About Lowe’s & Catalyze
Lowe’s is a Fortune-100 home improvement leader, serving millions of customers across the US . Lowe’s India is our global capability centre, building next-gen technology, data and business capabilities that power the enterprise.
Catalyze
Role Overview
Senior Manager – Innovation & Ventures (Catalyze)
techno-business leadership role
- Retail technology and product innovation
- Startup partnerships, pilots and venture investments
- Ecosystem building (VCs, accelerators, academia , corporates)
- Internal stakeholder management with senior tech and business leaders
You will own and drive key parts of the Catalyze charter , from startup sourcing and evaluation, to pilot design and execution, to building the partnerships engine and demand-generation motion for Catalyze.
What You Will Own & Drive
1. Problem Discovery and Solution Scoping
- Lead consultative workshops with internal stakeholders (business and technology teams) and external partners (startups, VCs, Academia, Accelerators and others) to identify and prioritize critical pain points and innovation opportunities at Lowes
- Collaborate with startups to define and document clear problem statements, solution requirements, and integration strategies
2. Venture pipeline & startup evaluation
- Build and manage a
strong, qualified pipeline
of retail-tech startups across key focus areas (AI/GenAI, e-commerce, supply chain, store tech, prop tech, etc.). - Conduct
first-level technology and business due diligence
, product walkthroughs, architecture and integration feasibility, scalability, security posture, and roadmap alignment. - Assess
strategic fit and commercial potential
for both partnerships and investments: value proposition, GTM model, traction, business model, and alignment to Lowe’s priorities. - Prepare
clear, insight-led assessments
and recommendations for internal leadership, including problem-solution mapping, impact hypothesis, and risk/mitigation views.
3. Pilot scoping, program management & ROI
- Work with internal product, tech, data and business teams to
identify real problems / opportunity areas
that can be addressed via startups. - Translate these into
well-scoped pilots / POCs
: objectives, success metrics, timelines, resource needs, and integration points. - Run
end-to-end program management
for startup pilots , governance, cadence, issue resolution, risk management, and stakeholder alignment. - Build
business cases and ROI stories
for impactful pilots (revenue, efficiency, experience, risk); support scale-up recommendations and hand-offs to owning teams.
4. Ecosystem partnerships (VCs, accelerators, academia, platforms)
- Build and nurture
strategic relationships
with VCs, CVCs, accelerators, incubators, and academic institutions to access high-quality deal flow and co-innovation opportunities. - Create
repeatable partnership models
(e.g., co-innovation programs, themed cohorts, challenge programs, demo days, joint research/PoV development). - Work closely with the Catalyze leadership to evaluate
co-investment opportunities
and participate in investment-related workflows with the corporate venture / finance / legal teams.
5. Internal stakeholder management & influence
- Act as a
trusted partner
to senior leaders across Product, Technology, Data, Operations and Business functions. - Shape and communicate
compelling narratives
that link startup solutions to Lowe’s strategic priorities and business outcomes. - Drive
cross-functional alignment
for pilots and partnerships – ensuring expectations, roles and responsibilities are clearly defined and governed.
6. Marketing, events & demand generation for Catalyze
- Partner with marketing / communications teams to
build Catalyze’s brand
in the global startup ecosystem. - Own and drive
flagship innovation events
(e.g., Innovation Xchange, ecosystem roundtables, themed showcases) end-to-end – from concept to curation to on-ground execution. - Design and run a
demand-generation engine
for Catalyze: open calls, curated outreach, themed scouting, thought-leadership content, and ecosystem engagement. - Represent Catalyze and Lowe’s at
external events, panels, and forums
, speaking credibly on innovation, retail technology, and startup collaboration.
Process Improvement and Program Management
- Drive continuous process improvement for the evaluation, selection, and execution of startups and solutions
- Implement best practices for managing innovation programs, ensuring efficiency and smooth execution of POCs
- Oversee reporting and communication to senior management, providing updates on progress, potential risks, and key milestones
8. Internal Innovation and Thought Leadership:
- Promote a culture of innovation within Lowe's by organizing paper presentations, masterclasses, workshops, hackathons, and other initiatives to engage and inspire employees
- Collaborate with Lowe’s business and technology teams to foster an innovation culture and drive idea generation within the company
9. Staying Ahead of the Curve:
- Continuously monitor and analyze industry trends, emerging technologies, and competitive landscape to identify new opportunities and inform Lowe's innovation strategy
- Disseminate knowledge and insights to internal stakeholders through reports, presentations, and workshops
Team Management:
- Lead a small team to execute strategic innovation initiatives and manage programs from discovery to implementation
- Provide guidance and support to team members in their professional development and growth, fostering a culture of collaboration and high performance
- Effectively delegate tasks, monitor progress, and provide constructive feedback
11. Communication and Reporting:
- Communicate effectively with leadership, cross-functional teams, and external partners, providing regular updates on progress, challenges, and opportunities
- Prepare and deliver executive-level presentations and reports, showcasing the impact and value of Catalyze initiatives
12. Ways of working & team leadership
- Bring
structure, urgency and discipline
to a lean, high-performing team with strong technical depth. - Mentor and upskill team members on
business acumen, stakeholder management, communication, and ecosystem engagement
. - Help evolve
frameworks, playbooks and operating models
so Catalyze can scale impact without losing agility.
What You Bring
Must-have experience
10+ years
of total experience, with a strong mix of:- Corporate innovation / startup partnerships / corporate venture OR
- Top-tier consulting / VC / accelerator experience with deep exposure to tech startups OR
- Product / business roles in high-growth B2B technology startups (bonus if in retail / commerce / SaaS / data/AI).
- Proven track record of
evaluating technology products and startups
for fit, feasibility, and business impact. - Hands-on experience in
designing and running pilots / POCs
, from scoping to execution to impact measurement. - Demonstrated ability to
work with senior stakeholders
(Director+ / VP / CXO level) and influence decisions with structured thinking and clear communication. - Experience in
ecosystem engagement
- VCs, accelerators, communities, academic programs, or similar.
Techno-business acumen
- Strong understanding of
modern technology stacks
, especially in areas like cloud, data/AI/GenAI, APIs/integration, and digital commerce. - Ability to
go deep enough with engineering teams
to understand constraints and integration considerations, while also speaking the language of business leaders
(P&L impact, CX, efficiency, risk).
Skills & attributes
Strategic and structured thinker
who can connect the dots between tech, business, and ecosystem dynamics.Excellent communication skills
: crisp writing, board-ready decks, and comfort presenting to senior leaders.- Strong
program management and execution muscle
: you can move complex, multi-stakeholder work from idea to impact. Partnership mindset
: long-term orientation, win–win thinking, and the ability to build trust quickly with startups and external partners.- High
ownership, curiosity and bias for action
: comfortable operating in ambiguity, building playbooks where none exist.
Good to Have
- Prior experience in
retail, e-commerce, or adjacent consumer sectors
. - Prior role in
corporate venture / CVC / fund / investment team
or exposure to early-stage investing. Engineering / technical degree
with an MBA or equivalent business qualification.- Experience working across
global markets (US / Europe / APAC)
.
Why This Role Matters
Catalyze is at an inflection point , with growing visibility, increasing startup and VC interest, and a clear mandate from leadership to drive impact at scale.
Senior Manager – Innovation & Ventures
technology, business, and ecosystems
