week, combining the benefits of flexibility, with time together with colleagues.

To find out more about working at Aviva take a look here. We would love it if you could submit your application online. If you require an alternative method of applying, or if you have any queries in relation to the vacancy, please email kitti.majer@aviva.com.