IIT Bombay - Program Manager - Optiver AI Innovation Lab

Job Purpose:

We are seeking an experienced and highly motivated Program Manager to oversee and coordinate the academic, operational, and outreach activities of the IITB-Optiver AI Innovation Lab.

The ideal candidate will serve as the central point of contact for all lab activities, ensuring efficient execution of research programs, alignment with strategic goals, and seamless coordination between various stakeholders, including faculty, researchers, students, and institute administration.

Key Responsibilities:

Program Coordination:

• Oversee the planning, execution, and monitoring of all lab initiatives and research projects. Ensure that milestones and deliverables are met in a timely manner.

Stakeholder Engagement:

• Act as the primary liaison between IITB faculty, researchers, and administrative departments to facilitate communication, decision-making, and reporting.

Operations Management:

• Manage administrative tasks including budgeting, procurement, HR processes, documentation, and compliance with institute policies.

Research Support:

• Assist in recruitment, onboarding, and coordination of postdoctoral researchers, PhD scholars, interns, and visiting fellows.

Event Management:

• Plan and execute seminars, workshops, symposiums, and outreach programs; manage logistics, speaker coordination, and publicity.

Reporting & Documentation:

• Maintain detailed records of lab activities, prepare project reports, presentations, funding proposals, and annual summaries.

Communication & Outreach:

• Develop and manage communication materials including website content, and social media to enhance lab visibility.

Desired Profile:

Qualifications & Skills:

Essential:

• Bachelors or Masters degree in engineering, Sciences, Management, or a related field with expertise in AI.
• Minimum 5-8 years of relevant experience in program or project management, preferably in an academic or research environment.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple stakeholders and work in a fast-paced environment with minimal supervision.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills in English.
• Excellent organizational and time management capabilities.

General Information:

About/ Summary (of Centre or Project):

The IITB-Optiver AI Innovation Lab is a premier interdisciplinary research initiative established in collaboration with Optiver India Securities. The objective of the lab is to establish a world-class Lab at IIT Bombay that will drive advanced AI-led research, innovation, and talent development in financial services, build cutting-edge data infrastructure, and position the institute as a global leader in shaping the AI enabled ecosystem.

The Lab will feature a dedicated 2,000 sq. ft facility equipped with high-performance computing servers, research terminals, and collaborative spaces to enable cutting-edge finance research.

Disclaimer:

The position is contractual for a period of 1 year but renewable as per Institutes guidelines and tenable only for the duration of the project. The selection committee may offer lower or higher designation and lower or higher salary depending upon the experience and performance of the candidate in the interview.