Scouting Analyst
US-IL-Bloomington
Careers (External)
Req #: 44258
Type: Regular Full Time
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Overview: Being good neighbors - helping people, investing in our communities, and making the world a better place - is who we are at State Farm. It is at the core of how we operate and the reason for our success. Come join a #1 team and do some good! Responsibilities: The Scouting & Trends Team learns about the latest startups and trends by networking with founders, venture capitalists, and other thought leaders who are pioneering these technologies. These insights are then synthesized with secondary research-such as trend analyses and market scans-that the team also conducts. The team shares these findings across the organization, and this "peek around the corner" equips and empowers internal teams (e.g., State Farm Ventures) to benefit from these impactful solutions. Key Responsibilities Research and Analyze Opportunities * Monitor emerging technology trends and analyze startup pitch materials, profiles, customer traction, fundraising history, and comparable companies * Translate insights into actionable recommendations and market opportunities for key stakeholders. * Identify New Opportunities: Assess potential impact on business priorities, customer value, and strategic capabilities for potential Proof of Concept tests or venture investment. Relationship Building & Ecosystem Engagement * Build and Maintain Relationships: Develop and sustain strong relationships across the organization and the broader innovation ecosystem (e.g., startups, accelerators, incubators, and universities). * Represent State Farm within the startup and external tech ecosystems in a professional manner, helping identify potential opportunities. Project Leadership * Produce Action-Oriented Deliverables: Lead or contribute to trends reports, market scans, and other complex outputs for both technical and non-technical audiences. * Manage competing priorities across research, developing reports, stakeholder requests and other projects while maintaining quality and responsiveness. * Manage Proof of Concept (PoC) Projects: Coordinate end-to-end PoC activities with key stakeholders, including defining objectives, setting up test environments, aligning solution providers and internal teams, and enabling stakeholders to demo startup capabilities. Qualifications: Required Skills/Qualifications * 3-5 years of experience required. * Bachelor's degree in business, finance, economics, engineering, data analytics, or a related field. * Solid understanding of technology trends, startup ecosystems, business processes, and enterprise innovation. * Curiosity and eagerness to learn about emerging technologies, startups, insurance, and corporate venture capital; and the ability to share findings with key stakeholders. * Ability to synthesize complex information into concise, executive-ready insights and recommendations. * Demonstrated project management skills, including the ability to manage multiple priorities, deadlines, and stakeholders. * Excellent relationship-building and networking abilities across internal and external stakeholders. * Strong judgment, initiative, and comfort working with ambiguity. * Strong associative thinking: Ability to identify and explore potential opportunities arising from emerging technology trends and startup solutions, and assess their relevance to insurance. * Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to prepare clear reports, presentations, memos, and leadership updates. Preferred Qualifications * Familiarity with insurance, financial services, fintech, Insurtech, AI, climate resilience, mobility, or other deep tech domains is a plus. * Experience using AI tools, market intelligence platforms, startup databases, or data visualization tools to support research and analysis. * Experience preparing market maps or other market intelligence and insights is a plus. * Experience developing new product ideas or tech commercialization is a plus. Items of Note * Travel: May be required to travel overnight via commercial transportation and/or driving a vehicle to conduct/attend training, conferences, meetings and/or seminars. * Flexible Work Schedule: May be required to work flexible, non-standard hours, including weekends and holidays, based on operational needs and workload.
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