Job Opportunity for Vice President at Circle In in New Delhi

Position

Founding Vice President (VP), Circle In

About Circle In

Circle In aims to drastically improve women’s economic empowerment in India. Women’s empowerment is both a moral imperative and a prerequisite for India’s social and economic progress. However, in 2021, India dropped 28 places in the Global Gender Gap Index, and now ranks 140 out of 156. The barriers to women’s economic empowerment, such as limited economic opportunities, lack of agency and decision-making power, and fundamental infrastructure (e.g. safety, mobility) are complex and interlinked, and require a holistic approach to the problem.

To accelerate women’s economic empowerment in India, Circle In will initially focus on three key areas:

• Employment: doubling the female labor force participation rate and increasing female-owned enterprises from 20% to 30% in the next 15 years
• Safety: Women are, and feel safe at home, at work, and in public places
• Agency: Increasing women’s decision-making power at home, at work, and in the community

Circle In aims to be the leading organisation working on women’s economic empowerment in the country. This will require taking a foundation approach and utilising a variety of levers, such as building political salience, engaging with the private sector, innovating and using markets, providing seed funding and shaping supply, and building the ecosystem in this area. Circle In is being incubated by The Convergence Foundation, an organisation set up by Ashish Dhawan to identify critical voids in the social sector and build strong, long-lasting organisations to solve complex problems. We are supported by champions and advisors, including Megha Chawla (Partner, Bain & Company), Sri Rajan (former Chairman, Bain & Company), Ashwini Deshpande (Founding Director of Centre for Economic Data and Analysis at Ashoka University), and Shaveta Sharma-Kukreja (co-Managing Director at Central Square Foundation).

Position Summary

We are looking for an exceptional Founding VP to join the team in an exciting time of organisational growth and development. S/he will contribute to nation- and institution-building and play a fundamental role in shaping the women’s economic empowerment landscape in India. The ideal candidate would be an entrepreneurial institution builder with high intellectual vitality, and someone who is incredibly passionate about women’s empowerment in India. We are looking for a stellar senior corporate leader who has built institutions, managed and led high-performing teams, and wants to co-create the most impactful organisation working on women’s economic empowerment in India in the next 10 years.

The Founding VP’s role is to establish Circle In as the pre-eminent organisation for enhancing women’s economic empowerment in India, with a focus on designing and implementing high-impact interventions in the form of policies, programs, or bold new initiatives. The Founding VP will report to the CEO of the organisation.

In two years, we envision the following:

• Launch initiatives in the three areas that have been identified (employment, safety, agency) that include policy, programs, interventions, and creating an ecosystem
• Identify 2-3 more high potential areas to address the problem of women’s economic empowerment in India and launch initiatives
• Build an ecosystem around the organisation and specific areas, including a network of advisors and champions from research, academia, the private sector, the government, etc.
• Build Circle In into a best-in-class organisation with top talent

Key Responsibilities

The Founding VP is expected to work closely with the CEO and the Founders to set up Circle In as a unique social sector organisation, creating an institution that consistently delivers the necessary impact towards achieving its long-term vision.

• Co-develop strategy alongside the CEO and boot-strap its operating capabilities – including designing a business plan, organisational structure, hiring and building a strong leadership team, allocating resources, and securing long term funding
• Lead programs and projects with institutions in the ecosystem, private sector, and government to consolidate best practices for change
• Undertake programs and projects focused on research, and pilots in the areas of women’s employment, safety and financial access and agency
• Establish Circle In as a thought leader by building a robust network of partners, collaborators, and supporters
• Work with the leadership to build an ecosystem of partners for research, program design as well as program delivery
• Raise the level of debate and awareness amongst the government, corporates, private sector leaders, and academia about the essential need for enhancing women’s economic empowerment, and how to best achieve set goals
• Mentor and guide the team for better engagement when engaging with private sector leaders and government officials
• Develop a comprehensive framework of review relating to targets, growth, policies, and procedures

Required Qualifications, Skills, and Abilities

• Graduate degree from a top-tier institution. While the area of study can vary, passion for women’s empowerment is a must
• 15+ years of work experience in a professional environment with the ability to juggle multiple projects and work with a diverse group of stakeholders. Exceptional candidates with fewer years of work experience are encouraged to apply
• Entrepreneurial self-starter who is a hands-on leader, passionate about women’s empowerment, and interested in solving complex social problems
• Highly motivated and able to inspire team members to work towards goals and targets, and take ownership of the organisation and mission
• Collaborative and active listener, leads with empathy and values teamwork and resourcefulness
• Critical thought leader with high intellectual vitality, the desire to continuously learn, read, and engage on a variety of topics. While the person may only have a basic understanding of the social sector, we highly value the willingness to learn
• Ability to network, establish credibility and build and nurture deep relationships with senior stakeholders in both the corporate and social sectors
• Adaptable and flexible to changing circumstances and needs of the role, including flexibility in working hours/ travel to ensure coordination with stakeholders in different locations and time zones
• Operating style suited to working in a small-organization setting, where teamwork and resourcefulness are highly valued

Remuneration

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

Location

New Delhi, India