LEAD - Innovation and Development

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.

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