State Ecosystem Partnerships

Location: Chennai, Tamil Nadu
Experience: 07-10 years of experience in partnership management or ecosystem engagement roles
Compensation: Competitive

Wadhwani Foundation

The Wadhwani Foundation is a global not-for-profit organisation established in 2001 by Dr. Romesh Wadhwani. It works across Asia, Africa, and Latin America to create jobs and improve lives by supporting entrepreneurs, skilling youth, driving innovation, and helping governments adopt digital solutions.

At its core, the Foundation’s mission is to accelerate job creation and economic growth so that millions of people can achieve dignity through meaningful work. To achieve this, it runs programmes that nurture startups and small businesses, equip young people with skills for the future, and encourage scientific research and innovation in areas like artificial intelligence and biotechnology.

Role

State Ecosystem Partnerships Lead responsible for building, activating, and sustaining a strong state-level ecosystem that drives entrepreneurship, skilling, job creation, and small business growth through strategic partnerships.

Responsibilities

Develop strategic partnerships with employers, MSME clusters, industry bodies, incubators, accelerators, academic institutions, and other ecosystem enablers.
Establish collaborations with universities, vocational training institutes, ITIs, and private training providers to strengthen talent and placement pipelines.
Activate and execute national partnerships at the state level, adapting them to local context and needs.
Drive employer engagement to support skilling, apprenticeships, placements, and workforce upskilling.
Represent the organisation in state forums, industry events, and ecosystem platforms.
Work closely with internal program teams to convert partnerships into on-ground outcomes.
Identify ecosystem gaps, opportunities, and partner performance insights and translate them into action plans.
Track partnership impact and support continuous improvement in ecosystem engagement.

Requirements

07-10 years of experience in partnership management, ecosystem development, or stakeholder engagement roles.
Proven experience working with multiple stakeholders such as government bodies, industry associations, academic institutions, and employers.
Strong relationship-building, negotiation, and stakeholder management skills.
Ability to work in complex, multi-stakeholder environments and drive execution.
Strong strategic thinking combined with operational discipline.
Excellent communication and representation skills.
Willingness to travel across the state for partner and ecosystem engagement.