About RTIH

The Ratan Tata Innovation Hub is a Section 8 company established under the Government of Andhra Pradesh through the Andhra Pradesh Innovation Society (APIS). As the State’s principal platform for innovation, incubation, and entrepreneurship, RTIH leads a Hub-and-Spoke network connecting five regional innovation foundations across Andhra Pradesh. Its vision—under the AP Innovation & Startup Policy (2024–2029)—is to make Andhra Pradesh a lighthouse of inclusive innovation and entrepreneurship.

Position

Head – AI Center of Excellence

Employment Type: Full-time Contractual Role

Location: Vishakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh

Role Overview

The Head – AI Center of Excellence (AI CoE) will lead the strategic establishment, operational management, ecosystem partnerships, and innovation programs of the AI CoE at the Ratan Tata Innovation Hub. The role is responsible for positioning RTIH as a leading AI innovation, research, startup, skilling, and applied technology hub by enabling collaboration among government, academia, startups, industry, and research institutions.

Key Responsibilities

(a) Strategic Leadership & AI Ecosystem Development

1. Develop and implement the strategic roadmap for the AI Center of Excellence aligned with RTIH and Government priorities.
2. Build a statewide AI innovation ecosystem involving startups, universities, research labs, corporates, and government departments.
3. Identify emerging trends in Artificial Intelligence, Generative AI, Machine Learning, Robotics, Data Science, and Deep Tech for strategic adoption.
4. Drive policy recommendations, innovation frameworks, and AI adoption initiatives across sectors.

(b) AI Infrastructure & Innovation Labs

1. Oversee establishment and operations of AI labs, GPU/HPC infrastructure, data platforms, simulation environments, and innovation facilities.
2. Ensure operational readiness, scalability, cybersecurity, and efficient utilization of AI infrastructure.
3. Coordinate procurement, vendor management, AMC support, software licenses, cloud infrastructure, and technical partnerships.
4. Define governance frameworks, lab access protocols, infrastructure usage policies, and compliance standards.

(c) Startup & Innovation Enablement

1. Lead incubation, acceleration, mentoring, and innovation support programs for AI startups and innovators.
2. Facilitate proof-of-concept (PoC), pilot deployments, and commercialization opportunities.
3. Support startups in accessing datasets, compute infrastructure, grants, funding, investors, and industry partnerships.
4. Organize AI innovation challenges, hackathons, demo days, startup showcases, and ecosystem events.

(d) Research, Academia & Industry Collaboration

1. Establish collaborations with universities, IITs, research institutions, industry leaders, and global AI organizations.
2. Promote applied research, joint projects, publications, patents, and technology transfer initiatives.
3. Enable industry-driven AI use cases and sectoral innovation programs in healthcare, agriculture, education, governance, manufacturing, and smart infrastructure.
4. Coordinate knowledge-sharing workshops, faculty development, and AI research fellowships.

(e) Enable Market Access

1. Enable market access and industry engagement by connecting with industries to identify sector-specific use cases, operational challenges, and problem statements.
2. Facilitate solution development through AI hackathons, Buildathons, innovation challenges, startup collaborations, and applied AI programs.

(f) Capacity Building & Skilling

1. Design and implement AI skilling programs, certifications, internships, fellowships, and training initiatives.
2. Promote youth innovation, student engagement, and workforce development in AI and emerging technologies.
3. Build partnerships with ed-tech, training, and certification organizations for advanced AI learning programs.

(g) Operations, Governance & Reporting

1. Lead budgeting, financial planning, project monitoring, and operational management of the AI CoE.
2. Prepare progress reports, dashboards, utilization metrics, and impact assessments for stakeholders and government review.
3. Ensure compliance with statutory, procurement, cybersecurity, data privacy, and governance requirements.
4. Manage multidisciplinary teams, consultants, technical experts, and ecosystem partners.

Qualification & Experience

1. Bachelor’s/Master’s degree in Artificial Intelligence, Computer Science, Data Science, Electronics, Information Technology, Engineering, or related fields.
2. MBA or additional certification in AI, Innovation Management, or Technology Leadership is desirable.
3. Minimum 10–15 years of experience in AI, emerging technologies, innovation ecosystems, digital transformation, or technology leadership roles.
4. Experience in managing AI infrastructure, research initiatives, innovation programs, startup ecosystems, or Centers of Excellence is preferred.
5. Exposure to government projects, public innovation ecosystems, incubation, or policy initiatives will be an added advantage.

Required Skills & Competencies

1. Strong leadership and strategic planning capabilities.
2. Knowledge of AI/ML technologies, cloud platforms, GPU infrastructure, data systems, and emerging technologies.
3. Ecosystem-building and stakeholder management skills.
4. Experience in startup incubation, innovation management, and partnership development.
5. Strong communication, project management, and team leadership abilities.
6. Ability to work with government departments, academia, industry, and global partners.

Compensation

CTC : 15L – 18L per annum