VP, Partnerships

About Us Medha better prepares youth for life after school through 21st-century skills, career guidance, workplace experience, and alumni support. Since 2011, we’ve improved career preparedness, progression, and income growth for 400,000 youth across 1,000+ educational institutions in some of India’s most under-resourced areas. A randomized controlled trial by J-PAL found Medha alumni were significantly more likely to be in education, employment, or training—particularly women—and more likely to be employed and earn sustainable early incomes. Medha has been supported by over 60 corporate and philanthropic partners, including JP Morgan, the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, and the Mulago Foundation, and partners with state governments to reach millions more youth across India. Discover more at medha.org.in . You can follow us on Facebook: @medha.org.in and on Instagram & Twitter: @medhaorg Job Description WHERE DOES THIS ROLE FITS IN THE BIGGER PICTURE? We like to think of ourselves as learning implementers – practitioners at heart, committed to action and iteration, yet equally dedicated to measuring, learning, and improving everything we do. In the VP, Partnership role, we are looking for a strategic, relationship-driven and entrepreneurial leader to lead Medha’s fundraising and funder engagement efforts. The role will be responsible for building and strengthening long-term partnerships with foundations, corporations, multilaterals and other aligned institutions, while developing a diversified and sustainable funding pipeline. The VP, Partnerships will lead the partnerships team and work closely with Programs, Finance, Impact, Communications and senior leadership to translate organisational priorities into compelling funding opportunities, strong proposals, effective grant management, high-quality reporting and meaningful funder engagement. As a member of the senior leadership team, the role will also contribute to strategic organisational decisions. WHAT YOU WILL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR: Fundraising Strategy & Resource Mobilisation Develop and execute Medha’s fundraising strategy and annual/long-term resource mobilization. Identify opportunities to diversify funding sources and strengthen the organization’s long-term financial sustainability. Lead high-value fundraising conversations, pitches and negotiations with prospective partners. Funder Engagement & Partnership Management Build, deepen and maintain trusted relationships with existing and prospective funders and strategic partners. Manage the complete partnership lifecycle from lead generation, scoping and proposal development through due diligence, contracting, implementation, renewal and closure. Develop engagement plans that go beyond transactional funding and create opportunities for deeper strategic value for both Medha and its partners. Understand funder priorities and expectations and ensure timely follow through on commitments. Funder Documentation, Reporting & Communication Oversee the quality of proposals, budgets, reports, presentations, updates, and other funder-facing documentation. Ensure funder communications are clear, compelling, accurate and aligned with Medha’s strategy, program evidence and impact. Coordinate responses to funder queries, reporting requirements, reviews, and due-diligence processes. Work with Communications and Impact teams to develop strong narratives, evidence and success stories for funder engagement. Program, Grant & Budget Coordination Work closely with Programs and field teams to understand implementation progress, challenges, outcomes and emerging opportunities, and translate these into strong proposals, funder updates and renewal conversations. Partner with Finance and Programs on grant budgets, fund utilization, budget revisions, milestones, reporting and compliance, ensuring alignment between program delivery and funder commitments. Coordinate funder visits, reviews and other high-touch engagements, proactively identifying risks or gaps and driving timely course correction. Team Leadership & Strategic Organisational Contribution Lead, coach and develop a high-performing Partnerships team, setting clear priorities, building capabilities and ensuring accountability for fundraising and relationship outcomes. Oversee the fundraising pipeline, opportunities, renewals, and complex funder issues, providing direction and support to the team. Contribute as a member of the senior leadership team by bringing funder insights and external perspectives into organisational strategy, growth priorities, and decision-making. WHO WE ARE LOOKING FOR: Someone with 12+ years of experience in fundraising, partnerships, resource mobilisation, philanthropy, CSR or a closely related field. A strong storyteller who can communicate Medha’s vision, program model, and impact powerfully, verbally and in writing. Significant experience managing senior relationships with foundations, corporations, multilaterals or other institutional funders. Collaborative people leader who develops team capability while creating ownership and accountability. Strong understanding of budgets, grant requirements, fund utilisation, and financial implications of partnerships. Ability to identify, evaluate and prioritise new funding opportunities and build a diversified pipeline. Strong attention to detail and commitment to high-quality execution. Ability to manage multiple priorities, deadlines and stakeholders in a fast-paced environment. Willingness to travel extensively to Medha’s areas of operations. WHO YOU WILL WORK WITH: These are some people you will closely be working with: Co-founder, changemaker, shaking up the status quo: Byomkesh Mishra Connector, problem-solver, and architect of scalable impact: Saurabh Rai Natural leader and chaos tamer: Shubhra Gupta Finance leader driving financial clarity, accountability & sustainability: Syed Afzal Mahmood Data storyteller, strategic thinker, and catalyst for meaningful impact: Aronee Ghosh OUR HIRING PROCESS: Our goal is to be as transparent and respectful of your time during the recruiting process. We use a technology platform to ensure the hiring process is comprehensive, efficient, and well documented. Fair Employment Practices We are committed to creating a diverse environment and are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, pregnancy, disability, age, veteran status, or other characteristics. Medha complies with all fair employment practices.