Chief of Staff The STEP Foundation

The Convergence Foundation; India; On-site; INR 1,800,000 - 3,000,000; Full time

Job summary

STEP Foundation is seeking a sharp Chief of Staff to work directly with the Program Director. This execution-focused role connects ITI, Apprenticeship, Research Insights & Strategy, State, Finance, Communications and HR to keep priorities moving and accountable.

You will drive governance, advisory processes, and funder relations while managing day-to-day operations and internal rhythms across a national-level think tank and implementation body.

Qualifications

• 3–5 years of experience in program management, chief of staff, operations, or a similar high-ownership role—ideally within a startup, consulting firm, think tank, or social impact organisation
• Exceptional organisational skills and follow-through; comfortable managing multiple concurrent threads without dropping detail
• Strong written and verbal communication, including the ability to produce clear, senior-stakeholder-ready materials
• High discretion and sound judgment in handling sensitive or confidential information
• Entrepreneurial and hands-on, energised by working in a lean, fast-moving environment
• Comfortable working across levels of seniority—from the Program Director to Program Associates—and across functions
• Deep interest in India's skilling, employability and workforce-development landscape

Responsibilities

• Act as a force-multiplier to the Program Director — tracking priorities, following through on action items, and ensuring nothing falls through the cracks across verticals
• Coordinate cross-vertical execution, working with vertical leads (ITI, Apprenticeship, RI&S, State, Finance, Strategic Communications, HR) to keep deliverables, timelines and dependencies on track
• Prepare briefing materials, decks and follow-up notes for Advisory Board sessions, Steering Committee meetings, and funder / philanthropic stakeholder engagements
• Support institutional and governance workstreams — including compliance processes (FCRA, 12A/80G, CSR) and Board documentation — in coordination with legal counsel and the Program Director
• Own internal operating rhythms: team meetings, goal-tracking, and reporting cadences that keep the organisation aligned
• Manage special projects and troubleshoot operational bottlenecks as they arise, bringing structure to ambiguous problems
• Serve as a trusted communication bridge between the Program Director and the wider team

Job description

Reports to: Program Director, STEP Foundation

About STEP Foundation

STEP Foundation (Skilling, Training & Employability for Prosperity) is a systems-level think tank and implementation body working to ensure every young Indian is employable by 2047. STEP works at the intersection of policy, institutions, and evidence — partnering with the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship (MSDE), NITI Aayog, NCVET, state governments and industry to build the evidence base, strengthen core institutions, and scale high-impact programmes across India's skilling ecosystem.

Job Description

We are seeking a sharp, highly organised Chief of Staff to work directly with STEP's Program Director. This is a high-leverage, execution-focused role at the centre of a fast-growing, lean organisation — you will be the connective tissue that keeps priorities across STEP's verticals (ITI, Apprenticeship, Research Insights & Strategy, State, Finance, Strategic Communications and HR) moving, coordinated, and accountable.

You will work closely with the Program Director on institution-building priorities — from governance and Advisory Board processes to funder and stakeholder management — while also owning the operational rhythm that keeps the organisation running smoothly day to day. This is an ideal role for someone early in their career who wants outsized exposure to how a national-level think tank and implementation organisation is built and run.

Key Responsibilities

• Act as a force-multiplier to the Program Director — tracking priorities, following through on action items, and ensuring nothing falls through the cracks across verticals
• Coordinate cross-vertical execution, working with vertical leads (ITI, Apprenticeship, RI&S, State, Finance, Strategic Communications, HR) to keep deliverables, timelines and dependencies on track
• Prepare briefing materials, decks and follow-up notes for Advisory Board sessions, Steering Committee meetings, and funder / philanthropic stakeholder engagements
• Support institutional and governance workstreams — including compliance processes (FCRA, 12A/80G, CSR) and Board documentation — in coordination with legal counsel and the Program Director
• Own internal operating rhythms: team meetings, goal-tracking, and reporting cadences that keep the organisation aligned
• Manage special projects and troubleshoot operational bottlenecks as they arise, bringing structure to ambiguous problems
• Serve as a trusted communication bridge between the Program Director and the wider team

Ideal Candidate Profile

• 3–5 years of experience in program management, chief of staff, operations, or a similar high-ownership role — ideally within a startup, consulting firm, think tank, or social impact organisation
• Exceptional organisational skills and follow-through; comfortable managing multiple concurrent threads without dropping detail
• Strong written and verbal communication, including the ability to produce clear, senior-stakeholder-ready materials
• High discretion and sound judgment in handling sensitive or confidential information
• Entrepreneurial and hands-on, energised by working in a lean, fast-moving environment
• Comfortable working across levels of seniority — from the Program Director to Program Associates — and across functions
• Deep interest in India's skilling, employability and workforce-development landscape