Assistant manager - strategic initiatives

<p> DESIGNATION - Assistant Manager – Strategic Initiatives </p> <p> DEPARTMENT - Strategic Initiatives </p> <p> Location : Gurgaon – On Campus </p> <p> Position Type : Assistant Manager </p> <p> Employment Type : Full-time </p> <p> Department : Strategy, Planning &amp; Operational Excellence </p> <p> Reports to : Head Strategic Initiatives </p> <p> POSITION SUMMARY </p> <p> The Strategic Initiatives FTE is responsible for supporting the planning, development, and execution of high-priority initiatives that align with the institution's long-term vision, mission, and strategic goals. </p> <p> This role acts as a partner to senior leadership, managing cross-functional projects, fostering innovation, enhancing operational efficiency, and ensuring accountability in meeting organizational targets. </p> <p> ABOUT THE INSTITUTION </p> <p> We are a premier, forward-thinking Business School committed to academic excellence, innovation, and developing the next generation of global business leaders. Our institution combines rigorous academic programming with industry-relevant experiential learning, cutting-edge research, and a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem. As we enter an ambitious phase of growth and transformation, we are seeking a dynamic, results-driven professional to be a part of our Strategic Initiatives portfolio. </p> <p> POSITION OVERVIEW </p> <p> The Assistant Manager - Strategic Initiatives serves as a key institutional resource responsible for supporting &amp; driving the Business School's strategic agenda from conception to execution. </p> <p> This role sits at the intersection of academic vision, operational excellence, and stakeholder engagement, working directly with senior leadership to identify, design, prioritize, and implement high-impact institutional programs, partnerships, and transformation projects. </p> <p> The ideal candidate should be an exceptional strategist and project manager who combines analytical rigor with strong interpersonal skills, thrives in a dynamic academic environment, and has a demonstrated ability to translate complex strategic ideas into actionable, measurable results. </p> <p> KEY RESPONSIBILITIES </p> <p>1. Strategic Planning &amp; Execution </p> <p>• Support the annual and multi-year strategic planning process for the Business School, including environmental scanning, competitive analysis, stakeholder management and plan documentation </p> <p>• Translate the School's vision, mission, and strategic priorities into executable roadmaps with clear milestones, KPIs, and accountability frameworks </p> <p>• Monitor progress against strategic goals, prepare dashboards and scorecards, and report to Strategy Head </p> <p>• Conduct SWOT, PESTLE, and benchmarking analyses to identify opportunities and threats in the higher education landscape </p> <p>2. Partnership Development &amp; Stakeholder Engagement </p> <p>• Identify and plan strategic partnerships with corporates, industry bodies, Government agencies and non-profit organizations </p> <p>• Build and maintain a robust stakeholder engagement framework ensuring sustained relationships with recruiters, and community partners </p> <p>• Represent the Business School at conferences, forums, and networking events to enhance institutional visibility and forge new alliances </p> <p>• Coordinate with Strategy Head to align strategic initiatives with engagement priorities </p> <p>3. New Initiatives &amp; Program Innovation </p> <p>• Identify and develop new initiatives aligned with market demand and institutional strengths </p> <p>• Manage the end-to-end launch process for new initiatives </p> <p>• Work on innovation, and incubation initiatives, including startup labs, hackathons, and mentorship programs. </p> <p>4. Project Management &amp; Cross-Functional Coordination </p> <p>• Serve as the central project management office (PMO) for all major institutional projects and transformation initiatives </p> <p>• Develop and maintain project plans, budgets, timelines, risk registers, and stakeholder communication plans for all strategic projects </p> <p>• Coordinate across academic departments, administrative units, and external partners to ensure alignment and timely delivery </p> <p>• Identify and resolve project bottlenecks, resource conflicts, and dependencies proactively </p> <p>• Maintain a portfolio view of all ongoing strategic initiatives and provide regular status updates to senior leadership </p> <p>5. Research, Intelligence &amp; Thought Leadership </p> <p>• Monitor global trends in management education, technology, and the future of work and translate insights into strategic recommendations </p> <p>• Contribute to the School's digital presence and content strategy in collaboration with communications and marketing teams </p> <p>6. Community Engagement </p> <p>• Facilitate community engagement and social impact programs that enhance the School's societal contribution and brand </p> <p>7. Communication &amp; Change Management </p> <p>• Develop and execute communication strategies for strategic initiatives to ensure buy-in from faculty, staff, students, and external stakeholders </p> <p>• Support change management efforts for major institutional transformations, ensuring smooth adoption and minimal disruption </p> <p>• Manage the institutional calendar of strategic events — including convocation, leadership summits, industry days, and alumni events </p> <p> QUALIFICATIONS &amp; EXPERIENCE </p> <p> Essential: </p> <p>• Master’s degree in business administration (MBA) or related field from a recognized institution (Degree from an accredited Business School preferred) </p> <p>• Minimum 2-4 years of progressive experience in strategy, management consulting, BFSI, FMCG/CD domain. </p> <p>• Proven track record of leading complex, multi-stakeholder projects from initiation to successful completion </p> <p>• Strong analytical and research skills with ability to synthesize data into actionable insights </p> <p>• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills — able to prepare high-quality reports, presentations, and policy documents </p> <p>• Demonstrated experience in partnership development and stakeholder management </p> <p>• Strong MS Office/Google Workspace proficiency — particularly Power Point/Slides, Excel/Sheets </p>