Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

Location: New Delhi, India
Organisation: Confidential | Emerging Philanthropic Initiative
Experience: 15–20 years
Sector: Gender Justice | Gender-Based Violence | Women's Safety
Candidate Eligibility: Applications are invited exclusively from women candidates, in accordance with the client's hiring requirement.

About the Organisation

Our client is a newly established, philanthropically supported nonprofit initiative dedicated to addressing sexual harassment and violence against women in India.

The organisation seeks to strengthen efforts across research, programming, advocacy and partnerships to create meaningful and lasting change. Its approach focuses on identifying and supporting promising innovations, generating and using evidence to inform action, building coalitions of practitioners and experts, and mobilising resources to scale effective solutions.

Through grant-making, ecosystem building, strategic partnerships and knowledge generation, the initiative aims to advance evidence-informed approaches to preventing and responding to gender-based violence in India.

About the Role

We are seeking an experienced and entrepreneurial woman leader to serve as Chief Executive Officer and provide overall strategic and operational leadership for this emerging organisation.

The CEO will have full accountability for the organisation's vision, growth, partnerships, fundraising and impact. The individual will establish institutional strategy, build and lead a high-performing team, and serve as the organisation's principal representative with government, funders and senior institutional partners.

This is a unique opportunity to build and institutionalise a high-impact organisation from the ground up, working closely with its founding leadership and strategic partners.

Key Responsibilities

1. Strategic Vision and Organisational Leadership

• Define and continually refine the organisation's institutional strategy, thematic priorities and theory of change.
• Set annual and multi-year organisational goals in consultation with founding leadership and key stakeholders.
• Build and lead a high-performing team, including recruiting senior leaders and developing organisational capabilities.
• Establish the systems, governance practices and operational processes required to professionalise and scale the organisation.
• Oversee organisational performance, financial health and impact.
• Lead the organisation through its initial growth phase, with a long-term vision of building a team of approximately 20–30 professionals.

2. Partnerships and Government Relations

• Serve as the organisation's principal relationship-holder with senior government stakeholders and policy bodies.
• Build and manage relationships with institutional funders, multilateral organisations, corporate partners and philanthropic platforms.
• Establish strategic partnerships and coalitions across the gender-based violence ecosystem.
• Develop and oversee government partnerships, MoUs and state-level collaborations.
• Represent the organisation at high-profile conferences, summits and stakeholder forums.

3. Resource Mobilisation and Financial Sustainability

• Develop and implement a comprehensive fundraising and resource mobilisation strategy.
• Build relationships with philanthropists, institutional donors, foundations and CSR partners.
• Lead donor engagement and oversee the development of fundraising proposals and partnership materials.
• Oversee grant-making decisions, major funding disbursements and financial accountability.
• Develop a sustainable funding model and multi-year growth strategy.

4. Program and Portfolio Oversight

• Provide strategic oversight of the organisation's grant-making and programmatic portfolio.
• Identify and support evidence-based interventions addressing gender-based violence and women's safety.
• Ensure program quality, effectiveness and measurable impact.
• Work closely with program leaders, research partners and implementing organisations.
• Review program performance, identify opportunities for learning and scale, and guide major programmatic decisions.

5. Communications, Advocacy and Public Profile

• Develop and lead the organisation's communications, advocacy and thought leadership strategy.
• Establish the organisation as a credible and influential voice in the gender justice ecosystem.
• Serve as the primary spokesperson and represent the organisation in media engagements and public forums.
• Oversee digital communications, external publications, annual reports and donor-facing materials.
• Build visibility and awareness around evidence-based approaches to ending violence against women.

6. Governance and Stakeholder Management

• Work closely with the founding leadership to translate the organisation's vision into strategic and operational priorities.
• Maintain strong relationships with governing stakeholders, institutional partners and advisors.
• Provide regular strategic, financial and operational updates.
• Ensure transparency, accountability and effective governance practices.
• Exercise independent judgement while maintaining alignment with the organisation's founding vision.

Qualifications and Experience

Education

Master's degree or equivalent qualification in Public Policy, Development Studies, Social Sciences, Economics, Business Administration or a related discipline.

Professional Experience

• 15–20 years of progressively senior experience in the development, social impact, philanthropy, gender justice or public policy sectors.
• Demonstrated leadership experience in gender-based violence prevention, women's safety, women's rights or related programs.
• Proven experience leading organisations, large-scale programs or significant institutional initiatives.
• Experience building teams, establishing organisational systems and managing complex operations.
• Strong fundraising and resource mobilisation experience, including engagement with institutional donors and philanthropic partners.
• Experience developing and managing senior government relationships, strategic partnerships and multi-stakeholder coalitions.
• Deep understanding of the gender-based violence ecosystem in India, including grassroots interventions, survivor-centred approaches and policy frameworks.
• Strong communication, advocacy and external representation capabilities.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience founding, building or scaling a nonprofit organisation, social enterprise or new institutional initiative.
• Experience working closely with founders, philanthropists, boards or senior institutional leadership.
• Established networks across government, philanthropy and the gender justice ecosystem.
• Demonstrated ability to navigate ambiguity and lead effectively in an entrepreneurial environment.
• Experience in evidence-based programming, grant-making, policy advocacy or ecosystem development.
• Strong understanding of grassroots realities and experience engaging directly with women and vulnerable communities.

The Opportunity

This role offers a rare opportunity to shape a new institution dedicated to addressing one of India's most pressing social challenges.

The selected leader will have significant ownership in defining the organisation's strategic direction, building its team and institutional capabilities, developing partnerships and creating sustainable, measurable impact.

We are looking for a mission-driven woman leader who combines strategic vision, entrepreneurial thinking, operational excellence and a deep commitment to ending violence against women.