Website The Convergence Foundation

About The Convergence Foundation

The Convergence Foundation (TCF) aims to make India a $10 trillion inclusive and sustainable economy by 2035. Set up and run by philanthropist—and formerly one of India’s leading private equity investors—Ashish Dhawan, TCF builds institutions and supports bold leaders tackling India’s complex problems ranging from unemployment to air pollution, from poor education outcomes to low participation of women in the labour force. Our portfolio organisations are in for the long haul and adopt a systemic reform approach to address at scale the challenges that impede India’s economic progress.

TCF provides early-stage funding and strategic and operational support to our portfolio of 13 organisations (and growing!) to ensure a sharp focus on creating impact and building institutions. We have developed Centres of Excellence across critical areas that enable organisational growth and accelerate the scale of impact. These include developing deep connections with the broader ecosystem (including the government, donors, and other influencers), recruiting best-in-class talent, building a strong brand and network of champions, initiating cross-learning between organisations, and building fundraising capacity.

We aim to build outstanding institutions that will create catalytic impact at scale in the sectors they operate in. We are looking for smart, entrepreneurial, and mission driven people to join us on this journey.

Our Current Portfolio

Central Square Foundation (est. 2012)
Air Pollution Action Group (est. 2019)
India Leaders for Social Sector (est. 2017)
Centre for Effective Governance of Indian States (est. 2019)
ACT EdTech Ambition Fund (est. 2020)
Accelerate Indian Philanthropy (est. 2021)
Foundation for Advancing Science and Technology (est. 2021)
The Udaiti Foundation (est. 2022)
Foundation for Economic Development (est. 2022)
ChangeINKK (est. 2022)
Sports and Society Accelerator (est. 2022)
The Infravision Foundation (est. 2022)
Centre for Research In Schemes and Policies (est. 2022)

Position Summary

We are looking to hire an exceptional individual to lead multiple workstreams within the Strategy, Investments, and Portfolio Development team at TCF. We are on the hunt for a smart, emotionally intelligent individual who is passionate about creating change and has a track record of success in scaling startups and/or delivering high-impact solutions in a consulting role.

You will work directly with TCF’s Founder and CEO Ashish Dhawan, TCF’s Leadership team, advisors, and other senior leaders across our portfolio, providing you with unparalleled learning opportunities, exposure to multiple sectors, and a vast network. This role will involve conducting secondary research, analyzing and synthesizing information to provide key insights, assisting with the development of organisational strategy, and providing operational support across multiple functions, with the ability to develop expertise across areas. The SIP team is responsible for building a world-class foundation by ensuring high-priority strategic projects are executed well.

This is a great opportunity for those who enjoy working in a fast-paced environment with exceptional leaders, are excited about building and scaling organizations, and care deeply about making an impact. You will work with senior stakeholders and engage with them on key projects that have the potential to solve critical development challenges.

In the past, this has included scoping new initiatives – from labour force participation to higher education, working with the different organizations on creating actionable strategic plans, sharpening pitches for potential funders and partners, hiring for critical roles in the organisation, and putting key processes in place.

TCF’s leaders have previously held key leadership positions at established institutions across sectors, such as, Procter & Gamble, Reckitt Benckiser, Whirlpool, PwC, Hindustan Times, Spencer Stuart, and others.

Key responsibilities

Work with TCF Leadership to provide strategic and operational support to portfolio organisations, ranging from fundraising to recruitment to other key functions
Develop specialized knowledge in various areas in the social sector that our organizations operate within; assist with research on strategic initiatives and provide key insight to sharpen organisational strategy
Take on diverse operational tasks to ensure organizational success. In essence, be the engine that keeps TCF running!
Project management of strategic initiatives end-to-end with minimal support and high quality of execution
Work cross functionally across the portfolio organizations to develop the activities and programs as needed, so as to build coalitions and collaborations with the intention to build high-performing and execution focused organizations in the development sector
Motivate, inspire, and manage a team of analysts/associates to reach their potential and deliver exceptional results

Required Qualifications, Skills and Abilities

Undergraduate or Master’s degree from a top tier institution; while there is no preference for a particular major or specialization, we expect to see a high degree of intellectual curiosity and analytical capability
5-8 years of work experience in a challenging/high-growth environment
Excellent analytical, critical thinking and problem-solving skills
Excellent stakeholder management skills and high emotional intelligence
Solid planning and organizational skills with high attention to detail, accuracy, protocol and deadline
Excellent writing ability that is clear, concise, and analytic in style
Excellent communication, interpersonal, and stakeholder-facing skills including solid presentation and facilitation skills
High level of flexibility and responsiveness with the ability to shift priorities quickly and as organizational demands require

Desired Qualities

High level of discretion in maintaining confidentiality of sensitive materials and issues
Ability to understand and consider organizational culture and change
Ability to function and interact in a professional level capacity to sustain the mission, culture and best interests of the respective organizations
Ability to adapt and exhibit confidence in a highly evolving, agile, and fast paced work environment
Ability to do research and distill important concepts in a structured, concise, yet comprehensive manner
Operating style suited to working in a small-organization setting, where teamwork and resourcefulness are highly valued

Compensation