Lead – India Climate Leaders : India Climate Collaborative (ICC)

The India Climate Collaborative (ICC), registered as ‘Council of Philanthropies for Climate Action’ (CPCA), mobilises funding towards climate change. We identify critical sectors that need investment while enabling private and corporate philanthropy to engage effectively with climate action. To get this done, we partner with the climate ecosystem, including research organizations, implementers, government stakeholders, and businesses. We were founded by some of India’s pre-eminent corporate and philanthropic leaders, including Nadir Godrej, Anand Mahindra, and Rohini Nilekani, and have been incubated by the Tata Trusts.

The Role:
The India Climate Leaders (ICL) initiative aims to cultivate and empower climate leaders among high net-worth individuals in India. This initiative is driven by the need to align with India’s ambitious mitigation targets, development priorities, and advocate for accelerated climate funding and action. The goal is to in still a climate leadership mindset through tactical interventions, knowledge exchange, and targeted support.

As the ICL Lead, you will play a pivotal role in engaging with philanthropists and business leaders, to cultivate India’s pioneering climate leaders. This involves identifying and engaging with ultra-high-net-worth philanthropists to build a robust foundation for climate action. Responsibilities include developing long-term strategic goals, identifying and building appropriate knowledge products and public goods for the climate donor ecosystem in India, creating giving opportunities, managing donor relationships, and leading the team.

The ICL Lead will collaborate closely with ICC’s Senior Leadership, offering support and mentorship to the ICL team. They will act as a vital internal and external liaison, connecting team members, funders, and core partners. They will be responsible for driving a set of clear outcomes, including:

1.  Climate Philanthropist Engagement:

a.  A strong pipeline of climate philanthropists
b.  Securing sizeable funding commitments towards climate action
c.  Clear engagement strategy, goals, and targets

2.  Climate Solutions Pipeline:

a.  List of ready-to-fund opportunities
b.  Clear process in place to due diligence as well as identify new opportunities

3.  Expanded ecosystem:

a.  Partnerships established or expanded with international and domestic organisations.
b.  Insights exchanged between climate leaders and philanthropists across other global south markets

4.  Narratives seeded:

a.  Knowledge products created
b.  Op-eds or other media opportunities secured for climate leaders to enhance reach and champion a development-positive narrative
c. Speaking opportunities secured for visibility for climate leaders to advocate action

5.  Program Operations:

a.  Funding secured to support the programme
b.  Well-managed budget
c.   Healthy team with minimum attrition

6. Secured Commitments:

Securing funding commitments from potential climate philanthropists within the first 18 months and annually thereafter.

7. Climate Solutions Funded:

Developing formal action plans or roadmaps for each donor, aligning with their goals and insights gained during engagement touchpoints. This includes identifying potential opportunities for funding, as well as a building a strategy for sourcing climate solutions across key priority areas, as well ensuring there are relevant marketing materials.

8. Strong Pipeline of Climate Philanthropists/Leaders:

Ensuring we are continuously building and expanding our  climate leader network.

9. Presence of Climate across Philanthropic Portfolios:

Working in partnership with donors and their teams to encourage them to integrate a climate and equity lens into existing development initiatives or their portfolio.

10. Established Working Groups:
Building focused working groups where required with donors and experts for cross-sectoral problem-solving and design thinking in climate funding.

11. Seeded Narratives:
Representing the ICC, and the climate sector at large by championing a development-positive climate narrative in India through thought leadership pieces, interviews, and speaking engagements.

12. Expanded Ecosystem:

• Engaging with key climate ecosystem actors through convenings, fostering collaboration with philanthropists, CSOs, and climate experts. This also includes working in close partnership with the Climate
• Leadership Initiative (CLI) to leverage learnings from other markets and apply them to India where applicable.
• As a Lead at the ICC, they will be expected to work collaboratively with other Leads as well as organizational leadership to set and influence ICC’s strategy, direction, and growth, and strengthen ICC’s position as a nodal body for climate action in India.

Skills and Experience:

• Minimum of fifteen years of fundraising and/or equivalent donor advising experience.
• Proven success in cultivating, soliciting, and stewarding eight-figure gifts from philanthropists, especially ultra-high-net-worth donors.
• Strong project planning skills, ability to define workstreams, and manage multiple timelines and deadlines.
• Exceptional interpersonal and relationship-building skills, with convening capabilities.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with a persuasive and attentive approach.
• Proven ability to lead, engage, and collaborate with diverse staff and partners.
• Experience managing team members inclusively and supportively, with coaching and development skills.
• Good working knowledge of climate change; past climate experience is advantageous.
• Ability to work independently in a fast-paced and dynamic environment.
• Demonstrated agility and adaptability in entrepreneurial, ambiguous, or changing environments.
• A Management or Policy degree is preferable.

Personal Traits and Leadership Competencies:

• Strategic, while also process driven.
• Able to influence without power.
• Collaborative, but unafraid to take decisions.
• High emotional intelligence, and the ability to approach difficult conversations with grace.
• Encourages, and has a learning mindset.
• Is deeply mission driven and passionate about climate action.
• Loves to build and embraces ambiguity.

What we offer:  

• Working with the leading minds on climate change across philanthropy, research institutions, government and implementing organizations, as part of India’s climate movement.
• Growth and exposure in a quickly growing start-up organization, with a young team committed to professional development.
• Opportunity to institute best practices, and develop ICC traditions, and be part of building the experience of working at the organization.
• A competitive salary based on industry standards.

Terms of employment:    

Location: Mumbai

A resume detailing work experience, education, qualifications, and contact information (name, email, phone) for at least one professional reference

Timeline Prospective candidates are encouraged to apply as soon as possible and will be interviewed on a rolling basis. Due to the small capacity of our team, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

The India Climate Collaborative, registered as the Council of Philanthropies for Climate Action, is an equal opportunity employer.