Program Manager - Research Alliances

ASPIRE IITB Research Park Foundation; Mumbai; On-site; INR 1,200,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Job summary

ASPIRE IITB Research Park Foundation seeks a Program Manager-Research Alliances to drive high-impact industry-academia-government initiatives at IIT Bombay's Powai campus. You will coordinate stakeholders, manage complex programs, and translate discussions into actionable outcomes while maintaining integrity and discretion.

You will engage IIT Bombay leadership, industry CXOs, and funding agencies, crafting strategic updates, executive briefs, and dashboards to enable informed leadership

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in STEM required.
• Strong executive presence and stakeholder management essential.
• Experience in research partnerships or academia-government sectors preferred.

Responsibilities

• Act as central execution anchor for the Research Alliances team, ensuring timely delivery of priorities across multiple stakeholders and workstreams.
• Drive end-to-end planning, governance, coordination, and execution of complex strategic initiatives for the Research Alliances team.
• Anticipate risks, resolve bottlenecks, manage dependencies, and maintain execution excellence under demanding timelines.
• Serve as an extension of the Head - Research Alliances in managing priorities, engagements, and follow-through.
• Support the Research Alliances team in projects with senior stakeholders including IIT Bombay leadership, faculty, industry CXOs, funding agencies, and other partner institutions.
• Lead preparation and coordination for high-profile meetings, reviews, visits, events, and strategic engagements.
• Participate in and assimilate business, technology, research, innovation, and policy discussions, translating them into actionable outcomes.
• Prepare executive briefs, reports, presentations, communiques, concept notes, meeting summaries, and strategic updates for leadership and external stakeholders.
• Analyze program, partnership, ecosystem, and operational data to generate strategic insights and recommendations.
• Develop dashboards, review mechanisms, process efficiency initiatives, trackers, and performance reports to support leadership decision-making.
• Influence outcomes and drive collaboration across diverse stakeholders without direct reporting authority.
• Demonstrate strong judgment, conflict resolution skills, and a solutions-oriented mindset in managing competing priorities and sensitive situations.

Skills

Executive presence

Stakeholder management

Strategic partnership

Executive communication

Program governance

Analytical thinking

Data-driven decision making

Independence

Accountability

Diplomacy

Integrity & discretion

Education

B.Tech / B.E.

Job description

About Aspire - IITB Research Park Foundation (IITBRPF):

In 2016, the Ministry of Education entrusted IIT Bombay with a pivotal mission: to establish the Research Park within the sprawling campus in Powai, Mumbai. This led to the creation of ASPIRE – the IIT Bombay Research Park Foundation, a non-profit organisation dedicated to catalysing innovation and research with real-world impact.

Inspired by globally successful research park models, ASPIRE (Applied Science Park for Innovation Research & Entrepreneurship) emerges as the epicenter, that connects knowledge, expertise, and resources seamlessly, fostering a strong and collaborative industry-academia ecosystem with a global outlook.

We cultivate R&D partnerships which evolve into a thriving innovation hub, advancing technologies with meaningful societal impact. Our industry-centric workspaces facilitat e collaborative development, while students gain invaluable corporate research exposure, enriching the nation's talent pool. It's a dynamic ecosystem where academia, industry, and students converge to drive innovation and uphold academic excellence.

Job Description:

The Program Manager-Research Alliances will serve as a partner to the Head of Research Alliances, driving the execution of high-impact initiatives involving industry, academia, government stakeholders. The role requires exceptional program management, executive communication, analytical capability, and stakeholder management skills, combined with the ability to operate independently in a dynamic, high-visibility environment with minimal room for error.

Roles and Responsibilities:

• Act as the central execution and accountability anchor for the Research Alliances team, ensuring timely delivery of priorities across multiple stakeholders and workstreams.
• Drive end-to-end planning, governance, coordination, and execution of complex strategic initiatives for the Research Alliances team.
• Anticipate risks, resolve bottlenecks, manage dependencies, and maintain execution excellence under demanding timelines.
• Serve as an extension of the Head - Research Alliances in managing priorities, engagements, and follow-through.
• Support the Research Alliances team in projects with senior stakeholders including IIT Bombay leadership, faculty, industry CXOs, funding agencies, and other partner institutions.
• Lead preparation and coordination for high-profile meetings, reviews, visits, events, and strategic engagements.
• Participate in and assimilate business, technology, research, innovation, and policy discussions, translating them into actionable outcomes.
• Prepare executive briefs, reports, presentations, communiques, concept notes, meeting summaries, and strategic updates for leadership and external stakeholders.
• Analyze program, partnership, ecosystem, and operational data to generate strategic insights and recommendations.
• Develop dashboards, review mechanisms, process efficiency initiatives, trackers, and performance reports to support leadership decision-making.
• Influence outcomes and drive collaboration across diverse stakeholders without direct reporting authority.
• Demonstrate strong judgment, conflict resolution skills, and a solutions-oriented mindset in managing competing priorities and sensitive situations.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in a STEM discipline (B.Tech / B.E).

Skills and Expertise:

• Executive presence and stakeholder management.
• Business, technology, innovation and research acumen.
• Executive communication and writing.
• Program governance and execution excellence.
• Analytical thinking and data-driven decision making.
• Independence, ownership and accountability.
• Influence, tact and emotional intelligence.
• Demonstrate impeccable integrity, confidentiality, discretion, and professional judgment.
• Maintain a polished executive presence and professional appearance appropriate for engagement with senior academic, corporate, government, and international stakeholders.
• Exhibit diplomacy, responsiveness, attention to detail, and the highest standards of professionalism.
• Act as a credible ambassador for the institution and the Research Alliances function in all interactions.