Innovation Program lead

Role Title: Innovation Catalyst & Hub Lead. 
Location: Bangalore (on-site with limited hybrid)

Purpose of the role

In its first phase, you will focus on bringing the physical Innovation & Collaboration Hub to life — translating the concept into a functional, inspiring environment. You’ll lead the space setup and design journey end-to-end: from zoning and layout planning to vendor discussions, budgeting, and on-ground execution.
Working with cross-functional teams, you’ll shape the identity of the Hub — defining how spaces like the AI Sandbox, Demo Theatre, Design Thinking Studios, and Partner Co-creation Bays come alive. In your first year, you’ll quite literally build the home of innovation at Syngene — imagining, designing, and activating spaces that inspire our people to think differently, collaborate deeply, and innovate boldly.

In the second phase, you will run the Innovation & Collaboration Hub as a world-class, always-on engine that converts promising ideas into business value—curating spaces, methods, tech, and partnerships (incl. CDS, AI Sandbox, Demo Theatre).

What you’ll own (evergreen responsibilities)

1. Space Design & Build-Out
   1. Vision to Reality: Translate the Innovation & Collaboration Hub concept into a physical environment that reflects Syngene’s ethos of science-led creativity.
   2. Zoning & Layout: Define spatial zones — AI Sandbox, Computational Data Services (CDS) Bay, Design-Thinking Studios, Demo Theatre, Partner Co-creation Zone, Innovation Lounge, and Exhibit Corridor.
   3. Consensus Building: Facilitate cross-functional discussions with R&D, IT, Admin, EHS, and Finance to align on zoning, priorities, and usage principles.
   4. Vendor & Partner Management: Engage architects, design consultants, contractors, and technology vendors. Lead design reviews, scope finalization, cost estimation, and compliance with safety and sustainability norms.
   5. Program Management: Drive the end-to-end build plan — timelines, budgets, procurement coordination, and risk mitigation. Ensure on-time readiness and smooth handover to operations.
   6. Design Ethos: Create a space that’s functional yet inspiring — open, modular, tech-enabled, and conducive to creative collaboration.
2. Hub Operations & Governance
   1. Develop and institutionalize operational SOPs covering space booking, access, safety, maintenance, and vendor SLAs.
   2. Build an agile governance framework for idea intake, pilot approval, and reporting.
   3. Coordinate with IT and Admin for AV, IoT, and digital scheduling systems.
   4. Ensure compliance with all EHS, data, and facility standards.
3. Innovation Portfolio & Pilot Management
   1. Create a structured funnel for idea submission, shortlisting, and pilot execution.
   2. Work with cross-functional squads to translate ideas into testable prototypes or process pilots.
   3. Define stage-gate metrics and value-capture models for each pilot.
   4. Track progress through dashboards — utilization, throughput, cycle time, and conversion to scale.
4. Partnerships & Ecosystem Development
   1. Forge external partnerships with academia, startups, and technology providers.
   2. Curate Innovation Days, Demo Weeks, and Collaboration Jams with partners.
   3. Build a repository of potential collaborators, emerging tech, and external facilitators.
   4. Ensure that the Hub becomes a gateway for open innovation — where ideas flow freely between Syngene and the wider ecosystem.
5. Community & Culture Building
   1. Shape an innovation culture across Syngene through storytelling, showcases, and engagement rituals.
   2. Run initiatives such as Reflection Circles, Fail-Forward Fridays, Brown-Bag Sessions, and Innovation Challenges.
   3. Partner with HRBPs and L&D to embed innovation behaviours in capability frameworks and performance systems.
   4. Recognize and celebrate innovators and teams driving tangible impact.
6. Measurement & Storytelling
   1. Establish a transparent KPI dashboard with metrics like utilization, idea pipeline health, POC-to-scale ratio, and realized benefits.
   2. Develop case studies and communication assets for leadership reviews and enterprise sharing.
   3. Create monthly impact narratives that demonstrate the Hub’s contribution to business outcomes.
7. Sustainability & Future Readiness
   1. Integrate sustainability principles in material selection, energy use, and waste management.
   2. Continuously evolve the Hub with emerging technologies — AI-enabled visualization, VR labs, data co-creation spaces, etc.
   3. Keep the space and its purpose dynamic, adaptive, and future-proof.

Ideal profile

• Experience: Good experience  in product/program, R&D ops, or innovation management; prior lab/center-of-excellence experience a plus.
• Leadership: Builds psychological safety; champions experimentation with sensible guardrails; clear storyteller.

Skills Required

The below skills are over and above the Leadership Skills

KPIs (steady-state)

Selection process

• Application: CV + 1-page “90-day plan for the Hub.”
• Assessments: Portfolio interview, case simulation (run a 60-min triage & create a pilot charter), stakeholder panel incl. Head of Innovation & CHRO.