Innovation Lead (Technology & Full-Stack Systems)

Youth Innovation Lab (YI-Lab) is a not-for-profit civic tech company that works at the intersection of emerging cutting-edge technological tools and their applications by equipping young professionals to solve emerging challenges in our community. YI-Lab’s mission statement is, ‘to engage young people to bridge science to people and policy through innovation’. YI-Lab harnesses indigenous knowledge, citizen science approach, develops low-cost technological solutions, promotes open data, promotes entrepreneurship, and conducts evidence-based advocacy campaigns. YI-Lab provides a conducive environment for young people to co-create solutions for inclusive development.

About the project 
RiskAI (Beta1.0) is an agentic, AI-powered climate and disaster risk intelligence platform designed to translate complex hazard, climate, and disaster data into localized, actionable insights for decision-makers, schools, and communities in Nepal. Built as the country’s first modular RiskAI architecture, the platform integrates existing national and global datasets such as historical disaster records, hazard maps, and climate data and presents them through role-based, user-friendly outputs.

YI-Lab invites dynamic and enthusiastic Nepali citizens to apply for the following position. 
Role Summary
The Innovation Lead will provide technical and innovation leadership for YI-Lab’s digital platforms and civic-tech solutions. The role focuses on end-to-end system design, full-stack development, DevOps oversight, and cross-team collaboration to ensure scalable, secure, and impact-driven technology delivery aligned with YI-Lab’s mission.

Key Responsibilities

A. AI & Data Innovation

·       Design and guide development of AI-driven document interpretation agents for climate and disaster risk content.

·       Ensure effective Nepali language support (NLP, prompt design, output validation).

·       Enable feedback loops, including citizen science and user feedback mechanisms, to improve AI outputs.

·       Validate assumptions through sprint-based experimentation and evidence-driven iteration.

B. Human-Centered & Inclusive Design

·       Apply design thinking methodologies to ensure usability, accessibility, and relevance for students, educators, and decision-makers.

·       Work closely with users (schools, youth groups, local stakeholders) to co-design interfaces and outputs.

·       Ensure gender and social inclusion considerations are embedded in system design, testing, and monitoring.

C. Sprint & Delivery Management

·       Lead technical planning for FT3 Sprints, defining hypotheses, MVPs, and success metrics.

·       Translate project goals into clear technical deliverables aligned with Sprint Call Down Letters.

·       Ensure timely delivery of beta versions, pilots, and technical documentation.

D. Critical Thinking & Problem Solving

·       Anticipate technical, ethical, and operational risks and propose mitigation strategies.

·       Make informed design trade-offs under time and resource constraints.

·       Assess feasibility, reliability, and sustainability of proposed technical solutions.

E. Documentation & Knowledge Sharing

·       Produce high-quality technical documentation, architecture diagrams, and design rationales.

·       Support reporting, learning briefs, and evidence generation for FT Hub storytelling and scale-up decisions.

·       Contribute to lessons learned for potential replication or adoption by government systems.

Required Qualifications & Experience

·       Advanced degree or equivalent experience in Computer Science, AI, Data Science, Engineering, or related field

·       Minimum 3–5 years of experience in technology innovation, product design, or AI-driven systems

·       Strong experience with:

- AI/ML systems, LLM-based applications, or agentic AI,

- API integration and data platforms,

- System and solution architecture,Demonstrated design-thinking and human-centered design experience

·       Proven ability to think critically, experiment, and iterate under uncertainty