Innovation Manager, Innovation Network at Living Goods

Job description

The Opportunity

We have created a Community Health Innovation Network to research, test and demonstrate the viability of community based technical innovations. The Network will house and explore a wide range of initiatives that will integrate traditional public health interventions with technology and diagnostic software and hardware. We are seeking an innovative and dynamic professional to join LG as the Innovation Manager.

The Innovation Manager will play a key role in pipeline development, conducting research on existing solutions and technologies. As part of the innovation pipeline management team, you will source and maintain an active pipeline of new R&D ideas. You will be a technical expert with a broad knowledge of the diagnostic and health technology field who will explore, engage, and vet new partners and technologies for the lab. You will help conduct in field/in network scans to identify new needs, pain points, and new ideas from within the Network itself, by conducting user research, focus groups, and employing human centered design techniques to engage Community Health Workers and clients in idea generation.

The Innovation Manager will report in to the Technical Director, and work closely with the Chief Technology Officer as well.

Responsibilities

• Define and prioritize key innovation projects based on work plan phases and decision points
• Identify and liaise with potential innovation partners individuals, organizations, governments to pursue the innovation strategy
• Manage innovation projects and implementation partners
• Report on progress of strategy on a periodic basis, as agreed with the Technology Director
• Identify areas for research and innovation that includes and not limited to;
• User research to explore current scenario and define problems and opportunities for improvement
• Development of user personas
• Literature reviews of existing solutions
• Landscape of existing or potential solutions
• Buy-in from required partners
• Research to establish and document baseline and future success markers
• Take the lead in the development of knowledge products based on research outputs and validated innovation activities

Minimum Qualifications And Experience

• Bachelor’s Degree level required; Master’s or higher desirable
• Experience in social research, with a focus on technology, health and governance issues
• A strong background and experience in innovation work, technology, research, data science, and human-centered design
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English; able to produce high quality presentations, briefing papers etc.
• A good understanding of Web technologies
• Understanding of regulatory environment and health protocols that must be adhered to
• Experience of commissioning and managing contracts with third party researchers
• Ability to work as part of a distributed team and to work independently in a start-up environment, meeting tight deadlines and multiple priorities with minimal supervision
• Sensitive to different cultural and social contexts, able to collaborate successfully with people from many different countries
• Based in Nairobi with 50% travel to the field in the West of Kenya

Compensation

A competitive salary and benefits package commensurate with experience including health insurance and bonus opportunity. The opportunity to be your best while making lives better for those in need.