Product Innovation Specialist
Core
Venture builder and startup coach for the EcoCAR Innovation Challenge, mentoring university engineering teams to transition from 'build-it-first' to evidence-based customer discovery and commercialization.
Role type
Senior IC product innovation specialist (venture builder/mentor)
Builds
Student-led deep-tech ventures and commercialized advanced energy/transportation solutions
Domain
Advanced energy, transportation, and academic tech-transfer
Required skills
Lean Startup methodologies, customer discovery, venture building, technical mentorship, project management, business model iteration, stakeholder management, strategic planning
Preferred skills
DFV framework, deep-tech fluency, hardware startup experience, academic tech-transfer, multi-stakeholder innovation pipeline management
Technologies
Lean Startup, NSF I-Corps, DFV framework
Responsibilities
Coach EcoCAR teams through venture-building processes; train students in lean startup and customer discovery; guide teams in defining innovation spaces and prioritizing applications; evaluate concepts and steer stage gates; cultivate industry sponsor advisory councils; mentor on market validation and pitching; cross-pollinate innovation frameworks across STEP portfolio; design new programs and grant proposals
Seniority
Senior, hands-on IC