Technical Program Manager

Newlab is seeking a dynamic Technical Program Manager to join our team and lead the day-to-day activities within Newlab's innovation programs. Newlab is a global venture platform for critical technology startups building our sustainable future. 

The Technical Program Manager will play a key role in ensuring the successful delivery of our programs, maintaining high quality engagements, and meeting deadlines and budget requirements. This individual will build and sustain relationships with a diverse group of internal and external stakeholders; including Newlab partners, clients, entrepreneurs, academics, and experts. They will work collaboratively to deliver on scopes of work ranging from small, short-term projects to large, complex initiatives. They will also support the design and delivery of subject matter research and strategy development, which includes literature reviews, desk research, in-depth interviews, co-design workshops, and concept development. 

The ideal candidate will have strong project management skills and the ability to leverage their background in materials science and/or engineering to bridge the gap between technical research and design-centered innovation to inform strategic decisions and pilot designs. They will also have a strong technical background in energy, materials, mobility, and/or relevant areas.

Role & Responsibilities:

Program Management: 

• Manage and lead day-to-day activities within Newlab innovation programs; including, client management, participant management, developing program plans with key milestones, establishing R&Rs, identifying risks, CRM management, and client reporting. 
• Build and maintain relationships with external stakeholders including Newlab partners/clients, entrepreneurs, academics, and industry experts. 
• Collaborate within and across Newlab sales, membership, marketing, operations and finance teams to deliver on an array of SOWs.
• Support the design and delivery of subject matter research and strategy development within our Newlab programs. Newlab utilizes a Design Centered Innovation approach (familiarity with design thinking, strategy consulting and framework development is important). 
• Partner with the Business Development team to grow interest and support creating and developing new programs with both new and returning clients.

Ecosystem Expertise: 

• Stay up to date on industry and startup trends relevant to the program areas you are engaged in and engage with the relevant ecosystems which are points of interest and opportunity.
• Identify technology innovation signals from major industry players and venture capital; tracking who’s-investing-in-who, company and sector strategic shifts, the forces that are driving change, and how these shifts relate to Newlab’s strategy.
• Provide insight across the Newlab team and ensure we leverage insights to deliver high caliber programs to our clients and partners.

Technical / Industrial Expertise

• Able to approach a new tech/challenge and quickly understand how to leverage data, AI, and Newlab's network to chart a path through ambiguity; flexible and extensible enough to get up to speed quickly on areas outside your expertise
• Apply technical expertise to the evaluation of novel technologies, informing strategic decisions and pilot designs as well as supporting research (conducting interviews, reviewing startups, investment trends, market reports etc). Specifically, able to:
• source and qualify deep tech startups through assessing the team, the technology, and the market opportunity;
• understand both scientific and engineering challenges within specific technical categories, sectors, or value chains (i.e. “explore both the technical and commercial risks within steel decarbonization”)
• multi-disciplinary understanding of technology risks in energy systems, mobility systems, and/or material science
• Work closely with project teams and clients to ensure a holistic approach to problem-solving that integrates technical feasibility with strategic design. Apply understanding of technical feasibility to deep technology startups to derive overall market trends, as well as analyze a specific startup's offerings and fit for Newlab and its industry members.
• Understand systems level dependencies in certain technology spaces to help startups think about different engineering challenges that we can support them de-risk

Skills & Experience

• Strong technical background in energy, materials, mobility, or relevant areas
• Strong external communication skills including managing disparate expectations, communicating issues and promoting wins
• Experience in executing projects from conception through implementation
• 3+ years of experience 
• Strong familiarity with design-centered innovation, innovation consulting, and/or tech scouting
• Experience working in deep tech startup environment (preferred)

Compensation & Benefits: 

• We expect this role's base salary to be $100,000 - $125,000 commensurate with a candidate's experience. 
• Eligible for bonus and equity programs!

EEO Employer