LEAD - Innovation and Development (26/10/2025)

About the job Kumaraguru College of Technology is seeking a REACT Innovation and Development Lead to drive the end-to-end growth of REACT (Real-world Experience & Application through Collaborative Transformation) — our flagship field-based education and social innovation program. In this role, you’ll lead the journey from on-ground problem discovery to scalable solutions, building strong systems, partnerships, and impact pathways. You’ll work across education, industry, and community spaces to make REACT a living model of experiential, system-driven learning. Key Responsibilities Program & Project Operations - Lead the full REACT lifecycle: Pre-selection → Selection → Onboarding → Field Immersion → Problem Validation → Solution Development → Implementation. - Coordinate between students, mentors, and partner organizations to ensure seamless execution. - Maintain detailed documentation, dashboards, and progress tracking across all projects. Innovation & Solution Development - Work closely with field teams, engineers, and domain experts to turn validated problems into implementable prototypes and pilots. - Support testing, iteration, and scaling of solutions. - Map opportunities for funding, incubation, or commercialization of validated ideas. Strategic Planning & REACT Growth - Contribute to vision-building and system design for the next phase of REACT. - Develop frameworks, processes, and operational models for efficient project delivery. - Shape cross-theme strategies (e.g., Tech for Farmers, HealthTech, Sustainable Infrastructure). Partnerships & Ecosystem Development - Build and manage strong relationships with industry partners, NGOs, and experts. - Facilitate collaborations for field immersion, mentorship, and solution validation. - Represent REACT in institutional, corporate, and global innovation forums. Events, Communication & Visibility - Lead execution of events, showcases, and campaigns to highlight REACT’s impact. - Coordinate with communications teams for digital storytelling and outreach. - Ensure every event and publication aligns with the REACT brand and mission. Ideal Candidate Profile Experience (3–8 years) in: - Innovation ecosystems, startup incubators, R&D programs, or social impact initiatives - Project lifecycle management — from concept to field implementation - Building cross-sector partnerships (education–industry–community) - Managing technical or interdisciplinary teams You Bring: - Strong understanding of engineering or science-based projects and social systems - Proven ability to translate field challenges into practical, scalable solutions - Excellent coordination, communication, and stakeholder engagement skills - Financial and operational management capability - Self-driven, systems thinker who can work independently and build from scratch Educational Background - B.E./B.Tech in Engineering, or M.Sc in Science, Sustainability, or Environment - M.Des / M.Tech / MBA / MPP / MS in Innovation, Design, or Development fields preferred - Interdisciplinary profiles — tech + social + management — strongly encouraged - Exceptional self-taught or startup ecosystem professionals may also apply Why Join - Lead one of India’s most progressive education–innovation ecosystems. - Work directly with real-world problems and real communities. - Build a national model for field-based learning and social innovation. - Shape projects that move from campus to impact. #Innovation #Development #REACT #SocialImpact #Education #Engineering #SystemsThinking #Hiring #CoimbatoreJobs