Innovation Programs Lead - Health & Oral Care

CareQuest Innovation Partners; United States; Remote; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

CareQuest Innovation Partners is seeking an experienced Senior Innovation Associate to drive strategic programs expanding access to care and advancing oral health innovation. You will work across multiple teams, coordinating flagship events and partnerships while engaging senior stakeholders and managing cross-functional initiatives.

You will contribute to planning and executing programs like SMILE Health Accelerator and ACCELERATE, with a strong emphasis on analytics, reporting, and stakeholder

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a business or healthcare-related field (or health-related coursework).
• 3-5 years of professional experience in healthcare, consulting, strategy, innovation, or program management, including experience engaging senior stakeholders and managing complex cross-functional initiatives.
• Excellent interpersonal and written/verbal communication skills for executive stakeholders; ability to tailor materials to different audiences.
• Experience being client-facing to build relationships and represent CareQuest Innovation Partners in the ecosystem.
• Experience working on small, collaborative teams with an "all hands-on deck" approach.
• Ability to drive to outcomes in a fast-paced, results-oriented environment and manage multiple priorities within a multi-disciplinary team.
• Ability to use AI-enabled tools to accelerate administrative, analytical, and communication tasks.
• Problem solving in risks and issues amid complexity or ambiguity.
• Passion for improving healthcare through innovation.

Responsibilities

• Program Management & Innovation Operations: execute SMILE Health Accelerator and ACCELERATE program activities, KPI development, analyses, reporting, and stakeholder engagement.
• Monitor program performance and synthesize insights and recommendations for leadership and partners.
• Develop reports, presentations, and executive updates that communicate outcomes, lessons learned, and strategic implications.
• Ecosystem Engagement & Flagship Convening Event: plan and execute flagship ecosystem events (Demo Day, virtual convenings).
• Collaborate with vendors to ensure timely delivery of communications, project plans, materials, and run-of-show documents.
• Manage project plans, budgets, timelines, logistics, communications, and stakeholder deliverables for ecosystem events.
• Coordinate across startups, investors, industry partners, speakers, and internal teams for high-quality execution.
• Conduct secondary market research to support partner engagements and strategic initiatives.
• Support external relationships via partner proposals, briefing materials, and strategic recommendations.

Skills

Stakeholder engagement

Executive communications

Cross-functional collaboration

AI-enabled tools

Problem solving

Time management

Presentation skills

Education

Bachelor’s degree in business or healthcare

Master’s degree (preferred)

Job description

CareQuest Innovation Partners is seeking an experienced Senior Innovation Associate to drive strategic programs expanding access to care and advancing oral health innovation. You will work across multiple teams, coordinating flagship events and partnerships while engaging senior stakeholders and managing cross-functional initiatives.

You will contribute to planning and executing programs like SMILE Health Accelerator and ACCELERATE, with a strong emphasis on analytics, reporting, and stakeholder