The Role

The purpose of this role is to take ideas from concept to reality. As a Product Innovation Lead, you will turn mental health research, insights, and market opportunities into digital products that change lives.

This is not a maintenance role. It’s a builder’s role. You’ll thrive in ambiguity, using lean startup methods, rapid prototyping, and AI tooling to move from zero to one - fast. You’ll work across discovery, validation, prototyping, and launch, translating complex research into simple, scalable solutions that people love.

This is the perfect role for someone who wants their career to have real impact on society - creating products that improve mental health outcomes at scale. You’ll combine creativity with evidence, and technology with empathy, to deliver solutions that matter.

Duties & Responsibilities

Product Discovery & Strategy

• Identify unmet needs and opportunities by engaging with users, research teams, and industry trends.

• Source ideas from both new research and the broader body of mental health evidence.

• Use tools like Business Model Canvases, Lean Hypotheses, and rapid experimentation to shape early-stage concepts.

• Define a compelling product vision grounded in user value, evidence, and market potential.

End-to-End Product Development

• Drive the product lifecycle from problem validation to MVP launch, to scaling.

• Build fast: prototype, test, learn, and iterate in weeks, not months.

• Balance speed with rigour - ensuring solutions meet real needs, are safe and ethical

AI-First Product Practice

• Utilise AI tooling to build quickly and efficiently.

• Embed AI and automation at the heart of product development workflows.

• Explore how AI can streamline product builds and enhance user experiences.

• Stay across emerging trends in AI for mental health, and assess their relevance for the institute’s work

Collaboration & Leadership

• Work closely with researchers, designers, engineers, and clinicians to bring ideas to life.

• Champion a culture of creativity, bold experimentation, and bias for action.

• Lead by example - showing how to balance data, intuition, and empathy in decision-making.

Data & Market Insight

• Use data and analytics to validate assumptions, measure impact, and optimise products.

• Stay close to the market: understand competitors, user behaviour, and emerging trends.

• Share learnings openly to influence product strategy and future research directions.

Skills & Experience Required 

Essential

• Minimum of 5 years’ experience in product development, with a proven track record of launching and managing successful digital products.

• Proven ability to take products from zero-to-one, ideally in startup or innovation environments.

• Comfort with ambiguity and risk: you know how to test fast, learn fast, and pivot.

• Strong technical acumen, including knowledge of product architecture and the ability to work with technical teams

• Demonstrated ability to lead and motivate cross-functional teams in a collaborative environment.

• Experience with agile methodologies, lean startup principles, and design thinking.

• Proficiency in data-driven decision-making and analytics tools.

• Excellent analytical, organisational, and communication skills.

• Comprehensive knowledge of AI tools and platforms, including their uses and limitations.

• Strong collaboration and storytelling skills: able to inspire researchers, engineers, and execs alike.

• Creative and entrepreneurial mindset: you see opportunities where others see obstacles.

• A strong bias for action.

Desired

• Experience working with research organisations or translating research into products.

• Track record of building products using AI tools

• Exposure to mental health, healthtech, or education sectors

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
We actively welcome applications from candidates of underrepresented backgrounds and recognise that not all candidates will have had equal opportunity to gain experience in the past. If you’re excited about this opportunity but feel you don’t meet every requirement, we still encourage you to apply as your unique perspective and experiences matter.

How to Apply 
To become a part of the Black Dog Institute team, follow the link to ELMO to apply and submit your most up to date resume. If you are shortlisted for the role, we will call you and let you know you are successful. Please do not respond to any suspicious emails requesting you to upload your ID or personal details. We are a 2022 Circle Back Initiative Employer and commit to respond to every applicant.