Senior Program Manager- Ecosystem Capacity Building

N S Raghavan Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning; Bengaluru; On-site; INR 2,500,000 - 4,500,000; Full time

Job summary

NSRCEL, the startup hub and incubation centre of IIM Bangalore, Bengaluru, seeks a Senior Program Manager for ECG's iCube. You will lead end-to-end incubation initiatives, align strategy with program delivery, manage multi-stakeholder partnerships, and drive capacity-building across incubators nationwide.

You will build governance, M&E, and knowledge outputs while sustaining budgets and high-quality execution. Willingness to travel across India is essential.

Qualifications

• Postgraduate degree in management, public policy, development studies, social sciences, entrepreneurship or related field.
• 10–12 years of relevant experience.
• Experience in program management, consulting, incubation, ecosystem development or institutional capacity building.
• Proven ability to manage complex, multi‑stakeholder programs end to end.
• Experience working with incubators, accelerators, ESOs, government or development‑sector organisations.
• Strong skills in problem‑solving, program design, facilitation, M&E and stakeholder management.
• Experience leading small teams and coordinating external experts.
• Strong financial, operational and documentation discipline.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.
• Willingness to travel across India.

Responsibilities

• Lead iCube End to End: partner identification, scoping, contracting, onboarding, diagnostics, co-design, implementation, mentoring, review and closure.
• Translate ECB strategy into annual plans, account roadmaps, budgets and measurable outcomes.
• Ensure consistent, high‑quality delivery across multiple incubator engagements.
• Coordinate internal teams, external experts and implementation partners.
• Manage risks, dependencies and decision‑making processes.
• Ensure engagements lead to measurable institutional capability improvements.
• Lead institutional diagnostics across strategy, governance, operations, programs, people, ecosystem linkages and sustainability.
• Assess institutional maturity and readiness of partner incubators.
• Support development of incubation thesis, business model, governance systems, operating model, program architecture and M&E frameworks.
• Convert diagnostics into structured, time‑bound improvement plans with clear KPIs and ownership.
• Provide hands‑on advisory to incubator leadership teams.
• Track progress against capability‑building milestones.
• Serve as primary relationship owner for incubators, funders, government and ecosystem partners.
• Build trusted relationships with senior stakeholders.
• Establish governance mechanisms (steering committees, reviews, check‑ins, reporting forums).
• Deliver high‑quality proposals, reports and updates.
• Ensure timely fulfilment of commitments and reporting requirements.
• Identify renewal and expansion opportunities.
• Define success metrics, baselines and evidence frameworks.
• Track program and institutional performance across outputs, outcomes and impact.
• Maintain dashboards, trackers and program data systems.
• Conduct structured reviews and course corrections.
• Synthesize learnings across engagements to improve iCube methodology.
• Develop case studies, framework and knowledge outputs for the ecosystem.
• Lead a small team of program managers and Assistant managers.
• Set clear roles, priorities and performance expectations.
• Provide day‑to‑day guidance on delivery, stakeholder management and problem‑solving.
• Allocate work across accounts and ensure balanced workload distribution.
• Coach team members and support their professional development.
• Build a culture of ownership, rigour, collaboration and continuous learning.
• Identify and onboard external experts and partners as needed.
• Own budgets, forecasts and financial utilisation.
• Ensure timely and compliant fund utilisation and reporting.
• Maintain audit‑ready documentation across all engagements.
• Track contracts, deliverables, decisions and program records.
• Ensure compliance with NSRCEL, IIMB and funder requirements.
• Strengthen scalable systems, templates and processes.
• Contribute to iCube’s 3‑year scale strategy.
• Shape operating model, talent model, partnerships and revenue approach.
• Identify demand across sectors and geographies.
• Support business development and partner conversion.
• Integrate ECB tools and products into engagements (ECKNA™, Academy, Funding Desk, diagnostics, M&E tools).
• Represent NSRCEL in ecosystem forums and convenings.
• iCube engagements are delivered on time, within budget and at high quality.
• Partner incubators show measurable improvements in capability and performance.

