CEO - Incubation

Symbiosis Skills & Professional University; Pune District; On-site; INR 1,200,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Job summary

Symbiosis Skills & Professional University is seeking an experienced leader to drive entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystems, including incubation centres, accelerators and related programs. You will build partnerships with industry, government bodies and investors to mobilize funding and deliver tangible outcomes.

The role requires a strong track record in startup ecosystems, fundraising and program management, with ability to scale initiatives and partner across multiple stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Senior leadership in building or scaling incubation/innovation ecosystems.
• Experience with government programs, grants and partnerships.
• Proven ability to mobilize resources and deliver measurable outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Lead design and scaling of incubation/innovation ecosystems.
• Develop partnerships with industry, government and investors.
• Secure funding and manage government/grant programs.
• Strategically align ecosystem initiatives with national and regional priorities.

Skills

Ecosystem leadership

Startup incubation

Partnership development

Fundraising

Strategic planning

Education

Bachelor's/Master's degree in Engineering, Management, Technology, Entrepreneurship, Science

Job description

We are looking for an experienced entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem leader with a strong track record in incubation, startups, government program's, industry partnerships and fundraising.

Desired Qualifications & Experience:

• Bachelor's/Master's degree in Engineering, Management, Technology, Entrepreneurship, Science or a related discipline. MBA/PGDM/PhD would be an advantage.
• 10+ years of relevant professional experience, preferably in startups, incubation, entrepreneurship, innovation, venture building, corporate innovation, technology commercialization or ecosystem development.
• Experience in establishing, managing or scaling an Incubation Centre, Accelerator, Innovation Hub, Startup Centre, Entrepreneurship Centre or similar ecosystem will be preferred.
• Demonstrated experience in working with Government of India / Government-funded innovation and entrepreneurship program's and projects will be highly preferred.
• Experience with initiatives and funding program's associated with organizations such as NITI Aayog (including Atal Community Innovation Centre – ACIC / related innovation initiatives), SIDBI, Ministry of MSME and other government agencies will be an added advantage.
• Experience in preparing project proposals, securing government grants/funding, managing funded projects, complying with program's guidelines and delivering measurable outcomes will be preferred.
• Strong understanding of the Indian startup, incubation, innovation and entrepreneurship ecosystem.
• Demonstrated experience in developing and managing partnerships with industry, corporates, investors, government agencies, funding organizations and startup ecosystem partners.
• Experience in fundraising, grant mobilization, investor engagement and startup financing will be an advantage.
• Strong business development, strategic planning, negotiation and stakeholder management capabilities.
• Experience in building industry-sponsored innovation program's, Corporate Innovation Centre, Proof-of-Concept (PoC) program's or accelerator program's will be an advantage.

Preferred Exposure

Candidates with demonstrated experience in one or more of the following areas will be preferred:

NITI Aayog / Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) | ACIC / Innovation Centre | SIDBI | Ministry of MSME | Government Grants & Funding | Startup India Ecosystem | Incubation & Acceleration | Industry Innovation Program's | Investor & VC Connect | Technology Commercialization | Entrepreneurship Development

Key Differentiator

The preferred candidate should be someone who has actually built and scaled an innovation/incubation ecosystem, rather than only managed its day-to-day administration.

Experience in successfully mobilizing government funding, industry sponsorships, grants and other resources for innovation and entrepreneurship program's, and converting these resources into measurable outcomes, will be highly valued.