LEAD - Engineering Innovation & Operations

Role Overview

REACT is seeking a highly driven technical leader to guide product development, manage operational execution, mentor student innovators, and build a strong interdisciplinary technology pipeline. The ideal candidate should combine engineering depth, operational discipline, startup experience, and a strong sense of ownership. This role requires someone who can treat REACT like their own venture, ensuring both technical excellence and smooth day-to-day operations across multiple domains.

Key Responsibilities :

Technical Leadership & Innovation :

• Mentor students, fellows, faculty teams, and early-stage startups in prototype development, engineering validation, and technical problem-solving.

• Lead product development across domains such as mechanical, electrical, software, materials, energy, or any relevant technical area.

• Design and review experiments, lab tests, MVPs, and proof-of-concepts.

• Collaborate closely with the Social Innovation Lead to ensure solutions are socially viable, ethical, and field-aligned.

• Build and manage a network of technical mentors, industry partners, and innovation experts.

• Guide TRL progression, product refinement, and technical roadmap.

Operational Leadership:

• Oversee day-to-day operations related to REACT labs, equipment, schedules, student workflows, and project logistics.

• Ensure smooth functioning of fabrication spaces, testbeds, and field environments.

• Coordinate procurement, inventory, equipment maintenance, documentation systems, and safety protocols.

• Manage task allocation, progress tracking, and operational milestones for students and internal teams.

• Support execution logistics for field immersions, deployments, exhibitions, demo days, and reviews.

• Work with institutional offices for approvals, budgeting, reporting, and compliance.

Project & Ecosystem Execution:

• Contribute to writing grant proposals, project pitches, and funding applications for technical projects.

• Lead or support the execution of funded R&D, innovation, or CSR-linked technical projects.

• Represent REACT within the engineering, academic, startup, and innovation ecosystem.

• Integrate social insights into engineering designs to ensure real-world adoption.

Required Qualifications :

• A Master’s degree in Engineering, Technology, Science, or Mathematics is strongly preferred.

• Candidates with a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering/Technology/Science will also be considered if they have strong relevant experience in product development, innovation, or technical leadership.

• The candidate must hold at least one degree (Bachelor’s or Master’s) in a relevant technical discipline.

• Demonstrated ability to mentor student teams or lead technical projects is essential.

• Experience in operational management, lab/space coordination, or project execution will be considered a strong advantage.

Desirable Qualifications:

• PhD in Engineering or Technology.

• Experience in building or contributing to a startup.

• Experience leading government-funded, CSR-funded, or international R&D projects.

• Patents, publications, or product conversions.

• Exposure to interdisciplinary or community-based engineering work.

• Experience managing labs, makerspaces, or engineering operations.

Essential Traits:

• Strong ownership mindset; ability to run REACT as if it were their own venture.

• High adaptability, operational discipline, and problem-solving ability.

• Ability to collaborate across disciplines and manage diverse teams.

• Strong communication and networking skills.

• Commitment to meaningful field-based and socially relevant innovation.