Centre Lead, Centre for Innovative Finance & Social Impact

About ISDM

ISDM got seeded as an idea in early 2016 when its founders came together with a common vision to launch a first-of-its-kind educational institution that would develop and groom the next generation of professional leaders and managers for the development sector. ISDM envisions building Development Management (or Management for the Social Sectors) as a stand-alone domain and an aspirational choice for professionals in the development sector. The belief is that Development Management will significantly scale up the positive impacts on the lives of people in sustained ways.

By 2025, ISDM aims to become the go-to management institute for top professionals wanting to transform the development sector for greater impact on people’s lives.

In order to achieve this aim, ISDM has identified three broad focus areas

Continuously building the one-year long Post Graduate Program in Development Management (PGP-DM)
Creating a strong research function that will lay the foundations for Development Management and leadership as a unique domain and discipline
Launching Strategic Capacity Building Programs aimed at influencing and up- skilling middle to senior leaders in the social sector through special workshops, short-term courses, and customized convening

Since launching its flagship (and India’s first) PGP in Development Management (equivalent of a one-year MBA) in 2017, the Institution has placed 200 young professionals on an accelerated path to build, manage and lead Social Purpose Organisations (SPOs). ISDM has successfully executed 46 short-term Open Programs across three cities inducting 142 development professionals from 49 SPOs as ISDM alumni who are now redefining what “impact at scale” means in the development sector. ISDM has created a national character for itself, attracting a diverse range of student and recruiting organisations from across the country. Over these years, ISDM has also built strong partnerships with leading philanthropists, academicians, advisors, and practitioners.

ISDM has audacious ambitions to build a world class institution, become a global fountainhead of development management knowledge, and define the domain of development management for the Social Sectors.

ISDM is entering a new phase of growth with a revamped program and renewed focus on establishing itself firmly as a preeminent institution in its domain. This requires strategic and energetic institutional leadership.

ISDM Global Knowledge Hub (GKH)

The Centres of Excellence 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 Role

We are searching for a passionate social finance professional to conceptualise and lead the Centre of Social Finance and Impact, a Centre of Excellence within ISDM.

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.

Centre of Social Finance and Impact:

Aims to mainstream social finance as a complement to government and philanthropic spending, to provide the catalytic capital required to bridge the SDG gap and lead to a more just and humane society.
Over time, become a leading voice in the ecosystem for a rational, objective view on social finance and impact while also driving the thinking on innovation and the future of these areas.
Create a shared vision, vocabulary and metrics for social finance and impact measurement and empower the social finance ecosystem with access to evidence-backed knowledge base and cutting-edge knowledge infrastructure.
If you unequivocally believe in the universal human values of justice, courage, compassion & equity, are passionate about doing your part to make the world a better place, excited about creating something new, and eager to be part of the journey of building a first-of-its-kind institution in the world, then ISDM is the place for you. In addition, you will experience working in a dynamic environment, with room for experimentation & high sense of ownership & accountability.

Key responsibilities:

Envision the centre’s vision, objectives, and outputs, together with the Global Knowledge Hub (GKH) leadership and funders, and translate them into an annual Strategic Operating Plan (SOP)
Ensure that the SOP is delivered, within the committed timeframe and within budgets
Drive and own budgeting, budget tracking and fiscal discipline for the Centre
Drive the dissemination, outreach, engagement, visibility, and, ultimately, the impact of the Centre on its key stakeholders
Own and drive the Centre’s governance process with the Advisory Council
Hold and manage relationships with the funders, Advisory Council, Chair/ Academic Director, external partners, etc.
Drive external partnerships
Raise funds for the centre, together with the Fundraising team
Identify skills, competencies, and resources needed for smooth functioning of the Centre and manage hiring/ resourcing accordingly
Build and lead a happy, engaged, high quality team

You must have:

12-18 years’ experience in social finance
Excellent verbal and written communication skills
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
Be passionate about social finance and the social sector
Experience in leading a team in a project or centre to deliver results

Centre Lead, Centre for Innovative Finance & Social Impact

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Centre Lead, Centre for Innovative Finance & Social Impact