Consultant - Philanthropic Partnerships & Ecosystem Development

Context

India's philanthropic landscape is at a critical inflection point. Domestic philanthropies, family offices, corporates, and institutional funders are increasingly interested in contributing to large-scale social impact. However, philanthropic capital in India remains largely fragmented, programme- specific, and limited in its ability to drive systems-level change — particularly in alignment with government priorities.

A leading global philanthropic foundation is establishing a dedicated Secretariat to anchor coordination across philanthropies and partners to support the development and execution of partnership-led initiatives. The Secretariat will act as a central enabling function — supporting the foundation and its partners to mobilise domestic capital, strengthen collaboration, and advance system-level solutions across priority thematic areas including health, nutrition, education, and climate.

We are hiring two Consultants to form the core team of this Secretariat.

Role Summary

The Consultants will work at the intersection of philanthropy strategy and partnership development, supporting efforts to strengthen ecosystem alignment and enable strategic collaboration.

This is not a back-office research role. It requires the ability to navigate complex, multi-stakeholder environments, build and manage partnership pipelines, and produce high-quality strategic and engagement materials. The role also involves coordinating across internal and external stakeholders with a high degree of rigour, ownership, and autonomy.

Key Responsibilities

1. Philanthropic Landscape Research & Opportunity Mapping

• Conduct sectoral landscape scans across philanthropy, CSR, institutional funding, and family philanthropy to identify potential partners aligned with foundation priorities
• Track and analyse trends in domestic giving, impact investing, and collaborative philanthropy to inform partnership strategy
• Identify emerging opportunities for collaboration across HNWIs, family offices, corporates, and institutional funders

2. Partner Research, Due Diligence & Pipeline Management

• Conduct structured research and due diligence on prospective partners — including HNWIs, family offices, corporates, and institutional funders
• Develop detailed partner profiles and concise briefing notes to support engagement by foundation leadership
• Maintain and manage a partner pipeline tracker: target of ~40 prospective partners identified and tracked annually across priority segments

3. Partnership Development & Funder Engagement Strategy

• Develop tailored engagement strategies for priority funders and collaborators (target: 30 priority partners annually)
• Support the design and shaping of multi-stakeholder collaborations and funding partnerships
• Progress partner engagement to 'deep engagement' level — active discussions, co-design of initiatives, and partnership formalisation

4. Knowledge Products & Partnership Collateral

• Develop high-quality partnership materials: concept notes, proposals, presentations, and briefing documents (target: 50+ materials annually)
• Produce insight notes and sector briefs to help funders understand priority issues and investment opportunities
• Create bespoke engagement materials tailored to specific partners and partnership opportunities

5. Project Management & Stakeholder Coordination

• Coordinate across foundation mission teams, external partners, government stakeholders, and collaborators
• Manage timelines, deliverables, and follow-up actions across all active partnership initiatives
• Ensure timely preparation and delivery of materials for partner meetings, convenings, and government engagements
• Contribute to regular progress reporting, monitoring dashboards, and pipeline metrics

6. Convenings, Events & Ecosystem Engagement

• Support the design and delivery of convenings, roundtables, and multi-stakeholder platforms
• Facilitate connections between funders, government actors, and implementing partners to strengthen the ecosystem for strategic philanthropy in India

Candidate Profile

Required Qualifications & Experience

• 8–10 years of progressive experience in social impact consulting, development advisory, philanthropy strategy, or a related field
• Demonstrated experience in project management — managing workstreams, timelines, deliverables, and multi-stakeholder coordination
• Strong experience in partner/funder research, due diligence, pipeline development, and relationship management
• Experience producing high-quality strategic documents: concept notes, decks, briefing papers, landscape analyses
• Familiarity with India's philanthropy and CSR ecosystem, including family philanthropy, corporate foundations, and institutional funders
• Master's degree in public policy, development studies, management, social sciences, or a related discipline

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working with or within a philanthropic foundation, bilateral/multilateral agency, intermediary or social impact consulting firm
• Exposure to thematic areas such as health, nutrition, education, climate, or child development
• Experience in designing and supporting convenings, roundtables, or multi-stakeholder platforms

Skills & Competencies

• Exceptional written and verbal communication - ability to distil complex information into clear, persuasive narratives
• Strong analytical and research skills with attention to detail and intellectual rigour
• High degree of ownership and initiative, with the ability to navigate multiple priorities in a fast-paced, evolving environment
• Comfort operating in ambiguity, with the ability to structure problems, propose solutions, and drive progress with limited oversight
• Collaborative mindset with the ability to work across diverse teams and organizational cultures
• Strong discretion and judgment, with the ability to handle confidential and sensitive information