Job Description:
Position: Program Manager - Government Programs
Reporting to: AD (Policy – Government Programs)
About the role
We are looking to hire an exceptional Program Manager to join the Government Programs team in the Policy vertical at FAST-India. The selected candidate will contribute to an exciting time of organisational growth and development even as they are involved in a transformative time for the S&T sector in the country.
As Program Manager, Policy – Government Programs, you will provide policy and research expertise, engage with government stakeholders, and assist in executing FAST-Indias strategy to liberalise the S&T ecosystem. You will anchor FASTs engagements with leaders in the S&T space, particularly in the government.
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.
This is a high-energy, entrepreneurial role, and 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
Undertake policy research, prepare summaries, and develop concept notes and presentations on science, technology, and innovation, particularly for public-funded R&D.
Lead analytical work, including developing policy papers, guidance notes and operational guidelines for government engagements, in alignment with FASTs strategic imperatives.
Conceptualise the design and implementation of government schemes, Call for Proposals, challenge-based grants, mission formats, investment models, and financing guidelines.
2. Programme design and execution support
Build strategic engagement plans and convert into implementable workplans.
Lead implementation support to government partners/clients on assignments that could span from strategy to capacity building to administrative support.
Demonstrate ability to engage government partners in an agile and sensitive manner, approaching new assignments as possibilities to build value propositions that serve both FAST-Indias and government partners interests.
Work closely with and provide inputs to the Strategy team in the Policy vertical to ensure joined-up thinking and development of current proposals for strategy deliverables.
Track progress of initiatives of the Government Programs team and provide structured feedback.
3. Stakeholder engagement
Stakeholder engagement is an important aspect of the teams remit. A successful applicant is expected to assist in building and maintaining relationships with government departments, academic institutions, other public sector partners, and on occasion, with industry leaders.
Anchor FASTs relationships with S&T leaders, particularly government stakeholders. A Program Manager is expected to own workstreams/assignments, and this may require independently managing relationships with multiple high-level stakeholders. We want an enterprising individual who has a proven record of effective stakeholder coordination.
Coordinate across FAST teams to align outputs with programmatic execution.
Prepare policy briefs, talking points, and external communications for high-level stakeholders.
4. Thought leadership
Contribute to dissemination of FASTs ideas in print, media, and policy forums.
Author and/or provide analytical inputs for articles, op-eds, and reports authored by FAST.
Assist in preparation of knowledge products, execution of seminars/webinars, symposia, panel discussions, industry dialogues, etc., for FAST-India.
Qualifications and Experience
Masters degree or equivalent in Economics, Law, Public Policy, Political Science, Management, or related fields.
4–6 years of experience in policy research, programme design, or government consulting (experience with central/state government or multilateral agencies preferred).
Strong track record of working on cross-sectoral or innovation-focused initiatives.
Excellent skills in research, policy writing, and data analysis.
Demonstrated ability to manage projects and coordinate with multiple stakeholders.
Key competencies
Strong conceptual and analytical thinking
Ability to convert vision into actionable frameworks
Comfort in working at the interface of government, industry, and academia
Exceptional writing and communication skills
Proactive, self-driven, and collaborative mindset