About ISDM

The Indian School of Development Management pioneers a transformative approach to management, envisioning a world that is just, equitable, and sustainable. Established in 2016, it serves as a foundational hub for cultivating a robust ecosystem and a cadre of skilled professionals dedicated to advancing social change globally.


Driven by the conviction that the social sector plays a pivotal role in addressing humanity's most pressing challenges, the school operates on the premise that effective management is essential for achieving significant impact. By nurturing talent in Development Management tailored to the unique needs of the social sector, the school aims to catalyze sustainable socio-economic and ecological progress on a large scale.


Recognizing the power of institutions to shape professional ecosystems, the school aims to establish itself as a beacon of excellence in higher education. Through this, it seeks to lay the groundwork for a thriving community of practitioners dedicated to driving positive change in society.


Over the years, Indian School of Development Management (ISDM) has garnered validation, support, and funding from esteemed individuals and organizations. While numerous programs worldwide aim to cultivate management capabilities for the social sector, they often reside within larger university ecosystems or business schools, where they may receive lesser attention compared to mainstream programs. ISDM stands out as the sole institution globally dedicated to fostering a comprehensive ecosystem for Development Management, focusing on pioneering work in critical areas.


ISDM's initiatives encompass:

  • Knowledge Creation: Establishing a Global Knowledge Hub to create, disseminate, and institutionalize contextual knowledge on building, leading, and managing social purpose organizations, networks, and platforms.
  • Talent Nurturing: Offering the Post Graduate Program in Development Management (PGP-DM) to attract and develop top-tier talent capable of addressing management challenges within the sector.
  • Capacity Building: Providing Strategic Capacity Building programs to enhance individual and institutional capacities in development management, thereby fostering sustainable and scalable social impact.


ISDM has successfully completed its Proof of Concept Phase and is now set for expansion over the next five years. Key achievements include high placement rates for its PGP-DM graduates and plans for increased batch sizes, a new campus, international partnerships, and accreditation. The institute is also conducting research and establishing Centers of Excellence in various areas of social impact. Additionally, it offers programs for professionals and resources for grassroots organizations. Know More at www.isdm.org.in.


ISDM invites individuals who share its vision to join in creating a dynamic, catalytic ecosystem and positioning India as a thought leader in Development Management, ultimately enabling sustainable social impact at scale.


Global Knowledge Hub (GKH)

The Centres of Excellence (CoE) are housed within the Global Knowledge Hub, whose role is to strengthen, from end-to-end, the knowledge and practice of Development Management. GKH does this by collating and curating global experiences and knowledge, conducting in- depth research and producing knowledge assets and resources, collaborating to design products and programs for a wide range of target segments that impact the practice of development management and disseminating knowledge as a public good through like-minded individuals and institutions globally. The GKH is undertaking various research projects and studies to achieve its goal of establishing and strengthening the domain of DM. Please read more at www.isdm.org.in


Centres of Excellence 

  • They are independent units, carrying out research studies, engagement, and other activities in specific domains of development management
  • Their aim is to impact the practice of development management in the Social Purpose ecosystem and significantly scale up the positive impact on the lives of people in sustained ways
  • They will drive cutting edge thinking and become a global authority in that domain


Job Description 

We are searching for a passionate research professional scholar to contribute to unique research studies to understand, synthesise and document the meaning and implications of management practice within the development sector. The studies conducted by the CoEs span across a broad range of stakeholders inside social purpose organisations, donors, the investor community and the thriving support ecosystem that has emerged around the sector. This includes those who provide a range of services related to management, finances, legal, research and others.  


The RA shall support the co-creation and curation of knowledge artefacts (reports/case studies/papers) on development management. Facilitate & support team processes for seamless delivery of planned outputs and goals. As well as contribute to the teaching courses at ISDM within its post-graduate and continuing education offerings. The work will involve co-creation of research study designs, development and validation of research tools, extensive support in data collection & analysis and synthesis & dissemination of study.  


Aspiring researchers with a keen interest in looking at and learning from organisations’ experience, leadership and management principles and wishing to pursue further research and study in organisational development and management practice will find this role and opportunity rewarding in shaping their perspectives and areas of further research. 



Key Responsibilities 

  • Support execution of research projects and seminal studies through secondary research data collection and analysis (both quantitative and qualitative) for the CoE
  • The candidate needs to have prior experience in working on impact assessment/Impact assessment tools/impact evaluation/M&E/social impact assessment.
  • Co-author and support creation of research papers, reports, case studies and other knowledge collateral as per the annual plans of the CoE
  • Maintain the knowledge infrastructure for the CoE projects
  • Design and organise online group consultations, seminars, and conferences
  • Facilitate the capacity building workshops for ISDM research partners
  • Support working of collaborative teams within and outside ISDM (Academic, outreach, admissions, etc.) 
  • Represent ISDM in workshops, seminars and conferences 


Educational Qualifications and Experience Required

  • 2 - 3 years of experience in applied research on philanthropy/data science/Innovative finance or the social sector
  • Post-graduate or equivalent in Management Studies/Innovative Finance/Economics/Data Science.
  • Excellent language and communication skills – written and oral
  • Knowledge of research designs and methodologies 
  • Exposure to social sector organisations
  • Proven experience of working in complex projects involving multiple stakeholders, partners, etc.
  • Demonstrated ability to take ownership, have accountability, work in a collaborative, multi-disciplinary team, and strong problem-solving skills


Remuneration shall be commensurate with experience and qualifications. Please send in your applications to people@isdm.org.in


ISDM is an equal-opportunity organization with a particular emphasis on affirmative action. The culture of the organization is one of professionalism while also one that greatly values relationships.

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