About the Role
As the Lead Partnerships you will drive collaborations that fuel Asude s mission. You will build strategic alliances across government CSR philanthropy and cultural institutions to expand the reach of our Labs cocreate impactful learning experiences and unlock funding opportunities. Your role will be pivotal in scaling our work deepening our presence across geographies and sustaining our evolution as a Learning Design Lab.
About the Labs
Systems Lab: Designs scalable learning interventions for public and private systems including schools skilling institutions and industries. It focuses on integrating education with industry.
Play Lab: Uses the power of games simulations and playful pedagogy to create engaging and reflective learning tools.
Culture Lab: Anchors learning in Indias rich cultural heritage by designing programs with museums libraries and public spaces.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead and execute the partnership strategy in alignment with Asude s vision and the distinct focus areas of the Systems Play and Culture Labs.
- Drive fundraising efforts by identifying opportunities writing grant applications and cultivating longterm funding relationships with CSR partners donors and institutional supporters.
- Identify pitch to and cultivate strategic relationships with key stakeholders across government departments philanthropic foundations educational institutions and private sector entities.
- Design and develop partnership models MoUs and grant proposals tailored to each Lab s objectives and aligned with shared goals.
- Represent Asude at ecosystem convenings conferences and sectoral events effectively communicating our impact approach and collaborative potential.
- Oversee endtoend partner engagement including onboarding joint planning and collaborative program execution.
Requirements
- 5 years in social impact partnerships stakeholder engagement or business development.
- Master s degree in any field.
- Experience working with CSR philanthropic foundations or government bodies.
Key Qualities
- Exposure to both nonprofit and entrepreneurial ecosystems is a plus.
- Strategic mindset with the ability to translate program value into partnership opportunities.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills in English and Marathi.
- Passion for social impact educational equity and design for systems change.
- Proven relationshipbuilder with empathy and cultural sensitivity
Key Qualities Deep understanding of constructivist, experiential, and culturally relevant pedagogies. Experience designing for varied age groups and institutional contexts. Strong visual, aesthetic, and learning design sensibility. Iterative mindset with comfort navigating ambiguity. Capacity to blend learning with storytelling, play, and cultural expression. Preferred Background 5+ years in designing learning solutions across schools, ed-techs, museums, or public systems is valuable. Master s degree in any field Prior experience with Familiarity with design thinking, constructivist learning theory, play-based learning, and cultural pedagogy.