Skills

Program management

Incubation

Ecosystem development

Institutional capacity building

Multi-stakeholder facilitation

M&E

Governance

Communication skills

Travel willingness

Education

Postgraduate degree in management, public policy, development studies, social sciences, entrepreneurship or related field

Job description

Senior Program Manager

Ecosystem Capacity Building (ECB)

Reporting to: AVP / Head – Ecosystem Capacity Building
Location: Bengaluru, with travel across India
Employment: Full-time
Role focus: Program leadership, institutional capacity building and ecosystem partnerships

Who We Are

NSRCEL is the startup hub and incubation centre of IIM Bangalore. It supports entrepreneurs and entrepreneurship-support institutions through incubation, learning, research, partnerships and ecosystem-building initiatives.

NSRCEL works with founders, incubators, governments, academic institutions, corporates and funders to strengthen India’s entrepreneurial ecosystem and enable inclusive and sustainable innovation.

About Ecosystem Capacity Building

Ecosystem Capacity Building (ECB) is NSRCEL’s institution-building and ecosystem-development vertical.

• Strategy and institutional positioning
• Governance and leadership
• People and organisational capabilities
• Incubation programs and venture-support systems
• Operating processes
• Ecosystem partnerships
• Monitoring and evaluation systems
• Financial and institutional sustainability

ECB’s portfolio includes institutional advisory, incubation-manager development, research and knowledge products, and multi-stakeholder capacity-building initiatives.

About iCube

Incubating Incubators Initiative (iCube) is ECB’s flagship institutional capacity‑building program.

It supports emerging and growth‑stage incubators, particularly those serving underserved regions and sectors, to become stronger, more effective and sustainable organisations.

• Define incubation thesis and strategic positioning; strengthen governance and institutional leadership
• Design and implement incubation and venture‑support programs, along with effective organisational and operating models
• Build capable incubation teams and strengthen corporate, government, investor, and ecosystem partnerships
• Establish monitoring and performance systems and improve long‑term financial and institutional sustainability

The program brings together NSRCEL’s institutional frameworks and products, including ECKNA™, the NSRCEL Academy, Funding Desk, learning curricula, readiness diagnostics, monitoring tools and access to a national network of practitioners, mentors and partners.

The Opportunity

The Senior Program Manager will lead iCube end to end and play a central role in scaling ECB’s institutional capacity‑building portfolio.

The role combines:

• Program leadership
• Institutional strategy and advisory
• Partner and funder management
• Team leadership
• Financial and operational stewardship
• Monitoring, evaluation and learning
• Knowledge creation
• Ecosystem development

The Senior Program Manager will translate institutional needs into practical improvement plans, ensure high‑quality delivery across multiple partner incubators, and build the systems, partnerships and evidence required to establish iCube as a leading national platform for incubator capability development.

Key Responsibilities

1. Lead iCube End to End

• Own the full iCube lifecycle: partner identification, scoping, contracting, onboarding, diagnostics, co-design, implementation, mentoring, review and closure.
• Translate ECB strategy into annual plans, account roadmaps, budgets and measurable outcomes.
• Ensure consistent, high‑quality delivery across multiple incubator engagements.
• Coordinate internal teams, external experts and implementation partners.
• Manage risks, dependencies and decision‑making processes.
• Ensure engagements lead to measurable institutional capability improvements.

2. Drive Institutional Diagnostics and Transformation

• Lead institutional diagnostics across strategy, governance, operations, programs, people, ecosystem linkages and sustainability.
• Assess institutional maturity and readiness of partner incubators.
• Support development of incubation thesis, business model, governance systems, operating model, program architecture and M&E frameworks.
• Convert diagnostics into structured, time‑bound improvement plans with clear KPIs and ownership.
• Provide hands‑on advisory to incubator leadership teams.
• Track progress against capability‑building milestones.

