State Lead – Karnataka The STEP Foundation

The Convergence Foundation; Karnataka; On-site; INR 2,500,000 - 4,500,000; Full time

Job summary

The STEP Foundation seeks a senior, highly networked leader to drive government-facing work in Karnataka from Bengaluru. The State Lead will build institutional partnerships with the Government of Karnataka, Invest Karnataka, Karnataka Udyog Mitra, and other state entities.

The role demands 10–12+ years of experience with government institutions, deep understanding of government machinery, and strong Kannada and English communication.

Qualifications

• Senior-level experience (10–12+ years) with government institutions and senior government stakeholders.
• Mandatory direct experience working with government and credible with senior officials.
• Strong Kannada and English communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead government stakeholder management and represent the organization with senior officials.
• Develop institutional partnerships with Invest Karnataka, Karnataka Udyog Mitra and state departments.
• Embed STEP Foundation’s work within Karnataka's government ecosystem and coordinate cross-departmental efforts.

Skills

Stakeholder management

Government relations

Networking

Kannada

English

Education

Master's degree in public policy, economics, management, engineering, social sciences, development studies, or related discipline

Job description

STEP Foundation is seeking a senior, highly networked and government-facing professional to lead its work in Karnataka. The State Lead will be responsible for building and managing strategic relationships with the Government of Karnataka, with a particular focus on Invest Karnataka, Karnataka Udyog Mitra, relevant government departments, industry bodies, and key ecosystem stakeholders.

The role will be central to embedding the Foundation's work within the government ecosystem and building strong institutional relationships that enable collaboration between government, industry, and development partners.

The ideal candidate will bring 10–12+ years of experience, with a significant track record of working with government institutions and senior government stakeholders. They should have a strong understanding of how government machinery functions, how decisions move across departments and institutions, and how to navigate government systems effectively.

This is a high-ownership role for someone who is comfortable operating independently, building relationships from the ground up, and representing the organization credibly with senior government and industry stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities

1. Government Stakeholder Management

• Build and manage strategic relationships with senior officials across the Government of Karnataka.
• Serve as the primary government-facing representative for SFI Impact Foundation in Karnataka.
• Develop strong working relationships with Invest Karnataka, Karnataka Udyog Mitra, and relevant state government departments, agencies, boards, and institutions.
• Navigate government systems and processes to facilitate approvals, partnerships, information access, consultations, and implementation.
• Maintain regular engagement with senior government officials and ensure alignment with government priorities and agendas.
• Represent the organization in government meetings, consultations, workshops, roundtables, and other high-level forums.

2. Government Relationships & Institutional Embedding

• Develop deep institutional relationships rather than transactional stakeholder interactions. Identify key decision-makers, influencers, institutional champions, and relevant government bodies for advancing program objectives.
• Build a strong understanding of the functioning of Karnataka's government ecosystem and identify pathways to institutionalize initiatives within existing government systems. Facilitate cross-departmental coordination where required.
• Establish the organization as a credible and trusted development partner for the Government of Karnataka.
• Ensure continuity and depth of engagement across changes in personnel, departments, and government priorities.

3. Industry Partnerships

• Build strategic relationships with leading companies, industry associations, investors, and business leaders in Karnataka.
• Engage with industries to understand workforce, investment, talent, and ecosystem requirements.
• Develop partnerships between government, industry, and development organizations around shared priorities.
• Identify opportunities for industry-led initiatives, partnerships, pilots, and institutional collaborations.
• Represent STEP Foundation in industry forums and high-level business and investment discussions.

4. Strategic Networking & Ecosystem Building

• Build and continuously expand a high-value network across government, industry, development organizations, academia, and other ecosystem stakeholders.
• Identify strategic opportunities where STEP Foundation can add value to existing government and industry priorities.
• Develop relationships with senior leaders and decision-makers and convert these relationships into meaningful institutional partnerships.
• Stay closely informed about Karnataka's economic, industrial, investment, employment, and skilling priorities.
• Identify emerging opportunities and proactively position the organization to contribute.

5. Program Development & Execution

• Translate government and industry priorities into actionable program opportunities. Support the design and development of state-level initiatives in consultation with government and industry stakeholders.
• Lead strategic discussions, negotiations, partnership development, and institutional alignment. Coordinate internally with program, research, and leadership teams to ensure that stakeholder insights translate into high-quality program outputs.
• Prepare briefing notes, presentations, concept notes, partnership proposals, and updates for senior stakeholders.

6. Senior Stakeholder Representation

• Represent STEP Foundation with senior government officials, industry leaders, development partners, and other institutional stakeholders.
• Participate in high-level meetings and discussions on behalf of the organization.
• Communicate complex ideas clearly and credibly to senior decision-makers.

What We Are Looking For

The ideal candidate will be a relationship-driven, highly networked professional who understands government from the inside and knows how to get things done within government systems.

• 10–12+ years of professional experience, with substantial experience working with government, public institutions, development organizations, or government-facing programs. Prior experience working directly with the government is mandatory. Experience with a highly reputed development organization, public policy organization, consulting firm, or social-impact institution such as The Nudge, Niti Aayog, Samagra, or similar organizations will be strongly preferred.
• Experience building and managing partnerships with government and/or industry stakeholders.
• Experience operating in a complex, multi-stakeholder environment with significant autonomy. Core Competencies
• Strong understanding of how government departments, agencies, boards, and institutions function.
• Ability to navigate government hierarchies, processes, protocols, and decision-making structures.
• Exceptional networking and relationship-building skills.
• Strong interpersonal presence and ability to establish credibility quickly.
• Strong stakeholder management and negotiation skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong proficiency in Kannada is mandatory.
• Excellent proficiency in English required.
• Ability to communicate effectively with senior government officials, industry leaders, and development-sector professionals in different settings.
• High degree of ownership, maturity, discretion, and professional judgment.

Qualifications

Master's degree in public policy, economics, management, engineering, social sciences, development studies, or a related discipline.

Preferred Backgrounds

Candidates with experience in one or more of the following environments will be particularly well suited:

• Development organizations and foundations
• Public policy organizations
• Organizations working at the intersection of government, industry, skills, employment, and economic development

Working Style

The role requires someone who:

• Is naturally highly networked and relationship-oriented.
• Can independently open doors and build relationships with senior stakeholders. Is comfortable spending significant time with government stakeholders and operating within government systems.
• Is persistent and resourceful in navigating complex institutional processes. Understands that government engagement requires patience, credibility, follow-through, and long-term relationship building.
• Is comfortable working with ambiguity and taking ownership without detailed instructions. Can move seamlessly between a senior government office, an industry leadership meeting, and an internal strategy discussion.
• Has the maturity and discretion required to represent the organization at senior levels.

Location & Travel

Base Location: Bengaluru, Karnataka - The role will require travel within Karnataka and frequent in-person engagement with government departments, government agencies, industry stakeholders, and other ecosystem partners.