Media Innovation Lab Manager

About the role

The Media Innovation Lab Manager will lead the strategic vision and day‑to‑day operations of the Media Innovation Lab at Media City Qatar. Reporting to senior leadership, the role shapes the lab’s agenda across research, experimentation and product development, acting as the primary institutional voice for media innovation in Qatar.

Key responsibilities

• Develop and drive a long‑term innovation strategy and roadmap aligned with MCQ’s objectives and media sector needs.
• Oversee formation and management of the Lab’s Innovation & Development teams, ensuring clear use‑case outcomes and measurable impact.
• Create a collaborative, agile environment that promotes cross‑functional experimentation and rapid iteration.
• Manage day‑to‑day Lab operations, including risk mitigation, resource allocation and budget oversight.
• Serve as the primary liaison with senior stakeholders and external partners, representing the Lab publicly and institutionally.
• Identify emerging trends, technologies and opportunities relevant to the media ecosystem.
• Define and track KPIs that measure the Lab’s output, team performance and strategic impact.

Required profile

• 12–16 years of experience in strategic innovation, venture building or cross‑functional leadership, preferably in media, technology or creative industries.
• Bachelor’s degree in business, design, technology, media or a related field; Master’s degree is a plus.
• Proven track record of building, scaling and sustaining innovation labs, R&D units or venture‑style teams with measurable outcomes.
• Well‑connected within the Qatari and GCC public sector with an established network of industry leaders and institutional partners.
• Experience developing and executing long‑term strategic roadmaps that align organisational goals with market opportunities.
• Strong command of innovation frameworks, agile methodologies and human‑centred design principles.
• Solid understanding of the media sector landscape, emerging technologies and digital transformation trends.
• Demonstrated ability to manage budgets, mitigate operational risk and optimise resources at a program or organisational level.

Required skills

• MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook)
• Azure AI
• ChatGPT / LLM platforms
• Miro
• Notion
• Jira
• Asana
• Power BI