3. Manage Partner and Funder Relationships

• Serve as primary relationship owner for incubators, funders, government and ecosystem partners.
• Build trusted relationships with senior stakeholders.
• Establish governance mechanisms (steering committees, reviews, check‑ins, reporting forums).
• Deliver high‑quality proposals, reports and updates.
• Ensure timely fulfilment of commitments and reporting requirements.
• Identify renewal and expansion opportunities.

4. Lead Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning

• Define success metrics, baselines and evidence frameworks.
• Track program and institutional performance across outputs, outcomes and impact.
• Maintain dashboards, trackers and program data systems.
• Conduct structured reviews and course corrections.
• Synthesize learnings across engagements to improve iCube methodology.
• Develop case studies, framework and knowledge outputs for the ecosystem.

5. Lead and Develop a Small Team

• Lead a small team of program managers and Assistant managers
• Set clear roles, priorities and performance expectations.
• Provide day‑to‑day guidance on delivery, stakeholder management and problem‑solving.
• Allocate work across accounts and ensure balanced workload distribution.
• Coach team members and support their professional development.
• Build a culture of ownership, rigour, collaboration and continuous learning.
• Identify and onboard external experts and partners as needed.

6. Financial, Operational and Compliance Discipline

• Own budgets, forecasts and financial utilisation.
• Ensure timely and compliant fund utilisation and reporting.
• Maintain audit‑ready documentation across all engagements.
• Track contracts, deliverables, decisions and program records.
• Ensure compliance with NSRCEL, IIMB and funder requirements.
• Strengthen scalable systems, templates and processes.

7. Build and Scale the ECB Portfolio

• Contribute to iCube’s 3‑year scale strategy.
• Shape operating model, talent model, partnerships and revenue approach.
• Identify demand across sectors and geographies.
• Support business development and partner conversion.
• Integrate ECB tools and products into engagements (ECKNA™, Academy, Funding Desk, diagnostics, M&E tools).
• Represent NSRCEL in ecosystem forums and convenings.

Expected Outcomes

The Senior Program Manager will ensure that:

• iCube engagements are delivered on time, within budget and at high quality.
• Partner incubators show measurable improvements in capability and performance.
• Institutional improvement plans are implemented effectively.
• Funders receive timely, credible and evidence‑based reporting.
• A capable small team and expert network supports program delivery.
• Repeatable systems enable scalable program execution.
• iCube strengthens NSRCEL’s position as a national leader in incubator capacity building.

Requirements

Qualifications and Experience

• Postgraduate degree in management, public policy, development studies, social sciences, entrepreneurship or related field.
• 10–12 years of relevant experience.
• Experience in program management, consulting, incubation, ecosystem development or institutional capacity building.
• Proven ability to manage complex, multi‑stakeholder programs end to end.
• Experience working with incubators, accelerators, ESOs, government or development‑sector organisations.
• Strong skills in problem‑solving, program design, facilitation, M&E and stakeholder management.
• Experience leading small teams and coordinating external experts.
• Strong financial, operational and documentation discipline.
• Excellent communication and presentation skills.
• Willingness to travel across India.

Preferred Experience

• Experience building or scaling an incubator, ESO or institutional program.
• Leadership experience in social enterprises, government programs, foundations, universities or ecosystem organisations.
• Familiarity with institutional frameworks, M&E systems and organisational design.
• Experience designing operating models, governance structures or sustainability plans.
• Strong ecosystem network across entrepreneurship, CSR, government or academia.
• Experience working in underserved or public‑sector incubation contexts.

Ideal Profile

You are a structured and adaptive operator who can grow a Business Unit and move from strategy to execution with ease.

You bring consulting‑level rigour, strong ownership and the ability to lead small teams while managing multiple stakeholders. You are comfortable working in ambiguity, building systems from scratch and ensuring delivery excellence in complex environments.

You are motivated by strengthening institutions that enable entrepreneurs to succeed and scale.