Job Description:
Job Titles: Manager / Lead / Sr. Lead / Associate Director
Team: TCF Strategic Projects (housed under SFI)
Experience: 2–10 years (level and scope based on experience)
Location: Delhi (with domestic travel as required)
About the Team (TCF Strategic Projects)
TCF is setting up a Strategic Projects team to deliver time-bound, high-impact work that supports Indias economic growth and human capital development agenda. This team will take up priority projects that typically run 3–6 months, and may extend into longer engagements based on need and outcomes. The demand for this work is coming from senior leadership in central and state governments, and is closely linked to TCFs core priorities and partner organisations. Team members will use a consulting-style toolkit (problem structuring, analysis, stakeholder management, clear communication) to move projects from ambiguity to execution-ready outputs. The role will involve close, hands-on work with government stakeholders and partner organisations, and will require strong ownership, pace, and the ability to deliver under tight timelines.
The Convergence Foundation (TCF) is an Indian philanthropic foundation established by Ashish and Manisha Dhawan in April 2021. TCF builds on their legacy of impactful philanthropy, including the founding of transformative institutions like Ashoka University and the Central Square Foundation.
Our mission is clear: to transform the lives of all Indians through rapid, sustained economic growth and inclusive development. To achieve this, we focus on 3 pillars 1) Direct engines of economic growth that enable job creation, 2) Human capital development through education and employability, and 3) Development Enablers that strengthen the philanthropic ecosystem and improve state capacity.
In each area, TCF works on:
- Building pioneering institutions to address India's most complex socio-economic challenges.
- Shaping the larger ecosystem and sharing knowledge, insights and learning with other philanthropists, governments and key stakeholders
We believe that the government is the key actor for system change, and the role of philanthropy and nonprofits is to strategically support the government. The TCF Network includes 20+ organisations all working systemically with the government, committed to addressing specific areas of India's socio-economic development, across our three pillars. (1) Economic Growth & Jobs – enabling Indias direct engines of growth; (2) Human Capital – improving learning and employability outcomes & (3) Development Enablers – strengthening governance, state capacity, and philanthropy itself
Sample projects:
- Strategic support to senior government leadership (short-term secondments): Embed with key secretaries or senior officials at the central or state level for short, time-bound engagements. Provide sharp analytical and problem-solving support on priority agendas, help structure decisions, and support program and project management across their most critical initiatives.
- High-priority PMUs for the central government: Set up and run focused PMUs for mission-critical initiatives over a defined period. Examples could include an air pollution task force or a regulatory reform task force. The work would involve rapid economic and policy analysis, secondary and targeted primary research, data synthesis, development of actionable recommendations, and hands-on support with execution and coordination across stakeholders.
Key skills needed:
- Problem solving and analysis:
- Strong ability to break down ambiguous problems, structure them clearly, and apply rigorous analytical thinking. This includes comfort with data, policy and economic analysis, rapid research, and translating insights into clear, execution-ready recommendations.
- Stakeholder management:
- Ability to work closely with senior government officials and partners, understand incentives and constraints, manage multiple viewpoints, and build trust. This role requires clear communication, sound judgment, and the confidence to engage at senior levels.
- Project and program management:
- Strong ownership of outcomes, with the ability to plan workstreams, manage tight timelines, track progress, and unblock issues. Comfort with fast-paced, time-bound engagements where delivery and follow-through matter as much as analysis.
- Communication: Ability to communicate complex ideas simply and persuasively. This includes drafting clear policy notes, analytical memos, and presentations, as well as confidently articulating insights, recommendations, and trade-offs in discussions with senior stakeholders.
- Team leadership (where applicable):
- Ability to manage and mentor small, high-performing teams, delegate effectively, and maintain pace and quality under pressure. This includes coordinating across internal and external teams to deliver collectively.
Role Scope by Level (Indicative)
Manager (2–4 years)
Execute defined workstreams and analyses, Conduct research and data synthesis, Draft policy notes, memos, and presentations and Support stakeholder coordination and follow-through
Lead (4–6 years)
Own workstreams end-to-end, Manage multiple stakeholder threads, Drive internal coordination and delivery and Translate ambiguous asks into structured outputs
Senior Lead (6–8 years)
Lead projects or major modules independently, Manage small teams and partner relationships, Ensure quality, pace, and delivery under tight timelines and Act as primary point of contact for select stakeholders
Associate Director (8–10 years)
Lead complex, multi-stakeholder projects, Own senior government and partner relationships, Manage teams across projects and Drive prioritisation, problem-solving, and overall delivery quality