The Global Development Incubator (GDI) partners with social entrepreneurs and subject matter experts to build startups and collaboratives that can address some of the world’s toughest global development challenges. We play a mix of the strategist and implementer role to spin out new organizations over 24–36 months. Throughout each stage of our process, we bring together the right partners and resources across sectors—including corporations, nonprofits, governments, and foundations—to help game-changing ideas scale their impact and prepare them for long-term success. GDI currently retains a mostly remote workforce with major clusters of staff in New York, Washington, DC, Hong Kong, and Nairobi. We anticipate establishing an office in India in 2022.

The Global Development Incubator seeks to recruit a Managing Director (MD) to lead GDI-India under the direction of the Board of Directors.  The MD will mobilize public and private stakeholders, marshal resources, guide teams and continue to build the operating infrastructure to deliver transformative social impact.  S/he will position GDI to be a leading platform for funders and entrepreneurs to launch new ideas, initiatives or programs in India with the potential to make a positive difference elsewhere in the world as well. 

The MD will lead discussions and develop partnerships with senior executives across companies, foundations and public agencies.  S/he will convey passion and competence for social change to be able to generate new opportunities and funding for GDI, as well as to offer new perspectives to the field, including, publishing in leading journals and speaking at conferences.  S/he will also be expected to generate and manage his or her own portfolio of initiatives and organizations, likely at >75% of his or her time.  Finally, s/he will manage all external engagement, including with the Board of Directors, funders and partners. 

The MD will manage and continue to build a team of Directors, Managers, and Associates.  As the organization grows s/he will oversee portfolio Directors, who are experienced professionals with expertise in their field, and provide guidance, direction and support to each initiative.  S/he will help build out, (or leverage existing capacity in other country locations) and manage a team, including finance, administration, communications and recruiting, and partner with other managing directors to build out GDI’s operating infrastructure globally.  S/he will also be a member of the GDI Global Leadership Team and work to ensure synergies and collaboration with other GDI offices in Hong Kong, Kenya, and the US.

Candidate Profile

GDI is seeking a strategic, dynamic, entrepreneurial, and performance-oriented executive capable of both setting and executing a compelling vision.  S/he will bring an entrepreneurial energy and an operating perspective to adapt GDI’s strategy, positioning, portfolio management and capability development to  opportunities in India.

Experience

The successful candidate will have the experience, credibility and network to expand GDI’s set of opportunities and funding base within India, and position it as the leading platform to launch new initiatives there and regionally.  The successful candidate will likely be a senior leader at an Indian corporation, foundation or NGO directly in, or with exposure to, the social impact sector.  More specifically, the successful candidate will have experience that includes:

• Business development and senior executive relationship management in India; regionally a plus

• An extensive network in India and beyond, and an ability to navigate relationships across the social impact sector

• Designing and launching new organizations, businesses or initiatives

• Managing P&L responsibility and senior executive teams

• Building multi-stakeholder partnerships across Indian and global companies, foundations and governments

• Fundraising from foundations, high net worth individuals and governments

• Lived experience of the lives of vulnerable populations we seek to serve

The successful candidate will have a unique set of competencies across strategy, leadership, operations, and entrepreneurialism:

• Strategic thinker and doer: Brings sector knowledge and an understanding of systems thinking to define problems, structure unique solutions, and develop new multi-stakeholder approaches, with the ability to also implement them.

• Leadership and Collaboration: A team player with the ability to motivate and influence his or her own team, as well as those of partner organizations.

• Operations: Ability to ‘get stuff done’ and implement solutions, either to build GDI’s own operating platform or to develop the capabilities of our partner organizations and initiatives.

• Entrepreneurialism: A ‘can-do’ attitude with the ability to work in unstructured or ambiguous early-stage environments requiring creative problem-solving and marshaling resources.

Candidates must have existing authorization to work in India without sponsorship by GDI. The position will be located in a major city in India, and involve frequent domestic travel, especially to Delhi.

If you are interested in this position and meet the qualifications above, please submit a single PDF document containing a one-page cover letter and resume when applying.

Global Development Incubator is an equal opportunity employer and we are committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace.