Manager - Centre of Excellence

About Sobus :

Sobus Insight Forum is a non profit that aims to make India’s local innovation economy investable and inclusive. We are a platform that bridges the gap between rural talent and aspiration and global opportunities. We establish Centres of Excellence (CoEs) in partnership with higher education institutions to unlock the entrepreneurial potential of youth, in rural and semi-urban regions. Each CoE acts as a bridge between academia, industry, and local governance, enabling innovation-led local development.

Our vision is to create a prosperous and equitable Bharat by empowering local talent, promoting regional enterprise, and catalyzing sustainable community transformation.

Manager

Location: Maharashtra (Dhule) (Full-time, On-site)

Reporting To: CEO – Sobus CoE 

Role Overview

The CoE Manager will serve as the operational backbone of the Sobus Centre of Excellence, ensuring seamless program delivery, student engagement, and day-to-day execution.

Working closely with the CEO and Sobus Central Team, the Manager will coordinate innovation activities, supervise fellows/interns, and keep the SPIRIT (Skills, Projects, Internships, Research, Innovation, Tinkering) framework running efficiently across departments.

This is a role for a self-driven, hands-on professional who thrives on execution, relationship management, and youth engagement in a dynamic academic environment.

Key Responsibilities

Program Operations & Delivery

• Manage day-to-day operations of the CoE, including events, workshops, and lab activities.
• Support the Director in executing the SPIRIT activity calendar and monitoring milestones.
• Coordinate logistics for innovation bootcamps, demo days, hackathons, and mentor sessions.
• Maintain and update project dashboards, attendance, and progress trackers weekly.
• Handle communication and documentation for all CoE activities (reports, media, MIS).

Student, Faculty & Community Engagement

• Act as the first point of contact for students and faculty participating in SPIRIT programs.
• Manage registration, project teams, and participation tracking for 1000+ students.
• Liaise with faculty mentors and department coordinators to ensure smooth alignment.
• Coordinate pilots and community projects in collaboration with local administration, ensuring faculty and student participation in solving real-world challenges.
• Facilitate peer learning circles, club meetings, and lab use schedules.

Lab & Infrastructure Management

• Oversee the daily functioning of the MakerSpace / IoT–Robotics Lab.
• Maintain lab inventory, usage records, and coordinate with vendors for maintenance.
• Ensure security, safety, and discipline standards are followed in the lab.

Team Coordination & Reporting

• Supervise on-ground fellows and student interns.
• Consolidate weekly reports, collect data from teams, and share updates with the Director.
• Support donor and partner documentation including photos, testimonials, and impact stories.

Partnerships & Outreach

• Assist in organizing partner visits, mentor interactions, and industry sessions.
• Identify student/faculty project stories to feature in external communication and showcase decks.
• Support coordination for external proposals and reports in collaboration with Sobus HQ.

Ideal Profile

• 2–4 years of experience in program coordination, education, innovation, or social sector roles.
• Strong organizational and people skills; able to manage multiple moving parts independently.
• Comfort with youth engagement, data management, and campus-level program delivery.
• Proficiency with Google Workspace, MS Office, and digital collaboration tools.
• Passionate about innovation, entrepreneurship, and grassroots development.