Project Associate, Catalyst AIC

Organisation: Catalyst AIC
Role Type: Full Time
Location: Jaipur (Hybrid)
Travel: Medium, mostly field and site visits

About Catalyst:

Catalyst is an impact-focused accelerator established in 2016 by IFMR, initially in partnership with USAID and subsequently with support from NITI Aayog’s Atal Innovation Mission and Ministry of Commerce’s DPIIT. Catalyst works closely with entrepreneurs building scalable, sustainable, and disruptive ventures grounded in impact-first business models. The accelerator supports founders through a combination of early-stage capital (via an in-house seed fund), syndicated investments, market access, and strategic growth mentorship. To date, Catalyst has supported over 60 startups and invested in nearly 20 companies across emerging impact sectors such as Crafts, Culture, Climate, Sustainability and Agri-Tech.

Catalyst is supported by over 10 national and global organisations for its programs across a wide range of the impact spectrum.

About LEAD at Krea University:

LEAD is an action-oriented research centre of IFMR Society (a not-for-profit society registered under the Societies Act), leverages the power of research, innovation and co-creation to solve complex and pressing challenges in development. LEAD specialises in developing in-depth granular understanding of socio-economic contexts and harnessing actionable insights that have a wide range of applications in industry, policy, and academia. LEAD is a collaborative hub that brings experts from diverse disciplines and sectors together to develop innovative solutions by harnessing innovation, technology and analytics.

Role Overview:

We are seeking a motivated Project Associate to join our team. This role is ideal for individuals passionate about entrepreneurship and grassroots development. The Associate will support research, program design, and on-ground implementation, contributing to the execution of last-mile entrepreneurship initiatives and innovative capacity-building projects.

Key Responsibilities:

• Coordinate on-ground project implementation, including field visits, stakeholder coordination, and activity tracking;
• Support community engagement with artisans, SHGs, entrepreneurs, and local partners to ensure effective program delivery;
• Assist in program execution, monitoring, and reporting, including data collection, progress updates, and impact documentation;
• Liaise with internal teams, consultants, and external partners to ensure smooth project operations;
• Maintain project records, reports, and knowledge documentation for ongoing projects and future proposals;
• Support the development of CSR and donor proposals, including concept notes, detailed project designs, budgets, and logical frameworks for grassroots entrepreneurship and livelihood initiatives;
• Assist in research and documentation for entrepreneurship and capacity-building programs, including field research and desk research.

Key Skills and Qualifications:

• Graduate or postgraduate in Management, Entrepreneurship, Social Sciences, or a related field from a leading institute, with at least one year of experience working on grassroots livelihood programs;
• Analytical and research skills with attention to detail;
• Good knowledge of G-Suite;
• Excellent verbal and written communication, with the ability to present complex ideas clearly;
• Strong organisational and time-management skills with the ability to work independently or in a team;
• A highly motivated individual looking to work towards benefiting the semi-urban/rural livelihoods.

Benefits:

• Gain hands-on exposure to startup acceleration, entrepreneurship programs, and innovation-led initiatives;
• Hands-on experience working with leading donor and CSR foundations;
• Direct involvement with grassroots communities, with visible impact;
• Other applicable benefits as per company policy.

Application Instructions:

Deadline: Applications will be open till the position is filled. To apply, please submit your resume and cover letter in the form here.

Note: Applications are accepted only via the above form.Due to the large volume of applications we receive, we are unable to contact each candidate individually regarding the status of their application. Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted for interview purposes.