Senior Director - Innovations

The Director – Innovation will lead Intelehealth’s Nashik Innovation & Learning Site, a flagship hub for designing and piloting cutting-edge telemedicine, and AI-enabled solutions for last-mile healthcare delivery. This role is responsible for translating innovation into real-world, system-integrated impact—bridging public health needs, clinical workflows, technology platforms, and emerging AI solutions. The position requires a strong, entrepreneurial leadership who can drive innovation on the ground, manage diverse multidisciplinary teams, and build Nashik as a national and global reference site for applied AI innovation in public systems for Intelehealth. Key Responsibilities 1. Strategic Leadership & Innovation Direction Provide overall strategic leadership to the Nashik Innovation & Learning Site, positioning it as a center of excellence for last-mile telemedicine and AI innovation. Identify, incubate, and scale innovative concepts, pilots, and proofs of concept across telemedicine, AI-CDSS, digital public goods, and health system strengthening. Translate emerging technologies (AI/ML, data analytics, clinical decision support, digital platforms) into deployable, scalable, and policy-aligned solutions. Align innovation priorities with Intelehealth’s organizational strategy, government priorities (e.g., ABDM, eSanjeevani), and donor expectations. 2. Program Leadership & Execution Lead a portfolio of complex programs involving academic institutions, and technology collaborators. Ensure high-quality program design, implementation, monitoring, learning, and adaptation. Drive disciplined execution while maintaining agility for experimentation and innovation. Oversee program budgets, timelines, deliverables, and reporting with strong accountability. 3. Multidisciplinary Team Leadership Lead and mentor a diverse, high-performing team comprising: a) Public health and program professionals b) Technology and product teams c) AI/ML engineers and data scientists d) Researchers and M&E specialists e) Clinical experts and field teams Foster a culture of innovation, collaboration, learning, and ownership. Build internal capacity to manage advanced technologies and complex health system engagements. 4. Technology, AI & Product Integration Work closely with technology and AI teams to ensure solutions are: Clinically safe and ethical, Operationally feasible at the last mile. Aligned with government workflows and regulations. Provide leadership on AI governance, explainable, validation, and responsible deployment in real-world health settings. Ensure continuous feedback loops between field implementation and product development. 5. Partner & Ecosystem Engagement Identify and engage local philanthropists, Hi-Net worth individuals to leverage funds/resources for supporting the innovative site. Work with partnership and fundraising teams to identify the opportunities for raising funds for the innovation site. Serve as a senior representative of Intelehealth with key stakeholders, especially health departments and implementing agencies at the District/State level Build and manage partnerships with, Government institutions, Academic and research organizations, Technology partners and startups, Donors and multilateral Position Nashik as a living lab for partners and donors to observe, test, and learn from innovation in action. 6. Learning, Evidence & Scale Ensure robust documentation of learnings, evidence generation, and best practices from pilots and programs. Work with the policy advocacy department to support dissemination through policy briefs, publications, learning events, and global forums. Requirements Educational Qualification: Postgraduate qualification in Public Health, Medicine, Health Systems, Technology, Management, or related fields. 12–15+ years of progressive leadership experience, including: a) Leading large-scale programs or innovation initiatives b) Managing multidisciplinary teams c) Working in or with public health systems At least 3-4 yrs of Experience leading innovation labs, pilot sites, or learning hubs. Demonstrated experience in deploying digital health, telemedicine, health technology, or AI-enabled solutions at scale. Strong understanding of public health systems, government processes, and implementation realities in LMIC contexts. Desirable Hands-on exposure to AI/ML, digital platforms, or health data systems (not necessarily technical coding, but strong applied understanding). Prior engagement with national digital health initiatives (e.g., ABDM, telemedicine platforms, public digital infrastructure). Experience working with donors, multilaterals, or global health organizations. Key Skills & Competencies Strategic & Systems Thinking – Ability to see the big picture while driving execution. Entrepreneurial Mindset – Comfortable with ambiguity, experimentation, and rapid iteration. Leadership & People Management – Inspires, mentors, and builds high-performing teams. Technology & Innovation Fluency – Able to engage deeply with tech and AI teams and translate between clinical, programmatic, and technical domains. Stakeholder Management – Strong credibility with government, partners, and donors. Execution Excellence – Strong program management, risk management, and delivery discipline. Communication & Influence – Clear, confident communicator at senior levels. Measures of Success Nashik Innovation Site recognized for Intelehealth as a model learning and innovation hub nationally and internationally. Successful deployment, and scaling of innovative telemedicine and AI solutions with measurable impact. High-performing, motivated multidisciplinary teams with strong retention and growth. Strong government and partner confidence in Intelehealth’s innovation leadership. Clear pathways from pilots to policy adoption, scale, and sustainability Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): First 12–18 Months: 1-2 high-impact innovation pilots (telemedicine / AI / digital health) deployed, and evaluated at the Nashik site. Demonstrated measurable outcomes in at least two areas (e.g., access, quality, efficiency, clinician productivity, patient outcomes). Secure 2–3 strategic partnerships (academia, AI/tech partners, donors) aligned with innovation priorities. Build and stabilize a high-performing multidisciplinary team, with: a) Strong collaboration with clear role clarity across program, tech, AI, clinical, and research teams b) 85% retention of key team members at 12 months Support to produce 2–3 high-quality knowledge outputs (case studies, policy briefs, learning notes, publications showcasing Nashik innovations. Facilitate at least 2 learning exchanges / site visits for partners, or donors. Benefits Flexible working hours. Great work culture. 5 days working. Group Medical Insurance