Program Manager

Program Manager, Forge.Ventures | Immediate joiners preferred

In this role, the incumbent is expected to deliver strong individual performance while seamlessly collaborating with other professionals responsible for the execution of programs in the Forge.Ventures vertical. The role covers techno-managerial, financial, operational, and administrative responsibilities, with focus on analysis, evaluation, decision support, and governance across the following KRAs: Startup Incubation & Acceleration Services; Innovation Grants & Startup Investments; Open Innovation, Startup Accelerator & Venture Programs with Corporate/Government partners; Governance, Reporting & Stakeholder Engagement for Govt/Corporate Funds; Program Operations including Events and MarComm.

In managing the comprehensive scope of outcomes & activities, the Program Manager, Forge.Ventures is expected to staff, train,& manage a team of competent program leads and program associates. In this role the person shall be expected to be engaged (not concurrently but sequentially) in various programs implemented under Forge.Ventures namely:

1. Forge.Fund- a) Startup Catalysis Services
2. Forge.Fund- b) Innovation Grants & Startup Investments
3. Forge.Foundry & Forge.Fast- Corporate/Government Innovation & Ventures Programs

Position & Designation

Grade - Manager or Sr. Manager

The Program Manager, Forge.Ventures shall be designated in Forge at the grade of Manager or Sr. Manager, & considered for a promotion to the role of Program Director after having delivered a commendable performance in the role for a minimum tenure of 24 months.

Compensation

Forge compensation is at par with the top end of the social enterprises sector in India & continuously benchmarked to be above the average compensation offered in the social (non-commercial or development) sector in general but significantly above the average compensation offered by TBIs in general in India.

The Total CTC will include 4 major components namely, Fixed Monthly Gross, Fixed Quarterly Payout, Annual Development Bonus (linked to demonstration of progress on developing & strengthening capabilities in alignment with the Career Advancement & Capabilities Development framework of Forge), & Quarterly/Annual Executive Bonus (linked to a predetermined share of the financial indicators/results of the company including grant-in-aid funds, revenues, and/or operating profits, as may be determined on a case-to-case basis).

Role & Responsibilities - Key Result Areas

#1.Forge.Fund- a) Startup Catalysis Services

Implementation of Innovation & Venture Advisory & Startup Catalysis Services

• Manage the implementation of various value-added services & programmatic interventions necessary to deliver strategic advisory to startups in accelerating their technology, product, business, & venture outcomes;
• Facilitate effective utilization by startup founders of knowledge resources, methods & tools developed by Forge to aid better execution on innovation & venture development;
• Build, upgrade & maintain a diverse pool of accomplished mentors capable of providing strategic advisory to startups to strengthen their overall planning & execution towards achieving critical milestones in a predictable & accelerated manner;
• Manage the process of offering startup acceleration & advisory services in tight alignment with the process of setting, monitoring, & reporting milestones for all startups in the Forge portfolio, especially those offered innovation grants & startup investments;
• Manage the process of screening, evaluating & selecting the startups -including the decisions relating to incubation/acceleration agreement, success linked payback model etc.
• Directly responsible for all managerial & administrative aspects relating to the execution of contracts & collection of fees from startups according to the agreements;

Program Operations - MarComm, Ecosystem Connect

• Lead/support the effective planning & implementation of events, conferences, visits, startup demos, ecosystem meetups, & other forms of physical, digital or hybrid events required towards creating a strong pipeline of high-potential startups for the various grants & investments programs implemented by Forge;
• Manage end-to-end the entire planning process & lead the effective execution of plans for organising Demo Days & Demand Days;
• Anchor the implementation of various activities & deliverables coming under the purview of Marketing Communications relating to outreach campaigns, event collateral, social media promotions etc.

