Job Description:
Job Title: Lead, Philanthropic Partnerships
Reports to: Director, Global Engagement
About The Convergence Foundation:
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.
Position Summary:
TCF does not fundraise for itself - the function exists to mobilise capital and credibility for the platforms, collaboratives, and organisations TCF backs across India's most consequential reform areas. Our ambition is for TCF to become the partner global and domestic funders turn to when they want to deploy capital at scale in India. Your focus will be on the broad buckets of:
Mobilising patient, multi-year funding partnerships for TCF's platforms, collaboratives, and organisations, and grow our network of funders, influencers, and champions
Building TCF's brand as a trusted systems-change incubator and thought partner
Institutionalising fundraising and partnership capacity across TCF and the portfolio
You will manage donor relationships, shape how TCF's platforms and organisations are positioned, support the partnership pipeline from strategy to conversion, and work across the full portfolio - with senior leadership and increasing ownership of workstreams that shape some of India's most ambitious development organisations.
The role sits at the intersection of partnerships and TCF's broader strategy function. You will be embedded in cross-portfolio initiatives, working closely with TCF's leadership teams, program teams and communications team to keep external partnerships aligned with TCF's strategic direction.
Roles and Responsibilities:
Partnerships & Fundraising
Support market-specific engagement strategies across priority geographies and donor segments.
Help build TCF’s funding platforms and collaboratives with portfolio organisations—translating programmatic goals into clear, investable propositions with targets and named prospects.
Support fundraising strategies for priority portfolio organisations; provide selective coaching and partnership support.
Donor Relationships & External Engagement
Manage 15–20 donor relationships at T-1 level as a primary TCF contact alongside the Director.
Drive pipeline discipline—prioritisation, weekly tracking, and stage-gated conversions.
Lead preparation for donor engagements and convenings (e.g., Skoll, UNGA, India roundtables), ensuring clear briefs and asks.
Deliver high-quality materials: pitch decks, proposals, diligence briefs, reports, and engagement plans.
Manage a tiered engagement model to optimise founder/Director bandwidth on high-leverage moments.
Narrative, Positioning & Knowledge
Anchor TCF’s positioning around core narratives (systems change, platform building, India’s development opportunity) and ensure consistency across engagements.
Shape audience-specific messaging and develop knowledge products, case studies, and proof points to strengthen fundraising.
Cross-Portfolio Integration
Align partnerships with organisational strategy and programme priorities.
Enable coordination across teams and portfolio organisations—ensuring clarity, avoiding duplication, and supporting cross-pitching.
Support capability building across portfolio organisations through coaching, tools, and structured support.
Ideal Candidate Profile:
5–8+ years of experience in a high-growth, demanding environment. Strong candidates may come from management consulting, philanthropy, development finance, foundation strategy, or international development.
Direct/T-1 experience with external donor or stakeholder engagement- you have built and managed relationships with senior decision-makers in foundations, corporates, government, or multilateral organisations.
Exposure to the Indian development or philanthropic ecosystem is strongly preferred. Understanding of how global and domestic capital flows into India’s social sector is a significant advantage.
Advanced degree from a top-tier institution. Intellectual curiosity and strategic sophistication are expected regardless of field.
Skills & Capabilities
Strategic thinking with execution rigour: You can develop a market-entry strategy and also make sure the internal operations are running well. You are able to move between strategy and detail.
Exceptional communication: Clear, concise, and analytical writing. Polished presentation and interpersonal skills.
Independent drive: You take ownership of workstreams end-to-end. You identify what matters, make a plan, and execute.
Comfort with ambiguity: You will be designing systems and approaches and testing working hypothesis.
Organisational intelligence: You understand how to operate across teams and deliver outputs.
Location:
Full-time position based out of Delhi, India.