Jobs and Internships
Thank you for your interest in working with Columbia Global Centers | Mumbai. Vacancies, when announced, will be displayed below; if you'd like to pursue an internship at the Center, please drop us an email.
Position Summary
Reporting to the Director of the Global Center | Mumbai, the Senior Manager of Programs and Strategic Initiatives will play a key leadership role in advancing the Center’s mission. The incumbent will be responsible for conceiving, developing, managing, and scaling a portfolio of research, educational, and engagement programs aligned with Columbia University’s academic strengths and regional priorities. The incumbent will lead strategic development initiatives, strengthen multi-sector partnerships, and contribute to the Center’s visibility, impact, and sustainability.
This role requires a highly experienced professional with the vision to develop strategic opportunities, the operational skills to ensure successful program delivery, and the diplomatic acumen to cultivate institutional, governmental, and private sector partnerships.
Responsibilities
Strategic Program Leadership
- Lead the design and development of interdisciplinary research, educational, and engagement initiatives, ensuring strategic alignment with Columbia University priorities and regional opportunities.
- Supervise the programmatic portfolio across multiple sectors, ensuring high standards in planning, budgeting, monitoring, evaluation, and reporting.
- Identify and pursue innovative, mission-aligned programmatic opportunities, leveraging internal and external expertise.
Development and Fundraising
- Partner with the Center Director to develop and implement a fundraising strategy, including donor cultivation, grant proposal development, and partnership negotiations.
- Engage with CSR heads, foundations, government agencies, and multilateral organizations to secure support for Center initiatives.
Stakeholder and Partnership Engagement
- Strengthen and expand partnerships with academic institutions, government agencies, NGOs, corporations, and multilateral bodies.
- Act as a primary liaison with Columbia University faculty, institutes, schools, and centers, facilitating collaborative opportunities and joint initiatives.
Alumni, Student, and Public Engagement
- Oversee the Center’s alumni engagement strategy and foster robust connections with Columbia’s alumni network in India and the region.
- Supervise educational programming for students, including internships, immersion programs, and credit-bearing initiatives.
- Curate high-impact public programming that enhances the Center’s visibility and thought leadership role.
Management and Team Leadership
- Mentor and supervise program officers and other staff, fostering a collaborative, high-performance culture.
- Manage internal operational processes to ensure efficient, high-quality program execution.
- Contribute to Center-wide strategic planning, organizational learning, and continuous improvement.
Other Duties
- Represent the Center at regional and global meetings and conferences.
- Perform additional responsibilities as required to fulfill the Center’s mission and contribute to the broader Columbia Global network.
Minimum Qualifications
- Master’s Degree in a relevant field (such as international development, public health, environmental studies, public policy, or a related discipline).
- 10+ years of progressively responsible experience in program leadership.
- Demonstrated success in program development, stakeholder engagement, partnership building, and fundraising.
Additional Position-Specific Qualifications
- Sophisticated understanding of research concepts and international academic collaboration models.
- Deep familiarity with regional development challenges and institutional networks across academia, government, and the private sector.
- Outstanding relationship management skills and cross-cultural communication abilities.
- Evidence of entrepreneurial thinking, strategic visioning, and strong operational management.
- Exceptional verbal and written communication skills in English;
- Willingness to travel as needed within India and internationally.
About Columbia Global Centers | Mumbai
Columbia Global Centers | Mumbai is part of a network of global centers of Columbia University in the City of New York, one of the world's leading academic institutions. The centers serve as knowledge hubs that educate and inspire through research, dialogue, and action. They advance understanding, facilitate partnerships, and build the bridges necessary to tackle our changing world.
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Position Summary
Reporting to the Director, Global Centers | Mumbai, the Senior Program and Development Officer will be responsible for supporting the design, development, management and funding of programs that advance the goals of the Mumbai Global Center by creating and maintaining relationships with key stakeholders. The incumbent will source and engage partners in academia (faculty and students), research, government and professionals in the private and public sectors.
Responsibilities
- Program Design, Development, Budgeting, Implementation and Monitoring: Engaging with relevant faculty and departments from Columbia University to design, develop, budget, implement, and monitor various research, educational and training programs.
- Advocacy and Development: Support development efforts for the center and its programs. Building and maintaining relationships with key stakeholders, including CSR heads.
- Stakeholder mapping and Partnership Facilitation: Forging and maintaining partnerships with local/national academic institutions, NGOs, government, and private sector entities to enhance program objectives and capacity-building efforts.
- Alumni and Student Engagement: Lead alumni engagement for the center by forging and maintaining relationships with the city chapter heads of
- the alumni associations, other alumni and alumni relations teams at CU. Support student initiatives.
- Other Duties: Performing other duties as required to meet the goals and mission of the Center and the global centers’ network. Traveling on occasion in India and abroad to advance the goals of the Center
Minimum Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree (required); advanced degree (preferred), with domain expertise in environmental studies or public health. A minimum of 8 - 10 years of relevant work experience in program management in a related field.
Additional Position-Specific Qualifications
- Excellent coordinating skills and a passion for public programming
- Strong understanding of research concepts and current academic research in field of expertise.
- Familiarity with networks of relevant stakeholders in India
- Ability to work responsibly, take initiative, and generate new ideas
- Willingness to work flexibly and collaboratively with a small yet growing team
- Possess excellent relationship management skills.
- Superior verbal and written communication skills in English. Proficiency in additional Indian languages a plus.
About Columbia Global Centers | Mumbai
Columbia Global Centers | Mumbai is part of a network of global centers of Columbia University in the City of New York, one of the world's leading academic institutions. The centers serve as knowledge hubs that educate and inspire through research, dialogue, and action. They advance understanding, facilitate partnerships, and build the bridges necessary to tackle our changing world.