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, the 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:
  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.


About Strategic Capacity Building
Strategic Capacity Building (SCB) at ISDM began with a view that while the 1-year PGP is impacting fresh graduates and young professionals, Body of Knowledge is focused on curating and building knowledge. There is a great need to work with the mid and senior management and leadership in the sector today to be able to evangelise the change we want to see and build the society we envision. 
The Strategic Capacity Building (SCB) vertical of ISDM works with SPOs to build their foundational capabilities in Leadership and management and with Corporates to effectively leverage their resources to address the development sector needs and bring out the much-desired change in social space. 
SCB engages with key stakeholders such as CSRs, Foundations, NGOs, Intermediaries, Collaboratives, Government, Development Professionals, Volunteers, and Social Entrepreneurs through:
  • Open programs for key stakeholders to catalyze social sector leadership such as Executive Development Programs for mid-senior professionals, Nation Building Programs targeting groups such as CXOs, Women Leaders, etc
  • Custom Learning and organisation Development solutions which aligns with the strategic goals of the organisations 
  • Digital solutions to drive collective & collaborative learning 
  • Advisory services for Impact Assessment to evaluate the effectiveness and significance of changes made on people and the planet through programs and projects.

About the role:
Seeking a dynamic, highly motivated and experienced professional who will work closely with the SCB Program Delivery Lead to manage delivery of multiple projects aligned to the SCB consulting and advisory practice. This role will undertake a variety of tasks related to the planning, design and delivery of projects including monitoring and evaluation, post project support, and engagement with the different stakeholders from the projects and the social impact sector with the aim of building their institutional and individual capacities. 

Key Responsibilities:
  • Project Management (Intermediate-Advanced)
  • Project planning and initiation - Understand the project's purpose, objectives, scope, and define key stakeholders and their roles.
  • Develop project plans including timelines, milestones, and budgets, and required resources (team, partners, vendors et al)
  • Monitor and control project progress against project plan, identifying variances, associated risks and risk mitigation for the same. 
  • Ability to manage 2 projects concurrently.
  • Problem Solving (Intermediate)
  • Anticipate, identify and analyse root cause and develop creative solutions to minimize delivery disruptions. 
  • Use data based decision making through the different stages of project execution that helps to make informed decisions about the best course of action to take, involving stakeholders at appropriate levels.
  • Strategic Thinking (Intermediate)
  • Define clear and measurable project goals and develop strategic plans that outline the strategies, actions, and resources required to achieve them.
  • Optimize resource allocation, anticipate challenges and adopt strategies to ensure efficient delivery of projects.
  • Documentation & Written Communication (Intermediate)
  • Maintain project documentation, including project plans, project related documentations, to ensure transparency and accountability with all stakeholders engaged in the project.
  • Good report-writing skills to present information in a structured and organized manner.
  • Spoken Communication (Intermediate-Advanced)
  • Strong communication skills to communicate complex ideas and information clearly and concisely, using language that is easy to understand for diverse audiences. 
  • Tailor communications to the specific needs and preferences of different stakeholders, to ensure relevance and engagement.
  • Change Management (Basic)
  • Recognize, manage and communicate change including impact to resources, delivery timeline and finances.  
  • Effectively manage project delivery and deliverables, and resources. 
  • Project Governance (Intermediate)
  • Establish effective governance structures and processes for project management, including KPIs, metrics, measurements, and reporting mechanisms
  • Monitor project(s) performance, track progress against goals and identify areas of improvement.
  • Build consensus and trust with stakeholders to ensure alignment, transparency and support throughout the project life cycle.
  • Additionally (Basic-Intermediate)
  • Nurture relationships with Alumni of our projects; foster interactions within and across batches 
  • Create learning opportunities for the Alum to expand their impact to the development sector
  • Catalyze collaboration between the Alums of SCB with ISDM community  

You must have:
  • Experience: Significant experience in program / project management, with diverse management consulting or related roles, working with diverse clients and industries. Deep experience in leading and managing multiple projects, conducting research and analysis, and developing strategic plans.
  • Project management skills: Proficient in project management methodologies and tools, with the ability to plan, execute, and monitor projects effectively within defined timelines and budgets.
  • Project execution and monitoring: Strong experience in leading project teams, delegation and guidance on tasks; tracking project progress against set plan and mitigating risks.
  • Financial management: Develop and manage budgets for the projects, ability to forecast, and report on fund utilization and donor reports. 
  • Analytical and problem-solving skills: Strong analytical thinking and problem-solving abilities to analyze complex societal challenges, identify root causes, and develop practical solutions.
  • Communication and presentation skills: Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to effectively communicate complex ideas and concepts to clients and stakeholders at various levels.
  • Sector knowledge: Understanding of the Indian social sector, including key challenges, stakeholder dynamics, and themes like health, education, and livelihoods, Gender Equality. Awareness of capacity-building needs for Social Purpose Organizations (SPOs) and grassroots professionals.
  • Collaboration and teamwork: Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with client teams, stakeholders, and colleagues, fostering strong relationships and driving consensus to achieve project objectives. A collaborative and social impact-focused mindset is essential.
  • Monitoring, evaluation and impact assessment: Track and report on Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) of projects, conduct impact assessments and internal audits to ensure effectiveness; and use data driven insights to improve project management outcomes.
  • Adaptability and flexibility: Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment, manage multiple projects and priorities. 
  • Community engagement: Ability to build relationships through outreach efforts with partners from the sector, supporting project and unit objectives.
  • Alum engagement: Ability to forge alliances and strengthen the alumni connections from the project participants and cohorts and with ISDM.
  • Ethical conduct: Maintain high professional ethics, integrity, and confidentiality in handling client information and sensitive data.
  • Travel availability: Willingness to travel to stakeholder sites as needed.


Educational Qualifications & Experience Required:
  • Bachelor's or Master's degree in Business Administration, Organizational Development, or a related field. Additional certifications such as Project Management Professional (PMP) or Six Sigma are a plus.
  • 10-12 years of work experience with at least 6-8 years of experience in core domain of project management, managing multiple projects and end to end life cycle.
  • Excellent communication skills
  • Project management and analytical Skills 
  • Result Oriented/ Outcome Focussed 
  • Planning and Organising skills 
  • Budget management - forecasting, tracking, and reporting
  • Adaptable and flexible including ability to manage pressure, ambiguity and change
  • Proficiency in MS Office, content authoring tools such as Articulate etc
  • Ability to collaborate and work with other people, and cross-functional teams
  • Coordinate outreach activities for the project in the social sector
  • Stakeholder management - internal and external sponsors / donors
  • Willing to unlearn, learn and practice new tools and techniques 
  • Excellent time management skills
  • Passion for the sector and commitment to social impact and outcomes

Why Join Us?
  • Work with a purpose-driven team dedicated to strengthening the Indian social sector.
  • Opportunity to design transformative learning experiences that build leadership and management capacity in SPOs.
  • Exposure to innovative, scalable approaches to capacity building in a rapidly evolving sector.


Remuneration for this role will be commensurate with qualifications & experience. To learn more about us and apply, check out isdm.org.in/careers.

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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