Program Manager / Senior Program Manager

N S Raghavan Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning; Bengaluru; On-site; INR 4,000,000 - 7,000,000; Full time

Job summary

N.S. Raghavan Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning (NSRCEL) at IIM Bangalore invites applications for a Program Manager / Senior Program Manager to lead the Climate Centre of Excellence portfolio.

You will own end-to-end program delivery, drive partnerships, and manage budgets and revenue across multiple programs. The role requires 10–14 years of experience with strong leadership, stakeholder engagement, and a track record of managing complex budgets.

Qualifications

• 10–14 years of overall experience, including at least 3 years managing programs in incubation or acceleration, VC, CSR or philanthropy, climate or sustainability, or consulting.
• Track record of owning large budgets and senior external stakeholders, and delivering against contractual milestones.
• Financial acumen: comfort building and defending a budget, a forecast and a P&L.
• People leadership experience (required at Senior Program Manager level).
• Partnership building, structured writing and strong presentation skills.
• Understanding of India's climate-tech and startup ecosystem, with relevant networks.
• Equivalent experience will be considered in lieu of a Master’s degree.
• Hands-on familiarity with AI productivity tools (this is a must).

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end delivery of programs, including design, selection, curriculum, mentoring, outcomes and M&E, against logframe milestones and KPIs.
• Design new program formats for emerging climate sectors, drawing on Sunrise Sectors thesis and partner needs.
• Set up and maintain the venture metrics system so the CoE can show program impact for startups.
• Own the program P&L: topline and net revenue, direct and indirect cost allocation, overhead contribution, forecasts and utilization.
• Be the senior contact for corporate CSR sponsors; run reviews, manage expectations and drive renewals and expanded scope.
• Lead proposals and pitches for new sponsors, and work with legal and finance to structure contracts.
• Ensure financial and compliance discipline across all programs, including utilization certificates, audits and partner reporting.
• Connect portfolio startups to capital, including investors, grant programs and blended finance.
• Contribute to research, policy engagement with government bodies, and international partnerships.
• Represent NSRCEL at ecosystem forums and publish sector briefs.
• Lead, coach and review a team of Assistant Managers and Program Associates; set goals and build capability.
• Build SOPs and AI-enabled workflows to run more programs with limited headcount.
• Travel to meet ventures, partners and ecosystem organisations.

Skills

Program management

Budget management

Stakeholder management

People leadership

Partnership building

Structured writing

Presentation skills

Climate-tech knowledge

Team coaching

Education

Master's degree (MBA / sustainability / engineering / public policy or related)

Tools

AI productivity tools

Job description

• Industry Nonprofit Charitable Organizations
• Work Experience 11-14 years
• Country India
• Postal Code 560076

Job Description

Position: Program Manager / Senior Program Manager, Climate Centreof Excellence

Reporting manager: AVP, Climate Centre of Excellence

Experience: 10–14 years

Who we are

The N.S. Raghavan Centre forEntrepreneurial Learning (NSRCEL) is IIM Bangalore's startup hub and incubationcentre, structured as a Section 8 not-for-profit. Its mission is to supportventures that can create significant economic and societal impact. Thisfinancial year alone, NSRCEL has engaged with 1,106 ventures through 13 programtracks across 82 towns in India.

NSRCEL is supported by theDepartment of Science and Technology and the Ministry of Electronics andInformation Technology, and partners with corporates and foundations to supportidea-stage and early-revenue entrepreneurs in climate-tech, women entrepreneurshipand social impact.

About the Climate Centre ofExcellence

The Climate Centre of Excellence(Climate CoE) is NSRCEL's climate vertical. It runs a five-pillar platform(Incubation, Capital, Research, Policy and Global Innovation) and works with100+ climate startups every year across multiple corporate-sponsored programs,backed by a network of 250+ mentors.

The CoE works with corporatepartners such as Maruti Suzuki, Hindustan Unilever and Pernod Ricard IndiaFoundation, and with institutional partners such as KREDL, IISc and UNSW.Through its Sunrise Sectors work, it also tracks emerging sectors to shape whereNSRCEL incubates next.

The role

You will lead a portfolio of theClimate CoE's corporate-sponsored programs and own its results: programoutcomes, partner relationships, the P&L and the team that delivers it. Youwill also help shape what the CoE builds next, from new program formats to itswork across Capital, Research, Policy and Global Innovation.

We are hiring at Program Manageror Senior Program Manager level, depending on experience. A Program Manager(about 6–9 years) owns one or two programs and their budgets. A Senior ProgramManager (about 9–12 years) owns a portfolio of programs and its P&L, leadsa team and drives new partnerships and revenue.

What you will do

Programs and portfolio

• Own end-to-end delivery of your programs, including design, selection, curriculum, mentoring, outcomes and M&E, against agreed logframe milestones and KPIs.
• Design new program formats for emerging climate sectors, drawing on the Sunrise Sectors thesis and what partners and founders need.
• Set up and maintain the venture metrics system so the CoE can show what its programs achieve for startups.

P&L and partnerships

• Own the program P&L: topline and netrevenue, direct and indirect cost allocation, overhead contribution, forecasts and utilisation.
• Be the senior contact for corporate and CSRsponsors. Run reviews, manage expectations and drive renewals and expandedscope.
• Lead proposals and pitches for new sponsors(Senior Program Manager level), and work with legal and finance to structurecontracts.
• Ensure strict financial and compliancediscipline across all programs, including utilisation certificates, audits andpartner reporting.

Across the CoE's pillars

• Connect portfolio startups to capital, including investors, grant programs and blended finance.
• Contribute to research, policy engagementwith state and central government bodies, and international partnerships.
• Represent NSRCEL at ecosystem forums,roundtables and conferences, and publish sector briefs and points of view.

Team and operations

• Lead, coach and review a team of AssistantManagers and Program Associates. Set clear goals that support the CoE's targetsand build their capability.
• Build SOPs and AI-enabled workflows that letthe team run more programs without adding headcount at the same rate.
• Travel to meet ventures, partners andecosystem organisations.

What success looks like in yourfirst year

• Programs delivered against every partnermilestone, with sponsors renewing or expanding.
• Net revenue and overhead contribution targetsmet for your portfolio.
• At least one new sponsor or program signed(Senior Program Manager level).
• A team with clear goals that meets them, andat least one team member ready for a bigger role.

Requirements

What you will need to bring tothe table

• 10–14 years of overall experience, includingat least 3 years managing programs in incubation or acceleration, VC, CSR orphilanthropy, climate or sustainability, or consulting.
• A track record of owning large budgets andsenior external stakeholders, and delivering against contractual milestones.
• Financial acumen: comfort building anddefending a budget, a forecast and a P&L.
• People leadership experience (required atSenior Program Manager level).
• Partnership building, structured writing andstrong presentation skills.
• Understanding of India's climate-tech andstartup ecosystem, with relevant networks.
• A Master's degree (MBA, sustainability,engineering, public policy or related) is preferred. Equivalent experience willbe considered.
• Hands-on familiarity with AI productivitytools (this is a must).

What will set you apart

• Having started a business or non-profit, orled an important function in a startup.
• Depth in one or more climate segments such asenergy transition, mobility, agri and food systems, circularity, water orclimate finance.
• Experience working with government ormultilateral bodies, or running programs across geographies.