Senior Program Associate - Industry Foundation for Advancing Science and Technology

The Convergence Foundation; India; On-site; INR 700,000 - 1,000,000; Full time

Job summary

Foundation for Advancing Science and Technology in India seeks a Senior Program Associate to join the Industry vertical. You will provide policy and research expertise, engage with industry and government stakeholders, and assist in executing FAST-India's strategy to liberalise the S&T ecosystem.

This role suits someone who enjoys a start-up environment and is passionate about the impact sector, with responsibilities spanning policy research, communications, and stakeholder engagement.

Qualifications

• Master's degree or equivalent in Economics, Law, Public Policy, Political Science, Management, or related fields.
• 2–4 years of experience in policy research and government/private consulting.
• Excellent skills in research, policy writing, and data analysis.
• Strong conceptual and analytical thinking, and proficiency with PowerPoint and Excel.
• Ability to communicate complex data clearly and work at the interface of government, industry, and academia.

Responsibilities

• Policy research and analysis across science, technology, and innovation sectors.
• Develop policy papers, guidance notes, and operational guidelines for government engagements.
• Translate strategic concepts into implementable work plans with milestones and KPIs.
• Monitor developments in S&T policy, government programmes, and political economy trends.
• Engage with industry, government, academia, and other stakeholders to build relationships.
• Prepare policy briefs, talking points, and external communications for high-level stakeholders.
• Contribute to knowledge products, seminars, webinars, and industry dialogues.

Skills

Policy research

Data analysis

Policy writing

Stakeholder engagement

Excel

PowerPoint

Communication

Education

Master's degree or equivalent

Job description

Position: Senior Program Associate Industry Team

About FAST India

The Foundation for Advancing Science and Technology (FAST India) is a non-profit institution of excellence dedicated to catalyse India's journey to a top 3 S&T Nation. FAST India is founded by Varun Aggarwal, who is a successful entrepreneur and researcher, and Ashish Dhawan, a private equity investor turned philanthropist.

FAST-India has signed MoUs and executed engagements with important government and public stakeholders in the Indian S&T ecosystem, including the Office of Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, Capacity Building Commission, Department of Science and Technology, Anusandhan National Research Foundation, and many leading academic institutions in the country.

About the role

FAST-India is looking to hire a Senior Program Associate (SPA) to join the Industry vertical team. As SPA, you will provide policy and research expertise, engage with industry and government stakeholders, and assist in executing FAST-India's strategy to liberalise the S&T ecosystem.

This is a great opportunity for those who enjoy working in a start-up environment and care deeply about the impact sector.

Key responsibilities

1. Policy research and analysis

• Support in undertaking policy research, preparing summaries, and developing concept notes and presentations on science, technology, and innovation across different deep tech sectors.
• Support analytical work, including developing policy papers, guidance notes and operational guidelines for government engagements, in alignment with FAST's strategic imperatives.
• Translate strategic concepts into implementable workplans, including milestones, KPIs, and monitoring frameworks that
• Stay abreast of current developments in S&T policy (domestic and global), government programmes, current affairs, and political economy trends.
• Stakeholder engagement is one of the key responsibilities of the team. These engagements inform the team's sectoral analysis and the development of strategic interventions. The successful applicant will support the team in building and maintaining strong relationships with industry leaders, start-up founders, government departments, academic institutions, and other relevant ecosystem stakeholders.
• Support preparation of policy briefs, talking points, and external communications for high-level stakeholders.
• Contribute to FAST-India's growth by assisting in operationalising its various science communication endeavours, and engagements with academic partners and industry leaders.
• Assist in preparation of knowledge products, execution of seminars/webinars, symposia, panel discussions, industry dialogues, etc., for FAST-India.

Qualifications and Experience

• Master's degree or equivalent in Economics, Law, Public Policy, Political Science, Management, or related fields.
• 2–4 years of experience in policy research and government/private consulting.
• Excellent skills in research, policy writing, and data analysis.
• Strong conceptual and analytical thinking
• Strong proficiency in Powerpoint and Excel
• Strong data visualisation via relevant tools to communicate complex data clearly and effectively
• Comfort in working at the interface of government, industry, and academia
• Exceptional writing and communication skills
• Proactive, self-driven, and collaborative mindset
• Desire to continuously learn, read, and engage on a variety of topics. While the person may only have a basic understanding of science and technology, FAST-India values the willingness to learn and demonstrate passion for science and technology

Foundation for Advancing Science and Technology