Senior Manager, Data Innovation Studio

Location: Franklin, TN

Job Schedule: Hybrid 4 days week Onsite

Education Requirement: Bachelor’s Degree

Sponsorship: No 

Shape the Future of Mobility at Nissan: Launch Your Career, Drive Innovation

We are currently looking for a Senior Manager, Data Innovation Studio, to join our team in Franklin, TN.

The Senior Manager of the Data Innovation Studio leads Nissan’s experimentation and innovation environment, overseeing partnerships, pilot projects, and lab initiatives. This role evaluates and filters experiments, ensuring that high-potential, validated projects are transitioned to the Data Factory / Delivery team for industrialization and scaling. The manager also fosters collaboration with internal teams, vendors, and academic partners to promote innovation and accelerate data-driven solutions.

A Day in the Life:   

• Lead and manage the Partnership & Academic Outreach Analyst, Data Coaches, and iLab project teams.
• Oversee the ideation, evaluation, and execution of experiments within the Data Innovation Studio.
• Filter and validate lab projects based on ROI, business impact, and feasibility, ensuring only high-value initiatives move to the Data Factory.
• Collaborate closely with the Delivery / Data Factory team to ensure smooth handover of production-ready solutions.
• Build and maintain external partnerships with universities, vendors, and communities to drive innovation and talent pipelines.
• Promote a culture of experimentation, learning, and knowledge sharing across the innovation studio.
• Track outcomes, lessons learned, and impact of lab initiatives to inform strategy and continuous improvement.

Who We’re Looking for:

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree in Information Systems, Data Management, Business Administration, or related field.
• 10 + years of experience in data governance or related roles.
• 5 + years in managerial or leadership positions.
• Proven experience managing innovation labs, R&D, or experimentation programs in a technology-driven organization.
• Strong understanding of data science, analytics, and emerging technologies.
• Experience evaluating projects for business value, scalability, and operationalization.
• Excellent leadership, collaboration, and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to foster creativity, experimentation, and cross-functional collaboration.

What You’ll Look Forward to at Nissan:

Career Growth and Continuous Learning Opportunities: Benefit from diverse career paths, cross-departmental moves, and innovative learning platforms. Enhance your skills through seminars, leadership training, and tuition reimbursement programs, all while playing a vital role in shaping the future of transportation. From day one, you'll have the support to tackle challenges and contribute to impactful solutions across our organization.

Rewards: Be supported with a Comprehensive Benefits Package, including medical, mental health, parental leave, retirement savings & unique Nissan perks, including discounts on lease vehicles as part of our Employee Lease Program and a Vehicle Purchase Program (VPP). For more information, access our Nissan Benefits Overview Guide.

Nissan is committed to a drug-free workplace. All employment is contingent upon the successful completion of drug and background screenings in accordance with Nissan policies and in compliance with federal, state, and local laws, including the California Fair Chance Act and the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance. Nissan will consider qualified candidates with arrest or conviction records for employment in a manner consistent with these laws.

It is Nissan’s policy to provide Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of race, gender, military status, disability, or any other status protected by law. Candidates for this position must be legally authorized to work in the United States and will be required to provide proof of employment eligibility at the time of hire; Nissan uses E-Verify to validate employment eligibility.

NISSAN FOR EVERYONE

People are our most valuable assets, and diversity and inclusion are the key to maximizing the power of each individual member of our team.  When everyone belongs, the power of NISSAN is undeniable.  Our Corporate Diversity Initiative aims to improve business results by ensuring that our workplace and core businesses meet the unique needs of our employees and customer base.

Nissan is committed to creating a culture where everyone belongs and employees, customers, and partners feel respected, valued, and heard.  We have over 10 Business Synergy Teams (BSTs) across the U.S. and Canada that connect employees – with shared characteristics or interests – build allies, and foster a company culture where all employees feel supported and included.

Nissan also values inclusion in all areas of our business as we strive to mirror the diversity of our customer base and the communities where we do business. We are committed to procuring innovative goods and services, retailing our products and communicating from a diverse perspective which will help us continue to offer our customers competitively designed, market-driven products.

Join us as we carry our commitment to diversity and inclusion into the future.