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.
Our Benefits
Because work-life balance is a priority at State Farm, compensation is based on our standard 38:45-hour work week!
Potential starting salary range: $80,600 - $123,000
- Starting salary will be based on skills, background, and experience
- High end of the range limited to applicants with significant relevant experience
Potential yearly incentive pay up to 15% of base salary
At State Farm, we offer more than just a paycheck. Check out our suite of benefits designed to give you the flexibility you need to take care of you and your family!
- Get Paid! On top of our competitive pay, you are eligible for an annual raise and bonus.
- Stay Well! Focus on you and your family’s health with our robust health and wellbeing programs. State Farm pays most of your healthcare premium, and we offer multiple healthcare plan options, including a high deductible plan. All medical plans provide 100% coverage for in-network preventative care, AND you and your family have access to vision, dental, telemedicine, 24/7 mental health professionals, and much more!
- Develop and Grow! Take advantage of educational benefits like industry leading training programs, top-notch tuition assistance programs, employee resource groups, and mentoring.
- Plan Ahead! Plan for those big moments in life with benefits like fertility/IVF/adoption assistance, college coaching, national discount programs, interactive monthly financial workshops, free financial coaching, and more. You can also start a savings account or consider financing through our State Farm Federal Credit Union!
- Take a Little “You” Time! You will have access to our generous time off policies designed so you can plan around holidays, family events, volunteering, or just to take a relaxing day off. With the opportunity to initially earn up to 20 days annually plus parental leave, paid holidays, celebration day, life leave (40 hours/year), bereavement leave, and community service/education support days, there will be plenty of time for you!
- Give Back! We offer several ways to give back through our Matching Gift Program, Good Neighbor Grant Program, and the Employee Assistance Fund.
- Finish Strong! Plan for retirement using free financial advisors and a 401(k) plan with company contributions of up to 7% of your salary.
Visit our **State Farm Careers** page for more information on our **benefits**, **locations**, and the **hiring process** of joining the State Farm team!
Hybrid: Qualified candidates (in or near hub locations listed below) should plan to spend some time working from home and some time working in the office as part of our hybrid work environment. Hub locations: Los Altos, CA or Bloomington, IL Sponsorship: Applicants are required to be eligible to lawfully work in the U.S. immediately; employer will not sponsor applicants for U.S. work authorization (e.g. H-1B visa) for this opportunity. For California candidates: Potential salary range: $100,750 – $153,750 Potential yearly incentive pay: up to 15% of base salary Competitive Benefits, including:
- 401k Plan
- Health Insurance
- Dental/Vision plans
- Life Insurance
- Paid Time Off
- Annual Merit Increase
- Tuition Reimbursement
- Health Initiatives
For more details, visit our benefits summary page.