Program Manager - Innovation Vertical

Accelerate Indian Philanthropy; New Delhi; On-site; INR 2,500,000 - 4,500,000; Full time

Job summary

The Convergence Foundation (TCF) is building a new RD&I investment vertical to accelerate India's economic transformation through research, development and innovation. This role involves shaping TCF's perspective, supporting partner organisations, and leading select projects with senior stakeholders.

The position offers opportunities to convene diverse actors across government, industry, academia and philanthropy, shaping policy and translation infrastructure in a start-up like environment.

Qualifications

• Undergrad and masters degree from a top-tier institution with intellectual curiosity and sophistication.
• 3–5 years of work experience in a challenging/high-growth environment.
• Excellent analytical, critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent writing, communication and stakeholder-facing abilities.
• High level of flexibility and ability to manage changing priorities.

Responsibilities

• Build and refine TCF's point of view on India's innovation ecosystem through research and data synthesis.
• Support partner organisations (e.g., FAST, ITRI) on strategy and priorities with inputs and benchmarking.
• Take ownership of end-to-end design and delivery of selected projects within the vertical.
• Oversee creation of knowledge products—reports, briefs, benchmarking—into clear outputs.
• Build and maintain a network of relationships with senior leaders, funders, and experts across sectors.
• Design and run convenings, dialogues and forums connecting stakeholders in innovation.
• Take on diverse operational tasks to ensure organizational success as the vertical scales.

Skills

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Writing skills

Stakeholder management

Project management

Interpersonal skills

Presentation skills

Organizational skills

Flexibility

Education

Bachelor's and Master's degree

Tools

MS Office

Job description

Position

Program Manager

About The Convergence Foundation

The Convergence Foundation (TCF) is an Indian philanthropic foundation established by Ashish and Manisha Dhawan in April 2021. TCF builds on their legacy of impactful philanthropy, including the founding of transformative institutions like Ashoka University and the Central Square Foundation.

Our mission is clear: to transform the lives of all Indians through rapid, sustained economic growth and inclusive development.

To achieve this, we focus on 3 pillars

1. Direct engines of economic growth that enable job creation,
2. Human capital development through education and employability,
3. Development Enablers that strengthen the philanthropic ecosystem and improve state capacity.

In each area, TCF works on:

1. Building pioneering institutions to address Indias most complex socio-economic challenges.
2. Shaping the larger ecosystem and sharing knowledge, insights and learning with other philanthropists, governments and key stakeholders.

We believe that the government is the key actor for system change, and the role of philanthropy and nonprofits is to strategically support the government. The TCF Network includes 20+ organisations all working systemically with the government, committed to addressing specific areas of Indias socio-economic development, across our three pillars.

Position Summary

TCF is building a new investment vertical on Research, Development and Innovation (RD&I), anchored in the belief that scientific and technological innovation is one of the most critical levers for Indias economic transformation determining whether the country can achieve high-income status, build globally competitive industries, and translate its research strengths into real-world impact. This vertical works across the research and innovation ecosystem – from strengthening Indias research institutions and government funding architecture, to catalyzing private-sector R&D investment, to building the translation infrastructure that turns research into products and companies.

This role will:

• Build TCFs point of view on Indias innovation ecosystem - through rigorous research, benchmarking against global peers, and synthesis of whats working and what isnt.
• Support partner organisations working in this space (e.g., FAST, ITRI, and others in TCFs network) on their strategy and execution.
• Drive select projects directly, where TCF sees an opportunity to build or catalyze something the ecosystem needs.
• Build TCFs network and convening presence in this space - connecting with government, industry, academia, and philanthropy stakeholders, and hosting/participating in convenings that advance the field.

This is a great opportunity for those who enjoy working in a start-up environment, enjoy building and scaling organisations, and care deeply about the impact sector. This role includes working with senior stakeholders and engaging with them on strategic projects that have the potential to solve key development challenges.

Key Responsibilities

• Build and continuously refine TCFs point of view on Indias innovation ecosystem - covering research institutions, government funding and policy architecture, industry R&D investment, and translation/commercialization infrastructure - through secondary research, expert conversations, and data synthesis.
• Support partner organisations in the innovation space (e.g., FAST, ITRI) on strategic and organisational priorities, including research inputs, benchmarking, and problem-solving on specific initiatives.
• Take ownership of end-to-end design and delivery of select projects TCF chooses to drive directly within this vertical, in collaboration with other team members and external stakeholders.
• Oversee the creation of knowledge products - reports, briefs, benchmarking exercises - synthesising research and expert input into clear, actionable outputs.
• Build and maintain TCFs network of relationships with senior leaders, funders, and experts across government, industry, academia, and philanthropy working on innovation.
• Design and help run convenings, dialogues, and collaborative forums that advance TCFs work and connect key stakeholders in the innovation ecosystem.
• Take on diverse operational tasks to ensure organisational success as this vertical is built.

Required Qualifications, Skills and Abilities

• Undergraduate and masters degree from a top-tier institution; while there is no preference for a particular major or specialisation, we expect to see a high degree of intellectual curiosity and sophistication.
• A genuine interest in science, technology, and research policy is a strong plus - the role involves engaging deeply with scientific and technical subject matter, though a formal science background is not a prerequisite.
• 3-5 years of work experience in a challenging/ high growth environment.
• Excellent analytical, critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Solid planning and organisational 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 organisational demands require.

Compensation

Remuneration will be competitive with Indian philanthropy pay scales and will depend upon the candidates experience.

Location

New Delhi, India or others depending on the organisation