(Senior) Development Associate

Who we are

Prosperiti builds state capacity to increase economic freedom in India. We produce insights on state-level regulation, identify opportunities for reforms, help build policy consensus, and assist in implementation. We release issue-specific State of Regulation reports and bi-weekly broadcasts (insights and explainers) to help states make informed decisions. In partner states, we provide design, drafting, and execution support. For the near term, our focus is to reform labour regulations and building regulations. 

We have thus far supported five states in their reform journey. In Uttar Pradesh, we are assisting the state to introduce reforms to labour regulations. In Punjab and Odisha, we are supporting five departments to reform building standards. In Telangana, we have helped the state draft its MSME policy. In Tamil Nadu, we assisted the MSME department to draft a chapter on ease of doing business for the MSME Report. We have provided research insights on land and labour regulations to the office of the Chief Economic Advisor and the Ministry of Finance. Our research insights have been featured prominently in the Economic Survey 2023-24 and 2024-25 and were shared during the Chief Secretaries’ Conference 2024.

We are supported by philanthropic foundations and patrons: The Convergence Foundation, Nudge Institute, Azim Premji University, Godrej Foundation, Harish Bina Shah Foundation, Lal Family Foundation, and Tree of Life Foundation.

Who leads us

• Bhuvana Anand, Co-Founder: 18+ years in better regulation, governance, public finance, and political economy, at Centre for Civil Society, DFID, JPAL, Deloitte's Emerging Markets Group, and the UN.
• Baishali Bomjan, Co-Founder: 20+ years in business development, strategy, communications, organisation development, at Centre for Civil Society, Atlas Network, India Institute, Centre for Indonesia Policy Studies, and Agaati Foundation.

Who are we looking for

The Development team is the backbone of the organisation—securing mission-aligned resources and building systems that drive scale and efficiency. Through strategic fundraising, process discipline, and data-driven problem solving, they power Prosperiti’s long-term delivery and impact.

The (Senior) Development Associate plays a critical execution role within Prosperiti. You will (a) assist with donor deliverables, follow-up actions, and help in maintaining donor compliances, (b) help with creation of digital collaterals and AV broadcasts by synthesising complex research findings into clear, persuasive, and accessible products, and (c) assist in implementing systems, refining workflows, and ensuring hygiene across all platforms.

Qualifications and hard skills for this role include a background in business administration, finance and management, or mass media and communication. The ability to communicate well, written and spoken, is essential. A curiosity to learn, adapt, and work with new platforms, systems, and technologies is essential to thrive in this role. In addition, a basic grounding in liberal philosophy (why economic freedom matters) will help us align at the starting point.

A (Senior) Development Associate at Prosperiti is detail-obsessed, systems-oriented, and deeply reliable. They enjoy reading, are intellectually curious, and are eager to understand how things work, from workflows to policies. Above all, they bring discipline, discretion, and diligence to every task, helping the organisation function smoothly behind the scenes. 

For us, an ideal team member can shapeshift into various roles to achieve project objectives. S/he can balance opposites—can run solo or in a team, do small tasks or deep uninterrupted work. Our culture prizes openness to ideas, antifragility, honesty, drive for self-improvement, adaptiveness, and collaborative working. This is of course the dream; each of our team members is different in temperament and skills. What they do share is curiosity about the world, a passion for what they choose to do, and an ability to relay with others. 

Your profile today

• Bachelor’s or Masters’s degree in business and management, accounting and finance, mass media and communications, information technology or any equivalent combination of training and experience.
• At least 3 years of experience in strategy, operations, communications, administration, or business development.
• Strong analytical, written and verbal communication skills and the ability to convey complex ideas clearly.
• Proficiency in Excel/Google Sheets for data analysis, Airtable, Monday.com, and Notion, etc for programme management.
• Working knowledge of WordPress, SEO/SEM, and design software like Canva or Figma is desirable.
• Deep intellectual curiosity, entrepreneurial spirit and ‘can-do’ attitude, and with an enthusiasm for details, minutiae, and work process hygiene.
• Comfort with coding, cloud working, and new tech (LaTex, Python, Google, AI).
• Understanding of India’s policy, economic, and governance landscape would be a plus.

Your role tomorrow

Here are 3 things you will do:

1. Fundraising: As a (Senior) Development Associate, you will play a key role in supporting fundraising operations and donor engagement. You will assist in drafting and organising grant proposals, donor reports, and follow-ups—ensuring inputs are well-sourced, fact-checked, and submitted on time. You will maintain donor filing systems and ensure all materials are well-structured and accessible. You will also support research to build a robust pipeline of prospective donors, including individuals and foundations. This includes preparing background briefs and helping craft customised proposals and pitch decks. For existing donors, you will help track engagement, support timely follow-ups, and assist in preparing progress updates, financial reports, and compliance documentation. This role requires strong organisational skills, writing ability, and attention to detail, along with a proactive approach to managing donor relationships.
2. Communications: As a (Senior) Development Associate, you will support the creation and coordination of communication outputs across Prosperiti’s platforms. You will be responsible for outlining and drafting digital collaterals like one-pagers, carousels, and short videos. You will assist in managing production timelines for Prosperiti’s ReformScope videos and liaise with service providers to ensure smooth delivery. You will also maintain Propseriti’s website, Substack, LinkedIn, and Twitter accounts, and contribute to tracking content performance and identifying opportunities for digital growth. In your role, you will also be responsible for researching and identifying new event opportunities and obtaining speaker placements across different platforms, including conferences, podcasts, and talks.
3. Systems management: As a (Senior) Development Associate, you will support the implementation and maintenance of internal systems for task tracking, reporting, and workflows. This includes auditing processes, organising data, updating documentation, and helping the team adopt and use tools effectively. You will take up the research, piloting, and implementation of tools/systems for hiring and managing talent, ensuring smooth financial operations, workflow maintenance and tracking. You will also help identify and manage a network of reliable, cost-effective service providers—such as creative agencies, editors, and videographers—to support Prosperiti’s communication and content needs.

What do you need to know about us

At Prosperiti, culture fit is a priority. We are looking for folks who can reflect honestly on our principles and values and see if the fit is mutual.  

Our principles

• Nothing persuades like the truth.
• Eternal vigilance is sine qua non for liberty. 
• Democracy is government by discussion.

Our values

• Work for a cause, not for applause.
• Knowledge first. Facts over opinion. 
• Mutual enrichment over crude competition. 
• Don’t raise your voice, improve your argument.
• Great works are performed, not by strength, but by perseverance. 

What's our offer

• Competitive compensation benchmarked to top think tanks, research institutions, and non-profit organisations in India.
• Sponsorship for executive training, leadership programs and opportunities to represent Prosperiti at national and international conferences.
• Opportunity to work with the co-founders, advisors and leadership to build a fast-growing organisation.

How to apply

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Interview and offer process: Our selection process is designed to ensure alignment between the candidate’s expertise, aspirations, and Prosperiti’s mission and role requirements. This will include:

• Expression of interest here: https://airtable.com/appCXO4xQ5AmEZ4HI/shrcaihMDHTWOmFd0
• Case interview based on prompt 
• Interview with Co-founders
• Reference check with referees 
• Offer email with details of role, and compensation
• Offer call with Co-founder including feedback on the interview process, and discussion on role, and terms of employment

Application Deadline: Applications will be considered on a rolling basis until the position is closed.