Location: Remote with 40-50% travel to across NavGurukul campuses or our headquarter.
About NavGurukul
At NavGurukul, we believe that talent is everywhere, but opportunity isn't—and we're working to change that. Since 2016, we've been building pathways for India's underserved youth to access dignified careers in tech through fully-funded residential programs, remote skilling initiatives, and digital access projects. Our 1,100+ current students across 9 campuses and 1,500+ alumni (collectively earning ₹50 crore+ annually) are proof that with the right support, young people from any background can thrive. When Kajal, a rickshaw puller's daughter, became Mindtree's youngest software developer at 17 and started earning over ₹15 lakh annually, it wasn't a miracle—it was what becomes possible when we remove barriers instead of adding requirements.
But we're not stopping at residential campuses. Through initiatives like our Remote Finishing School (2,000+ engineering students trained with 70% placement rates), Sama (10,000+ refurbished laptops powering digital labs for 1 million+ students), and AI Learning Labs (30,000+ trained in AI literacy), we're tackling the opportunity gap from multiple angles. We partner with state governments to reach 27 lakh+ ITI students, co-design curricula, and even build AI-powered career guidance tools for government school kids. What excites us most is that we're not just changing individual lives—we're proving that a different kind of education system is possible, one where your background doesn't determine your future.
Support the CEO and founding team in developing, implementing, and monitoring NavGurukul's strategic plan across multiple verticals (Zuvy, Sama, School of Second Chances, AI Learning Labs, NAVigo)
Coordinate cross-organizational priorities and workflows across NavGurukul's 9 campuses and NGVerse subsidiaries, creating systems of work integration
Lead strategic initiatives and special projects that fall outside traditional departmental functions, including organizational restructuring and new vertical launches
Serve as a key liaison ensuring alignment between leadership, EIR entrepreneurs, and campus teams
Manage the executive calendar, prioritizing meetings and ensuring efficient use of time focused on high-impact activities
Oversee daily operations in collaboration with senior managers and department leaders across NavGurukul's residential programs and enterprise initiatives
Proactively identify potential issues in projects, communications, and agenda items; initiate solutions in collaboration with the CEO and Senior Leadership Team
Exercise sound decision-making and represent NavGurukul at external meetings and events
Support the coordination and success of NavGurukul's EIR program, which incubates new social impact ventures within the NGVerse ecosystem
Facilitate communication and resource sharing between EIR initiatives (Zuvy, Sama, School of Second Chances) and the central team (finance, fundraising, tech, product)
Monitor progress of subsidiary ventures, ensuring they stay aligned with NavGurukul's mission of empowering underserved communities while maintaining operational independence
Serve as a liaison between executive leadership and staff across all campuses, ensuring transparency around strategic objectives and organizational effectiveness
Schedule and coordinate weekly senior leadership team meetings and all-staff meetings with corresponding agendas
Distill information, separate noise, and facilitate quicker, better-informed decision-making across departments
Foster organizational community and ways of working that align with NavGurukul's values of dignity, representation, and agency
Serve as the key liaison to the Board of Directors on behalf of the CEO
Plan and schedule quarterly board meetings and retreats, organizing materials and ensuring follow-up on governance tasks
Support relationship cultivation with major philanthropic partners, donors, and corporate partners (Amazon, Accenture, etc.)
Prepare deliverables, draft letters, correspondence, and presentations for external stakeholders
Manage complex cross-functional projects, monitoring progress and ensuring timely delivery while handling dependencies and risks
Attend and document major takeaways and action items from partner meetings; develop and update project plans to ensure responsiveness
Design and implement divisional touchpoints including newsletters, quarterly retreats, and shared learning spaces
Create presentation outlines, talking points, and agendas for internal and external coalition meetings
Proven leadership track record: 5-8+ years of experience in operations, strategy, project management, or chief of staff roles, ideally within nonprofits, social enterprises, or high-growth startups
Social impact experience: Deep understanding of India's nonprofit ecosystem and passion for educational equity and empowerment of underserved communities
Entrepreneurial exposure: Experience working with founders, entrepreneurs, or in fast-paced environments where you've had to build systems from scratch
Multi-stakeholder management: Demonstrated ability to navigate complex organizational structures involving boards, donors, government partners, and distributed teams
Strategic thinking: Ability to see the big picture while managing granular details; can translate vision into actionable plans
Exceptional organizational skills: Master at managing multiple schedules, project timelines, and competing priorities simultaneously
Outstanding communication: Superb written and oral communication skills, including presentation abilities and relationship-building across diverse stakeholders
Project management expertise: Strong track record managing complex, cross-functional projects with multiple teams and tight deadlines
Technology proficiency: Comfortable with digital platforms, data systems, and tools (Google Workspace, project management software, etc.)
Mission-driven and values-aligned: Deep personal commitment to NavGurukul's vision of creating equitable education alternatives for marginalized communities
Resourceful problem-solver: Proactive in identifying issues and initiating solutions; comfortable with ambiguity and building processes where none exist
Trustworthy and discreet: Able to handle confidential information with integrity and exercise sound judgment on behalf of leadership
Collaborative team player: Thrives in "all hands on deck" environments; sees yourself as the glue that brings everything together
Adaptable and action-oriented: Comfortable in a fast-growing, sometimes chaotic environment where priorities shift and you need to juggle diverse responsibilities
Long-term commitment: Ready to commit to a multi-year journey (minimum 3-5 years) to see initiatives through to lasting impact
Being a non-profit organisation, our compensation is significantly different from what is offered in the for-profit sector. Our top leadership is generally at a 80-95% pay cut depending on the domain that they come from. This part of the JD is really not our strength, but we will do what we can 🙂.
You're someone who gets energized by being at the center of multiple initiatives, who can switch contexts quickly from board governance to EIR support to operational problem-solving. You don't need to be told what to do—you see what needs to happen and make it happen. You're equally comfortable drafting a board memo, facilitating a strategic planning session, or rolling up your sleeves to solve an operational challenge. Most importantly, you believe in NavGurukul's mission so deeply that you're willing to be the behind-the-scenes force multiplier that enables the organization to achieve exponentially greater impact.
