Job Opportunity for Manager – Strategy, Investments, and Portfolio Development (SIP) at The Convergence Foundation in New Delhi

Position

Manager – Strategy, Investments, and Portfolio Development (SIP) at The Convergence Foundation

About The Convergence Foundation

The Convergence Foundation (TCF) aims to make India a $10 trillion inclusive and sustainable economy by 2035. Founded by philanthropists Ashish and Manisha 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.

Position Summary

We are looking to hire an exceptional individual to join the SIP Team and work directly with the Founder-CEO 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. S/he should have immense entrepreneurial spirit and the ability to juggle multiple high-impact projects simultaneously.

S/he will also work directly with TCF’s Leadership team, mentors and advisory board, and other senior leaders across the TCF portfolio, providing this individual 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, developing organisational strategy, evaluating new nonprofits for investment, and providing operational support across multiple functions and sectors. 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 and incubating organisations – from female labour force participation to higher education – working with leaders to create actionable strategic plans, sharpening pitches for potential funders and partners, hiring for critical roles in the organisation, and implementing key portfolio management processes.

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. Alumni from this role have gained admission to reputed business schools in the US and India, including Harvard, Kellogg, MIT Sloan, Columbia, and ISB.

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
• Source, evaluate, and onboard new organisations into the portfolio, or take the lead in anchoring new initiatives and incubating new organisations from scratch
• Take on diverse operational tasks to ensure organizational success. In essence, be the engine that keeps TCF running!
• Project manage strategic initiatives efficiently with minimal support and high-quality 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

Required Qualifications, Skills and Abilities

• Undergraduate 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
• 2-5 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
• Ability to commit for a minimum of 24 months

Compensation

Remuneration will be competitive with Indian philanthropy pay scales and will depend upon the candidate’s experience.

Location

New Delhi, India