Associate Manager, Institutional Development

Associate Manager, Institutional Development

The International Forum for Environment, Sustainability & Technology (iFOREST) is seeking a dynamic, detail-oriented, and motivated professional to support institutional development, fundraising, donor coordination, and programme growth initiatives across the organization.

The position will work closely with programme teams and institutional leadership to align programme priorities with funding opportunities and strengthen institutional systems for development and partnerships. The ideal candidate should demonstrate strong coordination, communication, analytical, and project management capabilities, along with a sound understanding of the climate, sustainability, and development ecosystem in India. The role requires the ability to work across multidisciplinary teams, manage multiple assignments simultaneously, and deliver high-quality outputs within tight timelines.

The position requires demonstrated experience in proposal writing, donor reporting, partnership coordination, and institutional engagement processes.

Required Experience: 5+ years

Location: Noida, Uttar Pradesh

Reporting to: Director – Institutional Development

The Role

The Associate Manager – Institutional Development will support institutional growth and programme expansion by coordinating fundraising, donor engagement, proposal development, reporting, and partnership management processes across iFOREST programmes.

The role will be responsible for supporting the development of high-quality proposals and donor communications, coordinating with programme and finance teams, managing institutional development processes, and ensuring timely delivery of reporting and partnership commitments. The position will also contribute to strategic planning, institutional coordination, and strengthening iFOREST’s engagement with donors, partners, and collaborators.

Specific tasks to be undertaken by the Associate Manager – Institutional Development are:

Support programme and proposal development

• Coordinate with programme teams to conceptualize new projects and initiatives aligned with institutional priorities and emerging sectoral opportunities.
• Support development of concept notes, technical proposals, pitch documents, budgets, and presentations for bilateral agencies, philanthropies, foundations, CSR partners, and other funding institutions.
• Support preparation of project frameworks, including objectives, outcomes, indicators, budgets, timelines, and workplans.
• Coordinate internal proposal development processes across programme, finance, and leadership teams to ensure timely and high-quality submissions.
• Maintain and track proposal pipelines, funding opportunities, and institutional engagement processes across different stages.
• Undertake background research and donor mapping to identify strategic opportunities aligned with programme priorities.

Support donor and partnership coordination

• Serve as a focal point for donor and partner communications, ensuring timely responses, follow-ups, and coordination.
• Organize and coordinate meetings, presentations, discussions, and engagement processes with funders, partners, and collaborators.
• Maintain institutional records of donor communications, partnership commitments, reporting timelines, and key deliverables.
• Support relationship management with existing and prospective donors, partners, and institutional collaborators.
• Support outreach efforts and partnership development initiatives to strengthen institutional growth and visibility.

Manage reporting, documentation, and compliance processes

• Coordinate preparation of technical and financial donor reports in collaboration with programme and finance teams.
• Ensure adherence to donor formats, timelines, contractual requirements, and compliance processes.
• Support development of impact narratives, programme summaries, lessons learned, and institutional communication materials.
• Maintain organized documentation and records related to proposals, reports, agreements, and donor communications.
• Support tracking of institutional commitments, reporting schedules, and programme deliverables across projects.

Contribute to institutional growth and outreach

• Support institutional outreach, communications, and engagement efforts with donors, partners, and external stakeholders.
• Contribute to strengthening iFOREST’s institutional profile through coordination of communication materials, presentations, and external engagement support.
• Adopt a proactive, detail-oriented, and solutions-focused approach to support institutional growth and operational effectiveness.

Additional responsibilities

• Undertake any additional responsibilities and assignments related to institutional development and organizational priorities.

Qualifications & Work Experience

Master’s degree (minimum) from a recognized institution in public policy, climate change, economics, development studies, management, sustainability, or a related field.

Around 5 years of relevant experience in a think tank, research organization, bilateral or multilateral institution, philanthropy, donor agency, consulting organization, or development sector institution.

Demonstrated experience in proposal writing, donor reporting, programme coordination, and stakeholder engagement.

Experience in coordinating across multidisciplinary teams and managing multiple assignments simultaneously.

Required Competencies

• Good understanding of the climate change, sustainability, and development sector in India.
• Strong written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to support proposal development, donor coordination, reporting, and partnership management processes.
• Strong organizational, coordination, and project management capabilities.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and deliver high-quality outputs within tight timelines.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and documentation skills.
• Proactive, detail-oriented, collaborative, and highly organized approach to work.
• Ability to work effectively across multidisciplinary teams and institutional processes.
• Familiarity with fundraising, donor engagement, and institutional development processes is desirable.
• Proficiency in MS Office tools, especially PowerPoint and Excel.

What We Offer

At iFOREST, we provide an inclusive and supportive work environment. We are committed to professional development through learning, training, and capacity-building opportunities.

• Opportunity to contribute to high-impact work on climate, sustainability, clean energy, just transition, and development policy.
• Exposure to institutional strategy, donor engagement, programme development, and policy processes.
• A dynamic and collaborative work culture that values professionalism, innovation, and impact.
• Competitive compensation in line with experience and organizational norms.

Remuneration

We offer a competitive salary based on experience and proficiency. The final designation and compensation will depend on the qualifications and experience of the selected candidate.

Application Instructions

We prefer that candidates apply from LinkedIn or submit online applications at https://iforest.global/careers/.