Manager (Ashoka Environmental Defense Fund Climate Corps Fellowship) - Ashoka X

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Reports To:

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Experience (in years):

Nature of Work:

Background:

AshokaX is partnering with the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) to identify and foster the next generation of sustainability talent in India. EDF is a 60+ year-old global non-profit with a strong foundation in science, economics and partnerships. In India, their mission is to support an Indian pathway to shared sustainable prosperity. Through the Ashoka - Environmental Defense Fund Climate Corps Fellowship, passionate, talented and experienced post-graduate students are carefully selected, trained and then custom-matched with host companies and organisations

.Climate Corps is a global network of over 3,000 professionals united to advance climate solutions. This network is grounded in a unique summer fellowship program which embeds trained master’s, post-graduate and recent graduates in companies and public sector organizations to accelerate and advance climate goals. Since the program’s launch in 2008, 1,700+ Climate Corps fellows in the United States, China and India have uncovered over $1.6 billion in energy savings for participating organizations.

Overview of the Role:

The Manager will report to the Deputy Director & Program Head at AshokaX and will play a critical role in the success of the Climate Corps program in India, executing fellow recruitment and key program alumni network management activities, communications support and enabling program growth through general program support.

Roles and Responsibilities:

Fellow Recruitment

• Lead annual fellow recruitment process in India, including, but not limited to, the following activities
• Develop an annual fellow recruitment strategy and workplan aligned with the program goals and objectives
• Manage and cultivate relationships with the faculty and placement cells of selected premier Indian institutes, relevant alumni & professional networks, etc.
• Manage outreach to target universities, including engaging with the Ashoka outreach team for identifying, contacting and developing relationships with university placement coordinators.
• Organising fellow recruitment presentations, virtually and in-person (when suitable to do so)
• In close coordination with the Climate Corps global team, manage and troubleshoot the update and maintenance of the fellow applications portal and CRM database.
• Lead fellow application screening process to identify qualified candidates; oversee and guide external partner, ensuring smooth execution of the screening process.
• Manage the fellow interview process, including curation and convening of the interview panel, to conduct virtual candidate interviews.
• Manage and align the decision-making of the interview panel and program leadership on fellow selection and matching decisions
• Manage all communications with the applicants and the selected fellows, starting from outreach to fellowship conclusion.

Network Management (India Fellowship Program)

• Develop and lead the India-focused network engagement strategy, including partnerships, events, and alumni support.
• Build alliances with sectoral organizations to expand Climate Corps India’s reach and impact.
• Define goals, metrics, and manage the program’s network and events budget.
• Oversee flagship events, including the annual Summit and virtual conference.
• Serve as primary contact for alumni support and manage fellow–alumni mentorship.
• Design and deliver year-round engagement, including newsletters, communications, and storytelling.
• Coordinate with global teams to promote Climate Corps Connect and maintain an updated alumni database.
• Track and report engagement through surveys, metrics, and quarterly updates.

Other program duties

Serve as a relationship manager for Climate Corps fellows throughout their fellowships, including:

• Contributing to learning activities
• In collaboration with fellows and hosts, ensure the development of high-impact project workplans
• Provide ongoing project support to all fellows and hosts, including via planned check-in calls, ad-hoc fellow support, and site visits as appropriate (if safe to do so)
• Secure final project deliverables from all fellows, including final reports, supporting analyses, and project summaries
• Manage and coordinate projects with interdisciplinary teams

Additional responsibilities as assigned.

Qualifications:

We are seeking an experienced and passionate Program Coordinator with a background in the business and/or environmental sectors. Preferred qualifications for this position include:

• Bachelor’s degree in marketing, communications, business, environmental studies or relevant field plus 3-5 years of work experience
• Highly effective written and oral communication skills, experience with corporate communication is a plus
• Ability and willingness to work with a fast-paced, entrepreneurial global team across multiple time zones
• Good personal organization and attention to detail
• Strong project management skills, including demonstrated ability to use independent judgement to plan, prioritise and organise a diversified workload
• Demonstrates self-awareness, cultural competency and inclusivity, and the ability to work with colleagues and stakeholders across diverse cultures and backgrounds
• Proficiency in the use of PCs, Microsoft Office suite, and familiarity with Salesforce.com (or equivalent CRM platforms)