Head of Ecosystem and Innovation Management

Purpose of this position / Position summary

The VTS organization has traditionally concentrated on developing and selling devices to our customers, serving as a crucial enabler to open, stabilize, and expand our business relationships. However, evolving market trends now demand holistic, end-to-end solutions to remain competitive in an industry experiencing significant consolidation. In response to these changing requirements, we are adjusting our objectives and organizational structure to form the new VTS (VCS). This transformation necessitates an expanded role that goes beyond device sales, encompassing comprehensive solutions that address our customers' needs from start to finish

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It is a strategic ownership position with the mandate, resources, and accountability to shape what ZEISS Vision Care Solutions brings to market — globally, across medical and consumer categories — and to ensure those products wi

n.1 · Global Portfolio Strategy & Market-Product F

• itDefine and own the global product portfolio strategy for VCS across all solution categories: ophthalmic diagnostic devices (hardware), in-store workflow software, online consultation platforms, consumer-facing digital products, and hybrid solution
• s.Continuously validate the entire portfolio against global market requirements, clinical needs, regulatory landscapes, and business objectives — ensuring market-product fit is not assumed but actively demonstrate
• d.Establish and maintain a rolling Global Product-Market Fit Assessment framework, integrating signals from Country Success Managers, Pillar 2 (Customer & Market), Pillar 1 (Business Performance), and external market researc
• h.Define portfolio entry points, positioning, and sequencing strategies across price tiers and geographies — balancing premium innovation with accessible solutions for price-sensitive markets (e.g., India, SEA, Eastern Europe
• ).Ensure the portfolio covers both regulated medical device categories (requiring FDA 510(k), CE MDR) and non-medical consumer and customer-facing digital products — applying appropriate development and lifecycle standards to eac

h.2 · Solution Category Manager Coordination & Leadersh

• ipLead, coordinate, and develop all Solution Category Managers (SCOs) across VCS product domains: Optometric (refraction, centration), Eye Health & Myopia Management, VisionCare Platform, Connectivity & Insights, and emerging categorie
• s.Establish a consistent operating rhythm across SCOs: shared prioritisation frameworks, common product requirements formats, aligned roadmap governance, and cross-category dependency managemen
• t.Ensure every SCO operates with validated market evidence — not internal assumptions — as the basis for product decisions, requirements definition, and roadmap prioritisatio
• n.Drive cross-category coherence: ensure that hardware, software, and platform solutions are designed to work together as an integrated ecosystem, rather than as isolated point solution
• s.Serve as the escalation point for SCO-level trade-offs involving regulatory constraints, resource conflicts, or strategic alignment question

s.3 · Product Lifecycle Management & Commercial Accountabili

• tyOwn the full lifecycle of all VCS products — from validated concept and development entry through launch, growth, optimisation, and end-of-life — ensuring each phase is managed with commercial intentionalit
• y.Define and enforce product lifecycle governance: clear gates, decision criteria, and accountability for portfolio rationalisation, portfolio renewal, and phase-out of legacy product
• s.Drive portfolio contribution to revenue growth and market penetration: set product-level revenue targets in collaboration with Pillar 1 (Business Performance), and hold SCOs accountable for lifecycle-stage KPI
• s.Ensure a healthy portfolio balance across the innovation horizon — Horizon 1 (core, current), Horizon 2 (adjacent, near-term), and Horizon 3 (future options) — in coordination with the Innovation Management functio
• n.Manage post-market surveillance and product performance tracking; use commercial and clinical data to inform product iteration, pricing strategy, and lifecycle acceleration or deceleration decision

s.4 · Innovation Management Leadersh

• ipLead the Innovation Management function (VIS-VII) as an integrated element of Pillar 3, ensuring a systematic and evidence-based pipeline from market signal intake through prototype validation to development handove
• r.Build and maintain the VCS Research Repository and innovation signal network, integrating consumer, clinical, market, and technology intelligence across VCS's global design market
• s.Chair or co-chair the Innovation Review Board; drive Desirability / Feasibility / Viability (DFV) prioritisation decisions with active regulatory and quality involvemen
• t.Ensure validated innovations transition cleanly into the product development process with complete evidence packages, regulatory assumptions, and aligned resources — eliminating the gap between innovation and executio
• n.Represent VCS in external innovation partnerships, ecosystem alliances, academic collaborations, and industry forums (e.g., trade congresses, CCOI, start-up ecosystems, OEM/technology partners

).5 · Time-to-Market Acceleration Across All Categori

• esEstablish and continuously optimise time-to-market processes across all product categories — adapting development approaches to the specific constraints of medical device regulation (FDA, CE MDR) and consumer digital product cycle
• s.Drive parallel workstreams where possible: regulatory submission, clinical validation, go-to-market preparation, and commercial readiness should progress concurrently, not sequentiall
• y.Define and manage launch readiness frameworks in close coordination with Pillar 2 (Consultation Solutions & Customer Success) and VIS-VO (Roll-out, Service & Operations
• ).Identify and systematically remove time-to-market blockers: regulatory ambiguity, unclear requirements, development dependencies, and go-to-market misalignmen
• t.Apply agile-compatible development methodologies where appropriate, particularly for software and digital product categories, without compromising regulatory compliance in medical device categorie

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6 · Business Requirements Validation & Market Intellige

• nceDefine the standards and cadence for ongoing business requirements validation — ensuring product decisions are anchored in current, evidence-based market intelligence, not historical assumptio
• ns.Coordinate with Country Success Managers and regional teams to capture real-time market signals, competitive intelligence, and customer adoption patterns across priority geographi
• es.Translate business requirements into structured product briefs for SCOs and the development organisation — maintaining a clear chain of traceability from market insight to product feature to commercial outco
• me.Maintain competitive intelligence capability: systematic monitoring of competitor products, regulatory submissions, pricing moves, and technology partnerships relevant to VCS's portfolio domai

ns.7 · Cross-Pillar Collaboration & Executive Communicat

• ionServe as the primary interface between Pillar 3 product activities and Pillar 1 (Business Performance), Pillar 2 (Consultation Solutions & Customer Success), VIS-VO (Operations), and the Head of V
• CS.Provide regular, transparent portfolio status reporting to the VCS Leadership Team — including pipeline health, time-to-market performance, revenue contribution by product, and strategic risk fla
• gs.Represent Pillar 3 in VCS governance bodies, ZEISS Group product committees, and relevant regulatory or standards bodi
• es.Build and maintain senior relationships with key customers, key opinion leaders (KOLs), and strategic partners — using these relationships to validate portfolio direction and create market pull for new solutio

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Requirem

ent Professional Backgr

• oundMinimum 10 – 15 years of progressive international experience in product management, portfolio management, or product strategy — with significant seniority in a global leadership r
• ole.Demonstrated track record of owning and driving commercial product portfolio performance — including revenue growth accountability — in an international, matrixed environm
• ent.Significant experience in a global medical device company: deep familiarity with regulated product development processes (FDA 510(k), CE MDR, ISO 13485), clinical evidence generation, and lifecycle management in a compliance-driven environm
• ent.Experience in a global consumer-facing technology or digital health company is a strong differentiator — bringing agility, user-centricity, and digital product velocity to complement medical device rig
• our.Proven ability to lead and develop high-performing, multidisciplinary product teams across geographies and time zo
• nes.Track record of driving time-to-market improvement across diverse product categories without compromising quality or regulatory integr
• ity.Experience managing product portfolios that span hardware and software, and ideally include both regulated medical and non-medical consumer digital produ