Manager/Senior Manager Partnerships

About Us:

Good Business Lab is an independent, non-profit labor innovation company. We use rigorous academic research to prove that worker well-being programs have business impacts. We develop market-ready, scalable interventions that benefit both workers and businesses. Our goal is to disrupt the traditional notion of business and show that worker well-being can be a good business practice.

The founders of the lab are Ach Adhvaryu - Professor of Economics and Director of 21st Century India Center at the School of Global Policy and Strategy, UC San Diego (www.achadhvaryu.com), Anant Ahuja-head of Organization Development at Shahi Exports Pvt. Ltd., and Anant Nyshadham- Assistant Professor of Business Economics and Public Policy at the University of Michigan (www.anantnyshadham.com).

Role:

Location:

Start date:

Salary:

Length of Commitment:

About the role:

We are seeking a Manager/Senior Manager who will sit at the intersection of two critical functions within the Growth vertical at GBL—Private Sector Engagement (PSE) and New Program Development (NPD). This is a cross-functional role with ~70% focus on PSE and ~30% on NPD. The candidate will lead partnership-building with the private sector, deepen existing collaborations, scope new opportunities, and help translate them into scalable, impact-driven programs that improve worker well-being and business outcomes.

In addition to driving strategy and execution, the Manager/Senior Manager will also mentor and manage junior team members, ensuring high-quality outputs, professional development, and a collaborative work environment.

This role requires a balance of strategic thinking, program development experience, and excellent relationship-building skills across corporate, nonprofit, and philanthropic sectors.

Key responsibilities

Private Sector Engagement (~70%)

• Lead and manage private sector partnerships to advance GBL’s mission and project portfolio.
• Systematically identify and pursue new partnership opportunities across diverse industries and geographies.
• Design tailored engagement strategies that align corporate objectives with GBL’s social impact goals.
• Coordinate the development of high-quality materials such as proposals, decks, concept notes, and policy memos for partner-facing communication.
• Represent GBL at external events, forums, and conferences to showcase our work and build strategic relationships.
• Strengthen and manage relationships with existing partners, ensuring sustained collaboration and alignment.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with research, design, and delivery teams to ensure effective program execution and partner satisfaction.
• Monitor policy and market trends (e.g., ESG, BHR, CSR) to refine partnership strategies and ensure alignment with industry developments.

New Program Development (~30%)

• Conduct landscape assessments to identify gaps, trends, and opportunities for new program development at the intersection of worker well-being and business outcomes.
• Lead the ideation and design of scalable program models, informed by internal research, market signals, and stakeholder feedback.
• Develop compelling pitches and early-stage proposals that resonate with potential funders, partners, and collaborators.
• Translate innovative ideas into actionable, high-impact initiatives by collaborating with research, fundraising, and design teams.
• Support internal validation processes and stakeholder consultations to ensure program relevance and feasibility.

Team Management & Mentorship

• Supervise and mentor junior team members working across private sector engagement and new program development.
• Guide team members in work planning, quality control, partner communication, and professional development.
• Provide regular feedback and facilitate learning opportunities to strengthen team capacity and ownership.
• Foster a collaborative, inclusive, and growth-oriented team culture in alignment with GBL’s values.

Who are you?

• 5-8 years of experience in partnerships,, program design, corporate sustainability, or social innovation—including prior experience managing or mentoring junior team members.
• Proven ability to design, lead, and manage partnerships and programs from ideation to conversion.
• Excellent communication and storytelling skills—both written and verbal—for diverse audiences including corporate leaders, funders, and internal stakeholders.
• Strong business acumen and comfort engaging with private sector leaders, philanthropic partners, and civil society actors.
• Experience managing cross-functional projects and collaborating with internal teams across research, design, and implementation.
• Demonstrated ability to coach and develop early-career professionals, set priorities, and support team well-being and growth.
• High level of ownership, adaptability, and independence.
• Passion for advancing worker well-being and equity through systems-level change.

Also, we know it’s tough, but please try to avoid the ​confidence gap​.​ You don’t have to match all the listed requirements exactly to be considered for this role.

What should you be comfortable with?

• Managing and mentoring junior team members while maintaining team morale and accountability.
• Navigating a dynamic, fast-paced work environment with competing priorities.
• Taking ownership of cross-functional initiatives and coordinating across pods and leadership.
• Independently driving workstreams while aligning with broader team objectives.
• Representing GBL externally with clarity and confidence at events, partner meetings, and forums.
• Working with distributed teams across regions and time zones; maintaining a flexible work schedule.
• Traveling frequently for in-person meetings, presentations, and events.
• Staying agile and resourceful in ambiguous or evolving scenarios.

Perks of working with us

There are plenty of benefits at GBL, here are some examples:Fl

• Flexible leave policy: T

  ime away from work can be extremely helpful for maintaining a healthy work/life balance. GBL encourages managers and leadership to set the example by taking time off when needed and ensuring their team members do the same. We don't have a strict limit on paid leaves, only suggested ( extremely liberal) averages.

• Flexible working hours: We

  recognize that a better work-life balance can improve employee motivation, performance, productivity, and reduce stress. The basis of our norms pertaining to this is a system of trust in each other and our common goals.

• GBL Care Systems: A

  s an organization, we are committed to ensuring the wellbeing of our team members and creating a thriving work environment- because that gives us, together, the best chance at achieving our shared mission and sparking joy at work. We do this by partnering with organizations such The Mindclan, Therapize among others for workshops and other wellbeing-related initiatives.

• Growth-oriented review policy: T

  o foster collaboration, we have adopted regular reviews and check-ins among team members. We see a manager's role beyond what is expected from them by conventional management thinkers. Apart from delivering high-quality work, managers are responsible for the holistic development of their team members. This can be achieved through practices inspired by coaching philosophy.

Additional benefits

• Wellbeing budget: Th

  is includes an individual budget for each team member that they can claim reimbursement for things such as therapy, any physical-health related activity and home office setup. Additionally, there's a separate budget for Managers for care packages or any other team activities. There's also a budget for our People Operations team to organize team-wide activities or provide mental health services in collaboration with organizations like Therapize and Mindclan.
• Informal virtual and in-person hangs and activities!

Recent projects and blog posts:

To acclimatize yourself with some of our work, you can read our blog posts on Medium, and also go through our LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

The process:

We are glad you’re interested in applying for this role!

After each step, we decide whether to invite you to the next one. Our interview process for this role has the following steps:

1. CV screening
2. Phone call screening
3. Take Home Assignment
4. First Round Interview
5. Second Round Interview

Depending on the candidate pool, we may add any additional interviews to make a well thought through decision.

Our commitment to diversity:

GBL is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, age, physical disability, or length of time spent unemployed. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We offer traditional monetary workplace benefits such as insurance and travel allowance. We are a young and growing company making us the ideal ground for team members to experiment, take on dynamic roles, and grow with us. We focus on happiness, output, and quality of work.

If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know during the recruiting process.