Director of Strategy & Operations Location : Bengaluru, India Experience : 18–23 years Compensation : ₹28–30 LPA + ESOPs Reporting To : CEO Employment Type : Full-time E-Trnl Energy is a pioneering battery technology startup based in Bengaluru, building next-generation lithium-ion cells engineered for ultra-fast charging. We are at the forefront of India’s clean-tech movement, enabling transformative advances in electric mobility. Backed by industry-leading minds and forward-thinking investors, we are now strengthening our founding team to scale from pre-seed to commercial success. We are seeking a Director of Strategy & Operations who will play a pivotal role in shaping the company’s non-technical core — leading investor management, fundraising, operations, and strategic customer engagement. This is a foundational leadership role for a seasoned professional with 18–23 years of experience, ideally across strategic operations, and organizational design. The Director will report directly to the CEO and will be instrumental in driving business stability, investor confidence, and long-term growth. The role spans seven core areas of responsibility: 1. Investor Relations You will be the primary point of contact for all existing investors, managing communications, reporting, and relationship-building. This includes preparing regular updates, financial summaries, milestone reports, and ensuring all investor obligations are met. You'll also work closely with the CEO to shape narratives, coordinate meetings, and handle investor follow-ups. 2. Fundraising Strategy & Execution You will lead the company’s end-to-end fundraising efforts — including equity, debt, and grant funding. This involves identifying funding opportunities, building investment decks, managing data rooms, setting up and running pitch meetings, handling investor diligence, negotiating term sheets, and coordinating with legal and financial advisors. You will also manage government and private-sector grant applications and ensure timely submissions and compliance. 3. Administrative & Operational Oversight You will build and oversee all administrative and general operational systems including financial controls, accounting workflows, procurement protocols, internal reporting processes, vendor management, and document governance. You will create structured systems for purchases, reimbursements, and payments, and work with external agencies as needed to ensure accurate bookkeeping and statutory compliance. 4. Product-Customer Interface You will assist the product side by managing and advancing strategic conversations with potential customers, industry partners, and early adopters. Your role will include understanding market needs, mapping engagement journeys, capturing key customer feedback, and maintaining detailed documentation of discussions, technical requirements, and progress. This function bridges commercial interest with technical readiness, and you will play a vital role in ensuring alignment between product development and market expectations. 5. Branding, PR, and Media Management As the face of non-technical communications, you will oversee company branding, messaging, and media outreach. This includes maintaining a compelling digital presence, coordinating public announcements, working with PR firms (if needed), and ensuring alignment between external perception and internal values. You will also contribute to pitch decks, whitepapers, and government-facing documents that represent the company’s vision and milestones. 6. Supply Chain & Partner Development You will be responsible for identifying and engaging suppliers, manufacturing partners, and logistics vendors. This includes negotiating terms, managing timelines, and ensuring that procurement and logistics can scale with the company's technical roadmap. You’ll also build and formalize partner agreements and oversee the evaluation of cost structures and delivery performance. 7. Government Liaison & Policy Alignment You will lead all interactions with government bodies, industry clusters, and policy institutions. This includes preparing required documentation for compliance, handling government communication, securing regulatory clearances, and exploring opportunities under central and state-level clean energy schemes. Your ability to navigate bureaucratic systems and align with government priorities will be a critical success factor. In the first 6 months , your priorities will include: strengthening investor relationships and delivering consistent reporting, successfully managing the next fundraising round (equity, debt, or grants), and establishing a structured framework for customer engagement and documentation. You should have a Master’s degree and an MBA (or equivalent) from a reputed institute, and bring with you demonstrable experience managing high-stakes operations in dynamic, ambiguous environments. This is a demanding but high-upside opportunity. The toughest part of this role will be managing multiple functions with limited resources and evolving clarity — a true “many hats” position in a deep-tech startup. However, the biggest reward is the opportunity to build and shape one of India’s most promising clean-tech companies from the ground up, with meaningful ownership and influence over its trajectory.