Job Description:
Background:
The concept of Maker Bhavan Foundation (MBF) was formed in 2019 as a nonprofit with a vision to infuse engineering education in India with curiosity, experimentation, and experiential learning. MBF partners with higher education institutions (HEIs) in India to build world-class maker spaces to introduce project-based learning and develop programs that teach innovation and enhance soft skills.
Having completed five successful years driving impactful programs to foster the idea of tinkering, innovation, and invention in the minds of young engineers, MBF has developed deep institutional capabilities by building a strong advisory presence consisting of subject-matter experts, funders, thought leaders, and champions of the cause.
MBF now sees an opportunity to set its ambition to pursue system-level changes benefiting from the networks created and the lessons learned from our programs. In parallel, wherever feasible, MBF will seek to leverage government resources to effect non-linear growth in programs that drive innovation, enhance the employability skills of students, and encourage research excellence in Indias top 100 STEM (Science Technology Engineering Mathematics) universities.
More about our programs here: https://makerbhavanfoundation.org/
Job Profile
Maker Bhavan Foundation is looking for a highly entrepreneurial and dynamic President to head the organization and report directly to the board during this exciting time of organizational growth. The President will play a key role in placing India as a pioneer of innovation and excellence in higher education in STEM. The ideal candidate is an entrepreneurial institution builder with high intellectual vitality and a deep passion for STEM higher education and promoting innovative engineering and technology in India.
The President of Maker Bhavan Foundation will provide the necessary vision, leadership, and skills that enable the organization to achieve its larger goal of creating exemplary higher-education STEM institutes.
The President will also ensure the impact of the ongoing programs and undertake strategic initiatives that help translate the programmatic impact into systemic outcomes.
Roles and Responsibilities
The President is expected to transform Maker Bhavan Foundation into a leading organization for higher education excellence in India.
- Define and enhance the mission statement and vision set by the board and translate them into achievable goals. Work with the team to drive strategic and operating plans (including designing new programs/initiatives) to achieve these goals
- Develop and execute a fundraising plan, tapping into resources from high-networth individuals (HNIs), Industry, and Government.
- Establish Maker Bhavan Foundation as a thought leader by building a robust network of partners, collaborators, and supporters.
- Develop a stronger brand identity and position MBF as the leading nonprofit working with HEIs towards STEM education excellence
- Design a scalable organizational structure and build a strong leadership team to execute on the mission
- Work effectively with the foundations board of directors, advisory board,and other key stakeholders: Indian industrialists, Directors of Indian higher education institutes (HEIs), and successful entrepreneurs.
- Raise the level of awareness amongst government, academia and students about the essential role of STEM education, research and innovation in economic development.
- Help build a framework for collecting data about research effectiveness and learning outcomes in order to encourage self-improvement by colleges.
- Work with the appropriate regulatory bodies to ensure wide adaptability of framework created and tested.
- Manage and optimize the organizations finances, create operating budgets, and allocate resources aligned with the strategy; ensure consistent and regular reporting of operations and financials
In two years, we envision the following:
- Meet internally-established fundraising targets and ecosystem positioning goals
- Deep engagement with the 20 top STEM HEIs in India
- Build Maker Bhavan Foundation into a best-in-class organization with top talent
- Ensure overall functioning and delivery of ongoing programs to 50+ STEM universities
- Conduct pilot studies in measuring research effectiveness and student employability
- Deep engagement with policymakers at top-most levels of government
- A number of policy briefs based on our work to drive 2+ policy wins
Desired Qualifications, Skills and Abilities
- Undergraduate and graduate degrees from top institutions in STEM, Management, or Public Policy. While area of study can vary, passion for science/engineering and education is a must
- Entrepreneurial self-starter with excellent leadership skills and strong strategic and operational experience; has managed and led teams to achieve strong results
- 20+ years of overall professional experience in a professional environment with the ability to juggle multiple projects and work with a diverse group of stakeholders
- High intellectual vitality, the desire to continuously learn, read, and engage on a variety of topics. While the person may only have basic knowledge of the science and technology ecosystem, we highly value the willingness to learn and take on new areas
- Ability to network, establish credibility and build and nurture deep relationships with various senior stakeholders across government, academia and research
- High ability to collaborate and actively listen to others, understanding and valuing others' views; ability to hire an A+ team and attract top talent
- Adaptable, flexible and comfortable with dealing with some level of ambiguity, to changing circumstances, and needs of the role
- Experience working with the government is a plus
Reporting
The President will report to the Board of Maker Bhavan Foundation.
Compensation
Maker Bhavan Foundation recognizes that the right candidate will have a significant impact on the success of the organization and is prepared to offer an attractive compensation package for the non-profit sector, commensurate with experience.
Location
The preferred location is Mumbai; any other Tier 1 metro city is also acceptable. Frequent travel within and outside India is expected
Apply
Interested candidates should fill out the application form or reach out to us at vishal@theconvergencefoundation.org