Job Application for Innovation Lead

About Cleo

At Cleo, we're not just building another fintech app. We're embarking on a mission to fundamentally change humanity's relationship with money. Imagine a world where everyone, regardless of background or income, has access to a hyper-intelligent financial advisor in their pocket. That's the future we're creating.

Cleo is a rare success story: a profitable, fast-growing unicorn with over $200 million in ARR and growing over 2x year-over-year. This isn't just a job; it's a chance to join a team of brilliant, driven individuals who are passionate about making a real difference. We have an exceptionally high bar for talent, seeking individuals who are not only at the top of their field but also embody our culture of collaboration and positive impact.

If you’re driven by complex challenges that push your expertise, the chance to shape something truly transformative, and the potential to share in Cleo’s success as we scale, while growing alongside a company that’s scaling fast, this might be your perfect fit.

The Role

As Innovation Lead, you’ll be at the forefront of driving Cleo’s diversification strategy, leading the discovery of high-impact New Bets that redefine our product offering and expand our revenue streams. You will thrive in ambiguity, marrying imaginative creativity with sharp strategic thinking to generate and validate ideas that have the potential to shape Cleo’s future.

This isn’t just about process—it’s about envisioning what’s next. You’ll be a creative powerhouse and a catalyst for innovation, bringing bold, unconventional ideas to life and fostering a culture of experimentation. Success in this role is measured by the strength and originality of the concepts developed, as well as their potential impact on Cleo's customers and business. A strong background in the consumer fintech ecosystem is essential, as you will need expert knowledge to drive developments that meet the evolving demands of our customers.

What You’ll Do

Develop deep understanding of user problems, the competitive landscape, and Cleo’s right to win in new spaces.
Run ideation and brainstorming sessions to generate early-stage concepts that can diversify Cleo’s product offering.
Engage with internal and external experts to sharpen thinking and improve the quality of concepts.
Collaborate with cross-functional partners (design, research, engineering, analytics, commercial) to shape and evolve ideas.
Map key assumptions and coordinate scrappy testing plans with research and analytics to validate early-stage concepts.
Build compelling, data-informed cases for why Cleo should invest in the concepts you’ve developed.
Challenge conventional thinking and surface bold ideas aligned with Cleo’s mission and customer needs.
Uncover Opportunities: Partner with Research and Product Marketing to identify unmet needs, whitespace, and emerging trends.
Develop and iterate on concepts with clear value propositions and a path to commercialisation.
Draw on the expertise of cross-functional teams to refine and strengthen ideas throughout the process.

Ideal Candidate

Visionary Thinking: You’re a creative force with an innate ability to generate and champion bold, transformative ideas.
Strategic Innovator: You combine imagination with sharp analytical thinking to identify opportunities and shape them into actionable strategies.
Thrives in Complexity: You excel in navigating unstructured environments, bringing clarity and focus to undefined challenges.
Dynamic Collaborator: You bring people together to co-create, driving alignment and inspiration across teams.
Customer-Centric Mindset: You deeply understand and empathise with customer needs, crafting ideas that deliver both delight and tangible value.
Proven Innovator: You have experience in consumer fintech 0→1 product development and have a track record of originating innovative concepts which drive to successful outcomes.
Action-Oriented: While you’re a dreamer, you’re also a doer, eager to translate big ideas into tangible, testable concepts.

What We’re Looking For

- A proven track record of originating and developing groundbreaking ideas that have led to impactful business outcomes.
- Exceptional communication and storytelling skills to inspire and align diverse stakeholders.
- A mix of creative instinct and rigorous problem-solving to balance boldness with feasibility.
- Deep experience in consumer-facing products (B2C); fintech experience is a must
- Familiarity with customer research, market analysis, and strategic validation methods.

Diversity and Inclusion

We strongly encourage applications from people of colour, the LGBTQ+ community, people with disabilities, neurodivergent people, parents, carers, and people from lower socio-economic backgrounds.

If there’s anything we can do to accommodate your specific situation, please let us know.

What’s the Process Like?

We aim to move as fast as possible. Usually 2-3 weeks is enough time for us all to get to know each other.

Step 1: 30 mins video call with a member of our Talent Team to find out more about your experience and why you’re potentially interested in Cleo.
Step 2: 1 hour with the Hiring Manager - Tom May, Product Director - New Ventures.
Step 3: Take home task interview, presented to two of our Product team
Step 4: 45 minutes each with two cross-functional peers

What do you get for all your hard work?

- A competitive compensation package (base + equity) with reviews every 8 months. You can view our public progression framework and salary bandings here: https://cleo-ai.progressionapp.com/ - This position is a PM4 level and we can pay £102,535 - £127,707 depending on experience.
- Work at one of the fastest-growing tech startups, backed by top VC firms like Sofina, Balderton & EQT Ventures.
- A clear progression plan. We want you to keep growing. That means trying new things, leading others, challenging the status quo and owning your impact. Always with our complete support.
- Flexibility: We treat you as humans first, employees second. Because we can’t fight for the world’s financial health, if we’re not healthy ourselves. This means all the usual perks but it also means flexibility. We take pride in being a flexible workplace that trusts our Cleople to deliver their best work, giving you the autonomy to structure your day around morning drop-offs to school or daily dog walks.
- Hybrid-first: Join our hybrid-first team, where we blend the best of both remote and in-office work. We expect our team members to be in our London office 1-2 times a week. On Thursdays, we buy you lunch but you can come to the office on whichever days work best for you!
- Other benefits;
  - 25 days annual leave a year + public holidays (+ an additional day for every year you spend at Cleo)
  - Check out our new benefits package here: https://web.meetcleo.com/blog/big-benefits-energy-the-latest-cleo-employee-benefits
  - 6% employer-matched pension in the UK
  - Company-wide performance reviews every 8 months e.g every 2 terms, in line with our termly cycles (Jan-April, May-Aug, Sept-Dec):
    - Generous pay increases for high-performers and high-growth team members
    - Equity top-ups for team members getting promoted
  - Private Medical Insurance via Vitality, dental cover, and life assurance
  - Enhanced parental leave
  - 1 month paid sabbatical after 4 years at Cleo
  - Regular socials and activities, online and in-person
  - We'll pay for your OpenAI subscription
  - Online mental health support via Spill
  - And many more!

Innovation Lead - Fintech