#2.Forge.Fund- Innovation Grants & Startup Investments

Innovation Grants - Management & Administration

• Responsible for managing end-to-end the complete process of grant appraisal & diligence for startups approved for sanction by Forge Grants Committee, all the way through to the execution of grant agreements in accordance with the guidelines of the respective Govt/Corporate sponsor/scheme;
• Manage the end-to-end process of grant administration relating to monitoring, evaluating and reporting the milestone wise progress/performance of the startups in accordance with the guidelines formulated by Forge & meeting the expectations of the Govt/Corporate sponsor/scheme;
• Support the Forge Finance team in submitting all mandatory periodic reports to the Govt/Corporate sponsors in accordance with the stated expectations/guidelines in a timely manner;

Startup Investments - Management & Administration

• Responsible for managing end-to-end the complete process of investment appraisal & diligence for startups approved for seed investments by Forge Investments Committee, all the way through to the execution of investment agreements in accordance with the guidelines of the respective Govt/Corporate sponsor/scheme;
• Manage the end-to-end process of fund administration relating to monitoring, evaluating and reporting the milestone wise progress/performance of the startups in accordance with the guidelines formulated by Forge & meeting the expectations of the Govt/Corporate sponsor/scheme;
• Support the Forge Finance team in submitting all mandatory periodic reports to the Govt/Corporate sponsors in accordance with the stated expectations/guidelines in a timely manner;

Fundraising

• Support the CEO driving fundraising initiatives for sourcing funds for innovation grants &startup investments through grants from Government schemes, CSR funds etc., including end-to-end process of documentation, submission, & presentation of proposals on behalf of the company's CEO as the delegated authority & authorised representative;

#3.Forge.Foundry & Forge.Fast- Corporate/Government Innovation & Ventures Programs

Innovation Sandbox & Outreach/Activation for Innovation Challenges

• Contribute to the technical evaluation of problem statements & for translation of qualified problem statements from Industry/Government partners into Innovation Challenge Briefs, apart from managing the creation of videos & other promotional materials/collateral required for the launch & outreach of successive editions of Industrial Innovation Challenges to invite innovation grant applications/proposals from startups;
• Take the initiative for actively scouting for startups to apply for Innovation Challenges & other forms of formal call-for-applications for supporting startups incubated by Forge to submit winning applications/proposals;
• Manage the screening and shortlisting of startup applications from innovators/startups, including the scheduling of startup pitch & review sessions in accordance with the SOPs & guidelines/templates practised by Forge;

Program Governance

• Independently lead end-to-end planning & implementation for large corporate/government programs, managing a team of up to 6 full-time Forge employees plus external experts/consultants.
• Own responsibility for all deliverables/outcomes across Client Stakeholder Management, Fundraising & Revenues, Business Development & Partnerships.
• Responsible for the overall program governance of the corporate/government programs assigned towards delivering outcomes & achieving results aligned with the expectations of the client and in accordance with the commitment offered by Forge on scope, scale, quality & timelines of the respective programs;
• Maximize client valuefrom startup engagements while ensuring startups gain major upside through government/corporate partnerships.
• Manage efficient monitoring & reporting of the programs on monthly, quarterly & annual basis, coordinating directly with the executives/stakeholders of the clients on behalf of the CEO & other executives of Forge;
• Analyse data about program implementation to identify & unlock areas for strategic value-addition & increasing productivity of the team, & driving performance improvements to accelerate execution;

Required Qualifications:

• Graduate or postgraduate in engineering, management, or finance with strong quantitative and analytical orientation.
• 710 years of experience in startup incubation/acceleration, innovation grants, transaction advisory, consulting, or program management in innovation and venture ecosystems.
• Certifications in startup finance, venture capital, innovation management, or consulting will be an added advantage.
• Exposure to deeptech/industrial tech, emergent technologies in manufacturing, automation, defence, sustainable energy and climate resilience is preferred.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving ability; comfortable working with data, financial/operating models, dashboards, and structured evaluation frameworks.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; able to prepare clear decks, reports, proposals, and meeting minutes for internal and external stakeholders.
• High ownership with the ability to manage multiple parallel tasks and deliver under tight timelines in a dynamic environment.
• Strong stakeholder management capability with the maturity to work effectively with founders, mentors, investors, and government or corporate partners while ensuring coordination and alignment.