Academic Counsellor- D2CX Founder's Program

ESP Engineered; India; On-site; INR 500,000 - 800,000; Full time

Job summary

ESP Engineered is seeking an Academic Counsellor for the D2CX Founder's Program in India. This full-time role requires 2–5 years of experience in academic counselling or consultative sales. You'll help D2C founders navigate their growth journey through consultative sales and relationship-building. The position emphasizes communication skills, empathy, and a high-ownership work environment, making it ideal for those passionate about supporting ambitious founders on their growth path.

Qualifications

• Strong consultative selling skills to build trust quickly.
• Ability to understand a founder's unique context.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Own the founder counselling journey from application to enrollment.
• Guide applicants with an empathetic approach.
• Build trust through calls and follow-ups.

Skills

Consultative selling

Empathy

Communication

Collaboration

Sales strategy

Education

2–5 years in academic counselling or inside sales

Tools

CRM tools

Job description

Academic Counsellor- D2CX Founder's Program

2-5

Full-Time

As an Academic Counsellor for D2CX, you will work directly with ambitious D2C founders who are trying to build, fix, or scale real consumer brands. You will be the person helping them make a high-conviction decision about whether D2CX is the right next step for their growth journey.

You’ll combine consultative sales, founder empathy, sharp qualification, and outcome-led counselling to help the right founders join the program. If you enjoy speaking to ambitious people, understanding what is actually blocking their growth, and guiding them toward the right solution, this role will feel deeply meaningful.

This role is ideal for someone who thrives in high-trust, high-ownership environments where learner success, relationship-building, and strong communication matter as much as conversion.

About Inc42 Media

Inc42 is India’s leading startup media and intelligence platform that informs, educates and empowers startup and business leaders through its incisive reporting, insightful reports, curated events and community engagement, and industry-leading executive courses.

Since launching in January 2015, and having risen to become the authoritative voice on India’s startup economy, we've moved markets, gotten the early scoop on billions of dollars of transactions and told you what's happening deep inside some of the fastest-growing startups and industries alike. Our stories have been followed by the Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, Reuters, TechCrunch and other major outlets hundreds of times.

We also track over 50,000+ startups and provide market research and intelligence through our in-depth research reports, and we organise some of the most sought-after conferences and events for startup and business leaders across India.

The Inc42 Impact

• Inc42 stories reach over 50 Mn+ people monthly
• Published more than 55,000 stories
• Successfully conducted 150+ events
• Launched 100+ research reportsReceives 500+ startup applications monthly
• Worked with 350+ brands

What you’ll do:

• Own the founder counselling journey from application to enrollment for D2CX.
• Speak with D2C founders to understand their brand stage, business challenges, ambitions, and fit for the program.
• Guide applicants with a consultative, empathetic, and high-conviction approach instead of a generic sales pitch.
• Help founders understand how D2CX can support them across areas like brand, growth, retention, marketplaces, and scale.
• Build trust with high-intent applicants through calls, Zoom conversations, WhatsApp, and email follow-ups.
• Nurture warm leads over multiple touchpoints and move them toward decision-making.
• Maintain strong CRM hygiene across lead stages, follow-ups, objections, notes, and conversions.
• Work closely with marketing and program teams to improve the founder experience across application, counselling, and conversion.
• Surface recurring founder objections, insights, and market feedback to help improve messaging and admissions processes.
• Contribute to conversion playbooks, call frameworks, and counselling best practices as the function scales.

What we are looking for:

• You are strong at consultative selling and can build trust quickly.
• You can understand a founder’s context instead of forcing a one-size-fits-all pitch.
• You know how to balance empathy with commercial sharpness.
• You communicate clearly and confidently on calls, Zoom, WhatsApp, and email.
• You enjoy high-ownership roles in fast-moving teams.
• You care about outcomes, not just activity.

Ideal Experience:

• 2–5 years in academic counselling, admissions, inside sales, learner success, or founder-facing sales.
• Experience in cohort-based education, executive education, startup education, or high-ticket consultative sales is a strong plus.
• Experience selling to founders, operators, or working professionals is highly preferred.
• Comfort with CRM tools and structured follow-up systems.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to manage multiple high-intent conversations without losing detail or momentum.

Bonus if you have:

• Experience counselling candidates for premium, outcome-led programs.
• Familiarity with startups, D2C brands, ecommerce, or founder ecosystems.
• Strong instinct for understanding ambition, fit, and founder psychology.

What success looks like in this role:

• High-quality founder conversations that lead to strong-fit enrollments.
• Consistent lead nurturing and follow-through across the funnel.
• Strong conversion from qualified applications to enrolled fellows.
• Clean CRM discipline and reliable forecasting.
• Thoughtful founder experience from first touchpoint to final decision.

Why Join Us:

• You’ll work at the intersection of startups, education, and founder growth.
• You’ll speak every day with ambitious builders shaping consumer brands.
• You’ll be part of a founder-first program with real market relevance.
• You’ll get real ownership, fast learning, and the chance to help build a serious education business from the inside out.

Required Skills

Ownership and Accountability Communication Collaboration Consistency Sales Strategy academic counselling consultative selling Pursuit of Excellence Business Development