LEAD - Engineering Innovation & Operations

Role OverviewREACT 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.