Associate Manager / Manager - Strategy and Partnerships, Bengaluru, India

Bengaluru

About Janaagraha

At Janaagraha (and our group organization Jana Urban Space), we believe that India's future will play out in our cities - who have the critical task of propelling our country's economic growth while mitigating pervasive inequities and grappling with complex challenges of climate change and looking to reinvigorate a spirit of citizenship. We are a 25 year-old non-profit working towards this urban future by ensuring that the right systems are in place for urban India. Systems that enable us to plan, design, build, govern, fund and manage our cities, and thereby transform the quality of life in India's cities and towns. With an ambition that far outstrips our budget, we believe that there is no option for us but to be catalysts and change-makers rather than doers - we hence partner extensively with union and state governments, and the broader civil society ecosystem to translate our ideas into action. We have a track-record of large-scale change using the "city systems" approach across all our focus areas; our current partners include key union government agencies (Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, NITI Aayog, Finance Commission, CAG) and the state governments of Odisha, Assam and Uttar Pradesh. We also firmly believe that our journey is as important as our destination, and we have crystallised our organizational values into our Culture Codes, which guide our approach and our behaviours.

About the Strategy and Partnerships (S&P) Team

The Strategy and Partnerships (S&P) team ensures that Janaagraha progresses towards its mission effectively and efficiently, and has the right capabilities, networks and resources to achieve it. We do this through "outside-in" and "inside-out" approaches, ensuring that actions from both approaches link to each other coherently.

• Outside-in approach
  • We seek to understand emerging trends and opportunities, and calibrate our strategy in response to them over the medium and long term.
  • We act as an in-house champion and incubator for new and potentially catalytic initiatives and focus areas.
  • We are constantly on the lookout for mission-aligned organizations who can help accelerate our impact, and we scope and anchor institutional partnerships.
  • We constantly build and iterate our organizational narrative, customizing content and communication for different audiences.
• Inside-out approach
  • We work closely with the CEO on strategic and cross-cutting priorities, and put in place project management structures to boost organizational efficiency.
  • We ensure that our strategic priorities translate into clear annual plans, supported by appropriate operating models, and governance structures.
  • We create enabling conditions and platforms for our program leaders to reflect, reorient, and innovate, constantly thought-partnering with them as they navigate change.

The Associate Manager / Manager, Strategy and Partnerships will contribute to shaping and delivering many of the above initiatives, and in the process get a great vantage point from which to view the urban sector in India. This is an exciting opportunity for an impact-minded professional looking for a cross-functional role in a leading non-profit creating change at scale. The role also affords a great opportunity to work closely with (and learn directly from) the CEO and other senior members in the leadership team.

KEY RESPONSIBILITES

Landscaping and Learning

• Gradually and methodically expand and codify Janaagraha's understanding and house view of various topics that play out in, and impact, urban India through secondary research and stakeholder meetings.
• Continuously track key trends in the philanthropy, policy, AI and civil society ecosystem and strategise our response to the same across time horizons.

Partnerships and Alliances

• Act as the internal champion of partnerships and coalitions, and proactively work with various program and state teams to identify and enable potential partnership opportunities.
• Build and nurture coalitions and collectives and represent Jana at multi-organizational alliances.

Discoverability and Fundraising

• Constantly iterate and sharpen organizational narrative, customizing the same for different audiences.
• Build and implement a 'discoverability' track for Janaagraha, identifying high-impact spaces and targeted approaches to boosting our branding and discoverability among key stakeholders.
• Assist Director (S&P) and Director (Development) in crafting compelling and high quality concept notes and presentations for new donors, especially in emerging and intersectional areas of work.

Governance and Institutional Risk

• Act as the convenor and custodian of institutional governance processes and platforms including the Advisory Board and Management Committee.
  • Set process, norms, templates
  • Coordinate with various teams to curate relevant content
• Track and mitigate institutional risk arising from various factors, enable processes to improve organizational resilience.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

• Strong academic background from reputed institutes.
• Progressive prior experience (4-8 years) at stellar organizations across private (consulting / VC / startup / other), government and/or development sector (foundations, system reform nonprofits, enablers, policy research organizations etc).
• Extremely high analytical, synthesis and problem-solving abilities, being able to understand and synthesize complex ideas and develop an informed perspective.
• Good research, writing and communication skills, able to create high quality outputs with short turnaround times. Examples of work products include concept notes, project update presentations, advocacy decks, fundraising proposals.
• Ability to adapt quickly to a dynamic work environment, plan around ambiguity and manage multiple priorities.
• Curiosity, humility, high level of conscientiousness and a sense of humour!
• High intrinsic motivation to contribute to solving problems at scale for India.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Janaagraha is an equal opportunity employer and offers a highly dynamic and enabling work environment. We provide competitive remuneration commensurate with relevant experience, skill-sets and background.