Joint Director - Incubation

Joint Director – Incubation

Andhra Pradesh Innovation Society, Mangalagiri

Location:

Type:

Reports to:

About APIS

Andhra Pradesh Innovation & Startup Policy (4.0) 2024–2029

Role Overview

central leadership role

RTIH becomes the

Key Responsibilities

A. Policy Implementation & Statewide Incubation Governance

• Lead implementation of all incubation-related components of the Andhra Pradesh Innovation & Startup Policy (4.0), acting as APIS’s primary authority for incubation policy matters.
• Provide policy guidance, frameworks, and directives to RTIH, university incubators, and government-supported incubation centres statewide.
• Review, approve, and monitor incubation models, SOPs, and program designs proposed by RTIH and other incubators.
• Ensure statewide alignment with the Hub-and-Spoke incubation architecture anchored by RTIH.
• Coordinate with other departments (Industries & Commerce, Education, Skill Development, MSME, Tribal Welfare, Women & Child Development) on integrated incubation initiatives.

B. Monitoring & Evaluation (MEC), Incentives & Compliance

• Serve as the key APIS lead for the Monitoring & Evaluation Committee (MEC) for incubation-related assessments under the Startup Policy.
• Oversee validation and eligibility processes for all incubation-linked incentives (e.g., prototyping grants, seed support, startup incentives requiring incubator endorsements).
• Review RTIH’s program reports and startup validation documents before MEC approval.
• Ensure compliance with operational guidelines (G.O.Ms. No.3 & G.O.Ms. No.9) across all incubators.
• Drive statewide adoption of the AP Startup One Portal for startup onboarding, incubator accreditation, incentive workflows, and performance monitoring.

C. Oversight of RTIH’s Incubation Delivery

• Supervise and review the performance of the Head – Incubation (RTIH), ensuring that RTIH’s Hub and 5 Spokes meet state-mandated incubation KPIs.
• Conduct quarterly and annual reviews of RTIH’s incubation performance, including startup selection quality, program outcomes, and impact metrics.
• Approve RTIH incubation frameworks and ensure they align with policy direction and statewide goals.
• Identify gaps in RTIH delivery and recommend corrective actions, capacity-building interventions, or program redesign.

D. Statewide Coordination with Incubators, Academia & Institutions

• Work with universities, engineering colleges, research centres, and skill institutions to strengthen grassroots incubation capacity.
• Establish and disseminate statewide standards for incubator accreditation, performance evaluation, and annual ratings.
• Drive cross-incubator collaboration for sectoral missions (AI, agritech, medtech, manufacturing, robotics, clean energy, deeptech).
• Ensure incubation centres in Tier-2 and Tier-3 regions receive programmatic support, guidance, and capacity-building assistance.

E. Innovation Challenges, Pipeline Development & Ecosystem Strengthening

• Oversee the design and rollout of statewide innovation challenges, hackathons, and thematic startup calls under APIS.
• Coordinate with RTIH and other incubators to convert challenge winners and participants into incubation pipelines.
• Facilitate access to FabLabs, CoEs, prototyping labs, and testbeds across the state to support startups in product development.
• Ensure that incubation activities feed into APIS’s inclusive innovation priorities—women entrepreneurs, rural innovators, students, deeptech founders, and social impact startups.

F. Data, Impact Measurement & Reporting

• Establish statewide KPIs and impact measurement frameworks for incubation outcomes.
• Review monthly and quarterly incubation dashboards submitted by RTIH and other incubators.
• Compile state-level incubation reports for the CEO, the ITE&C Department, and the Government of Andhra Pradesh.
• Ensure deep integration of data-driven decision-making, evidence-based policy refinement, and transparent reporting.

G. Strategic Input, Funding Readiness & Government Representation

• Support the CEO in shaping future incubation policy frameworks, state missions, and funding programs.
• Provide technical inputs for government files, Cabinet notes, grants, CSR collaborations, and inter-departmental proposals related to incubation.
• Represent APIS and the Government of Andhra Pradesh at national and international innovation forums, conferences, and policy platforms.

Qualifications & Experience

• MBA/PGDM

  (Innovation, Entrepreneurship, Management, or equivalent) or equivalent.
• Minimum

  7 years

  of experience in managing incubation, acceleration, or innovation programs.
• Experience working with government innovation missions, TBI/Incubator governance, MEC-like evaluation mechanisms, or policy-linked incentive systems.
• Strong understanding of startup lifecycle support, incubation models, and national startup ecosystem programs (Startup India, DST/NIDHI, MeitY/TIDE, AIM, etc.).
• Demonstrated ability to guide institutions, evaluate incubator performance, and manage statewide or multi-institution programs.
• Excellent communication, analytical, and stakeholder management skills across government, academia, and industry

Core Competencies

• Strong policy orientation with the ability to translate policy into implementable frameworks.
• Capability to supervise complex incubation networks and multi-institutional programs.
• Expertise in evaluation, incentive governance, and compliance frameworks.
• Data-driven leadership, documentation excellence, and dashboard/impact interpretation skills.
• High integrity, public-sector sensitivity, and strong alignment with APIS’s mission of scalable and inclusive innovation.

Compensation: