Lead, Centre for Technology Transitions

About OMI Foundation:

OMI Foundation (OMI) is a new-age policy research and social innovation think tank developing knowledge frameworks at the intersection of mobility innovation and public good. Our interdisciplinary work is housed across four centres: The Centres for Future Mobility, Clean Mobility, Inclusive Mobility, and Technology Transitions. We develop evidence-based policy recommendations on the themes of sustainable urban mobility, electric mobility, energy and mobility, accessibility and inclusion, the future of work and platform economy, and AI and semiconductors, among others. With a new guiding philosophy, we are expanding our mandate beyond mobility to shape India's future in AI, semiconductors, clean energy, advanced air mobility, and strategic technologies.

About the Centre for Technology Transitions:

The Centre for Technology Transitions is OMI Foundation's dedicated platform to accelerate India's leadership in transformative technologies. It focuses on four domains:

1. Artificial Intelligence and Digital Public Infrastructure: Sovereignty, fairness, and applied deployment.
2. Semiconductors and Advanced Manufacturing: Supply chain resilience, design-to-fabrication pathways, and India's global positioning.
3. Clean Energy and Green Industrialisation: Battery ecosystems, green hydrogen, and circularity.
4. Frontier and Strategic Technologies: Advanced Air Mobility, defence-tech, and other critical innovation spaces.

The Centre will bridge research, deployment, and policy impact by working closely with government, industry leaders, academic institutions, and international partners.

Role Overview:

The Lead will help build OMI into a nationally and globally recognised platform. They will develop research, partnerships, and policy interventions that advance India's technology transitions in line with our guiding philosophy. The role requires a mix of intellectual leadership, executional agility, and strong stakeholder engagement.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Strategic Leadership:
   Shape the agenda of the Centre as well as the larger institution, aligning with OMI's broader philosophy and strategy.
2. Research & Policy:
   Lead high-quality research outputs - policy briefs, indices, roadmaps, and foresight reports, podcasts, panel discussions, conveniengs, among others.
3. Programme Development:
   Design initiatives, pilots, and convenings around emerging technologies.
4. Partnerships:
   Build and manage collaborations with government, industry, academia, and international institutions.
5. Public Engagement:
   Represent OMI at national and international forums, and contribute to thought leadership through media, publications, and convenings.
6. Institution Building:
   Grow the organisation, mentor researchers, and mobilise resources to scale programmes.

Skills and Qualifications:

1. 7-12 years of experience in policy research, technology strategy, or innovation ecosystems.
2. Master's degree or PhD in relevant fields.
3. Strong knowledge of one or more domains: AI, semiconductors, clean energy, frontier technologies.
4. Proven ability to shape policy and work with government stakeholders.
5. Experience in building programmes, partnerships, and research teams.
6. Ability to tackle complex problems with strategic solutions that consider economic, environmental, and social impacts, among others.
7. Excellent communication skills - both analytical writing and public speaking, with the ability to present findings and insights to both technical and non-technical audiences.
8. Entrepreneurial mindset: ability to work in a fast-paced, dynamic environment.
9. Strong collaborative skills to work effectively with internal teams and external stakeholders.
10. Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced environment.
11. A record of publications in leading journals would be advantageous.