How to apply for Open Innovation Consultant

About MIT Solve

MIT Solve is an initiative of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology that runs open innovation challenges to source tech-based solutions for global problems like climate change, health equity, and education. Working here means collaborating with a diverse, mission-driven team and directly supporting social entrepreneurs and innovators from around the world. The remote, part-time nature of this role offers flexibility while still being part of a prestigious academic institution.

About the role

As an Open Innovation Consultant, you will manage the end-to-end delivery of MIT Solve's challenges, from designing evaluation criteria to coordinating with technical experts and screening applications. You'll be the operational backbone ensuring that each challenge runs smoothly and that finalists receive meaningful support. This role is ideal for someone who thrives in fast-paced, multi-stakeholder environments and wants to make a tangible impact on global innovation.

A typical day

A typical day might involve reviewing applications for an active challenge, coordinating with a technical expert to finalize evaluation criteria, and drafting outreach emails to attract more applicants. You'll also hop on calls with the Challenge Lead and external partners to align on timelines and deliverables. The work is varied and fast-paced, requiring quick context-switching and clear communication.

Who MIT Solve is looking for

• 2+ years of experience managing time-sensitive projects with multiple stakeholders, ideally in a nonprofit, academic, or innovation setting.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to craft clear collateral and provide constructive feedback to applicants.
• Domain knowledge or language proficiency in climate, health, or learning, which can help in vetting and outreach.
• Comfortable working remotely and part-time, with a proactive and organized approach to coordinating workflows across teams and partners.

Tips for this application

• Highlight any experience you have with open innovation challenges, accelerators, or grant programs—MIT Solve specifically values this context.
• Demonstrate your ability to manage multiple stakeholders by quantifying past projects: number of partners, deadlines met, or applicants processed.
• If you have domain expertise in climate, health, or learning, explicitly connect it to how you would source experts or evaluate solutions.
• Show familiarity with MIT Solve's challenges and past winners; reference specific examples in your cover letter to prove you've done your homework.
• Emphasize your remote work skills: mention tools you've used for virtual coordination (e.g., Slack, Asana, Zoom) and how you keep distributed teams aligned.

What to cover in your cover letter

In your cover letter, focus on: (1) your experience managing complex, time-sensitive projects with diverse stakeholders; (2) your ability to design and execute outreach strategies to attract qualified applicants; (3) any domain knowledge or language skills relevant to MIT Solve's focus areas; and (4) your enthusiasm for supporting social innovators and working in a mission-driven, academic environment.

Research before applying

• Study MIT Solve's current and past challenges, noting the focus areas, winners, and impact metrics they report.
• Research the MIT Solve team and their partners to understand the ecosystem you'd be coordinating with.
• Familiarize yourself with open innovation methodologies and how they differ from traditional grant-making.
• Look into MIT's broader innovation and entrepreneurship initiatives to see how Solve fits into the university's mission.

Likely interview topics

Based on the job description, expect questions about:

• How would you approach sourcing technical experts for a challenge in a field you're less familiar with?
• Describe a time you had to manage competing priorities from multiple stakeholders. How did you ensure everyone was aligned?
• Walk us through how you would design an outreach plan to attract applicants for a climate-focused challenge.
• What metrics would you use to evaluate the success of a challenge, and how would you track them?
• How do you handle providing constructive feedback to applicants who are not selected as finalists?

Common mistakes to avoid

• Being too generic in your application—failing to mention specific MIT Solve challenges or focus areas shows a lack of genuine interest.
• Underestimating the part-time nature: don't imply you're looking for full-time work or can't commit to flexible hours.
• Neglecting to highlight stakeholder management skills—this role is heavily coordination-focused, so omitting examples is a major red flag.