Program Manager - Innovation Vertical The Convergence Foundation (TCF)

The Convergence Foundation; New Delhi; On-site; INR 1,200,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Job summary

The Convergence Foundation in New Delhi, India is seeking an exceptional Program Manager to help build its RD&I investment vertical from the ground up. This role involves shaping TCF's point of view on India's innovation ecosystem, benchmarking against global peers, and translating insights into actionable outputs.

You will work with senior stakeholders and partner organizations to drive strategic projects, convene dialogues, and strengthen the foundation's network across government,

Qualifications

• Undergraduate and master's degree from a top-tier institution.
• Interest in science, technology, and research policy is a strong plus.
• 3-5 years of work experience in a challenging/high growth environment.
• Excellent analytical, critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
• Strong planning, organizing, and deadline-driven approach.
• Excellent writing, communication, and stakeholder-facing skills.

Responsibilities

• Build and refine TCF's point of view on India's innovation ecosystem.
• Support partner organizations on strategic and organizational priorities.
• Take ownership of end-to-end design and delivery of select projects within this vertical.
• Oversee creation of knowledge products—reports, briefs, benchmarking—into clear outputs.
• Build and maintain senior relationships with funders, government, industry, academia, and philanthropy.
• Design and run convenings, dialogues, and collaborative forums.

Skills

Analytical thinking

Problem solving

Planning & organisation

Writing ability

Communication & stakeholder management

Flexibility

Education

Undergraduate and master's degree

Job description

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, and

3) Development Enablers that strengthen the philanthropic ecosystem and improve state capacity.

In each area, TCF works on:

• Building pioneering institutions to address India's most complex socio-economic challenges.
• 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 India's 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 India's 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 India's 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.

We are looking for an exceptional Program Manager to help build this vertical from the ground up. This role will:

• Build TCF's point of view on India's innovation ecosystem - through rigorous research, benchmarking against global peers, and synthesis of what's working and what isn't.
• Support partner organisations working in this space (e.g., FAST, ITRI, and others in TCF's network) on their strategy and execution.
• Drive select projects directly, where TCF sees an opportunity to build or catalyze something the ecosystem needs.
• Build TCF's 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 TCF's point of view on India's 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 TCF's 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 TCF's 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 master's 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 candidate's experience.

Location

New Delhi, India or others depending on the organisation