Website ACT
Position: Program Lead, ACT EdTech Fund
Location: Delhi Preferred
Overview
ACT is a social change movement created by the startup ecosystem in India, enabling changemakers to give their time, talent and resources to mobilize solutions that address societal problems at scale. 100 volunteers from the startup industry across India created ACT in March 2020 to help fight Covid-19. A 100 Cr fund was quickly raised to enable Prevention, Testing, PPE, Home Management, Oxygen therapy and Remote ICU solutions from 55 startups and deployed across 24 states of India. ACT realised the benefits of creating a platform and based on the phenomenal traction and impact generated by this effort. The team now aspires to build ACT into a broader platform that sustains over time and seeds innovations across healthcare, education, environment and women’s participation in the workforce.
ACT EdTech Fund
The current pandemic has affected learning and accentuated the digital divide, but it has also helped build muscle around the use of technology for continuous learning, both in and out of the classroom. Supported by growing smartphone penetration and increased demand from all stakeholders, EdTech can be leveraged to solve the learning crisis in India. Unfortunately, the EdTech landscape in India today largely caters to the highest income segment, with very few solutions catering to low-income households, with even fewer focused on learning improvement. This is a ‘Sputnik moment’ for EdTech in India, and there is an opportunity to build on this momentum over the coming decade.
The ACT EdTech Fund is a 100 Crore fund that aims to enable the bottom three quartiles, or bottom 75%, of India’s population (India 3) to learn at home by harnessing the power of EdTech. The fund intends to do this by seeding catalytic initiatives and organizations that can create impact at scale. The fund also aims to leverage the capability of the large EdTech players and bring an impact first lens through forming partnerships and opening up distribution networks for the bottom 75% of India.
The fund is anchored by Ashish Dhawan (Ashoka, Central Square Foundation), Mohit Bhatnagar (Sequoia) and Mekin Maheshwari (Udhyam Learning Foundation).
About the Role
We are looking to hire an exceptional Program Lead to join a small team (3 members) who will bring both technical expertise and will work on strategy, execution and priorities across the portfolio. Proven track record with building technological solutions and/ or platforms, a deep belief in technology’s ability to solve social problems and an entrepreneurial mindset are key to this role. Responsibilities of the Program Lead will include monitoring and working closely with grantee organisations to provide strategic, operational and technological guidance, developing the fund’s incubation efforts for seeding new organisations, along with supporting core priorities which include sourcing, fundraising and donor management.
This is a great opportunity for someone who thrives in a fast paced, start-up environment, enjoys building and scaling organisations, and cares deeply about the impact sector.
Key Responsibilities include, but not limited to
● Fund strategy: Lead efforts, along with the team, to study the evolving landscape of EdTech learning in India and globally on an on-going basis. Build and manage a portfolio of investments through sourcing, conducting due diligence and assessing performance through regular assessment. Over time, help refine and sharpen the fund’s investment hypothesis and key strategic areas of focus.
● Grantee support: A key area of focus for this individual will be to support grantee organisations on a range of strategic, operational and especially technological areas. More specifically, this could include advisory, mentorship and connections across topics ranging from contextualizing products, identifying distribution channels, building monetization to scaling, acquisition, outcomes measurement and more.
● Incubating new solutions: This individual will also own and generate ideas on how the fund can best support and potentially incubate new EdTech solutions catering to India 3. This will include working closely with budding entrepreneurs and collaborating with various other ecosystem partners (Incubators, Funders, Experts, Collectives) to build and launch novel solutions.
● Donor management: Support fundraising efforts and donor management including regular communication, reporting and engagement.
● Fund management: Support managing overall fund operations which include planning, budgets, risks, successful implementation through to monitoring and tracking, etc.
Required Qualifications, Skills and Abilities
● 6-10 years of work experience in product/ program/ project management in a challenging, high growth environment
● Proven experience in managing and leading teams to outcomes
● Excellent problem-solving and strategic thinking skills, with an understanding of latest trends and innovations in technology
● Strong communication skills (including writing and presentation skills)
● Ability to build strong relationships and manage stakeholders internally and externally
● Ability to work independently and proactively in a small-organization setting, where collaboration, teamwork and resourcefulness are highly valued
● Bachelors and/ or Masters degree in Engineering or related field is preferred
● Prior experience in venture capital/ entrepreneurship/ EdTech / Startup Accelerators a plus
● Passion for the sector and motivation to help Indian children succeed; experience in an NGO is a plus
Compensation
Remuneration will be competitive with Indian philanthropy pay scales and will depend upon the candidate’s experience levels.
Interested candidates can send in their resume and cover letters through the form below.
To apply for this job please visit forms.gle.
