Innovation Manager - Advanced Frugal Innovation

ZEISS India; Chennai District; On-site; INR 4,000,000 - 7,000,000; Full time

Job summary

ZEISS India invites you to join the Innovation Hub Chennai to shape the future of advanced frugal innovation. You will work near IIT Madras Research Park, collaborating with academia, startups and entrepreneurs on breakthrough concepts.

You will drive new topics, evaluate opportunities and lead projects with internal and external partners to deliver market-ready solutions.

Qualifications

• 8-12 years of relevant experience.
• Degree in Mechanical Eng, Physics, Materials Science or related STEM field; PhD/M.Tech preferred.
• Strong knowledge of SolidWorks/CAM/CAD.
• Mechanics, elasticity/plasticity, materials science, FEM, manufacturing.
• Innovation management or venturing experience; design thinking, lean startup.
• Intrapreneurial mindset and collaboration; cross-functional work.
• Experience in project management; action bias and user focus.
• Fluent English with strong problem-solving and communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Drive topics under advanced frugal innovation, balancing desirability, feasibility and viability.
• Identify partners and work closely with ZEISS stakeholders.
• Conduct innovation studies and develop solution concepts in interdisciplinary teams.
• Initiate and steer projects with external partners; develop PoC demonstrators.
• Ensure transfer of concepts and knowhow to ZEISS business units.
• Screen startups for strategic relevance and incubate topics with venture unit.

Skills

Intrapreneurial mindset

Collaboration

English fluency

Problem solving

Project mindset

Education

Mechanical engineering degree

Physics

Materials science

PhD/M.Tech preferred

Tools

SolidWorks

CAD

CAM

Power BI

Miro

Job description

Education requirements / Experience / Job Specifications

1. Education / Professional Certification

• University degree in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics)
• MBA, PhD, M Tech or equivalent experience mandatory

Your Role

We invite you to join the ZEISS Innovation Hub Chennai to shape together with us the future of advanced frugal innovation. We are turning today’s research into tomorrow’s applications – together with academic partners, students and entrepreneurs. Located at the IIT Madras Research Park, you will work in direct neighborhood to a world-leading universities and with many startups co-located in this dynamic environment.

You will:

• Drive new topics under the umbrella of advanced frugal innovation, by identifying and evaluating opportunities in the innovation sweet spot of desirability, feasibility, and viability
• Find and work with partners in these topics in close cooperation with ZEISS stakeholders
• Conduct innovation and market studies, identify customer needs, and develop solution concepts as part of an interdisciplinary team
• Initiate and steer projects (incl. external partners) in the development of novel solutions (e.g., proof-of-concept demonstrators) and ensure the transfer of relevant knowhow to ZEISS
• Support the successful transfer of concepts, technologies, and solutions to ZEISS business units
• Screen and evaluate startups with strategic relevance for the Inno Hub's topics
• Develop new business and venturing proposals and ideally lead your topic through incubation with our internal venture unit

Your Profile

• Ideally looking for 8-12 years of relevant experience.
• A university degree in Mechanical engineering, physics, material sciences, or other relevant STEM fields, ideally with a PhD/M. Tech
• Good knowledge in Solid works/CAM/CAD.
• Profound knowledge in mechanics (elasticity and plasticity), materials science, finite element modeling, manufacturing (additive and subtractive), and other relevant fields
• Ideally experience in innovation management or (internal) venturing, relevant methodologies such as design thinking, business models, lean startup, and software’s such as Miro, Power BI, Sharp cloud etc. for visualizing idea funnels
• An intrapreneurial mindset, a holistic view of innovation and a desire to take topics beyond technology to market success
• Experience in project management
• A "together we go far" (collaboration) and "just do it" (action-bias) mindset
• Fluent English language skills, a hands‑on mentality, an open mind, excellent problem‑solving, communication and innovation skills as well as a clear user focus
• Passion for innovation and enthusiasm for new technologies as well as fun working in agile, interdisciplinary, and cross-border teams
• Ability to persevere in the process of idea creation and rejection, with a positive mindset