Sr. Manager - Strategy and Planning

Inspire Institute of Sport (IIS) is looking for a Sr. Manager- Strategy and Planning to join their team in Vijayanagar, Bellary, Karanatka.

Role Overview

The Strategy & Planning role is a critical function within IIS leadership, responsible for managing a diverse and complex portfolio spanning programme delivery, financial management, donor compliance, partnerships, events, and organisational monitoring. The incumbent works in close coordination with the COO and President's office, managing multiple high stakes workstreams simultaneously across IIS's growing network of programmes and centres.

The role demands someone with strong analytical and problem-solving ability, financial acumen, and the operational discipline to drive execution across ambiguous and fast-changing priorities.

Key Responsibilities

1. Manipur Judo Programme

• Serve as the primary IIS point of contact for the Manipur Judo Association (MJA), managing the ongoing partnership and ensuring delivery against agreement obligations
• Oversee annual agreement drafting, review, and execution in coordination with relevant IIS teams and MJA
• Manage programme budgeting and fund disbursement — including processing Fund Request Letters, tracking utilization against approved budget heads, and ensuring compliance with IIS financial guidelines
• Monitor MJA’s delivery of programme commitments — including branding obligations, athlete kit compliance, competition participation, and reporting requirements
• Coordinate IIS obligations under the agreement — including manpower support, procurement of technical equipment and apparel, and athlete incentive disbursements
• Ensure timely submission and review of CA-certified quarterly and annual Fund Utilisation Reports from MJA
• Manage Manipur-based programme staff and administrative requirements as applicable
• Support event execution under the programme as per agreement deliverables

2. Budget Management & Donor Utilization

• Support the COO in organisational budget planning and review cycles, coordinating inputs from relevant departments as required
• Maintain and update IIS-wide expense tracking across departments and programmes, ensuring real-time visibility on budget utilization
• Monitor and manage changes to approved budgets across the financial year, flagging variances and coordinating course corrections with relevant teams
• Oversee donor budget utilization — ensuring programme expenditure aligns with donor-approved budget heads and compliance requirements
• Coordinate with Finance, CSR Fundraising & Servicing, and programme teams to reconcile spends, resolve discrepancies, and maintain accurate utilization records
• Ensure timely preparation and submission of fund utilization documentation in line with donor and financial compliance requirements
• Develop and implement systems and processes to improve budget visibility, utilization planning, and financial reporting across the organisation

3. Monitoring & Tracking

• Maintain a centralised monitoring and tracking system to provide leadership with real-time visibility on progress across teams, centres, and projects
• Coordinate with department and centre heads to ensure timely updates, flagging delays or risks to the COO and President’s office
• Consolidate and present periodic progress reports across ongoing and upcoming initiatives for leadership review
• Identify gaps in project execution and work with relevant teams to course correct

4. President’s Office Support

• Provide direct support to the COO and President across a wide range of strategic and operational priorities as required
• Assist in preparation of reports, presentations, and documentation for internal and external stakeholders
• Manage and follow through on ad hoc projects, tasks, and escalations as assigned by leadership
• Act as a coordination point between the President’s office and other departments to ensure timely execution of leadership priorities

5. Partnerships & Alliances

• Maintain a comprehensive master tracker of all IIS partnerships and alliances, ensuring records are current and accurate
• Manage end-to-end execution of partnership agreements — including drafting, review, execution, and renewal
• Track and monitor deliverable commitments from both IIS and partner organisations, ensuring timely fulfillment
• Coordinate with relevant internal teams to ensure partnership obligations are met and relationships are maintained effectively

6. Events & Intellectual Properties (IPs)

• Execute end-to-end delivery of IIS IPs and supported events, ensuring quality and adherence to agreed objectives
• Draft, execute, and manage agreements with co-organisers and event partners
• Coordinate branding requirements, ensuring IIS visibility obligations are met across all events and IPs
• Manage fund disbursement and FUR compliance — processing fund request letters, disbursing payments, and ensuring timely submission of utilisation reports
• Liaise with co-organisers throughout the event lifecycle from planning through post-event reporting

7. Continuous Improvement & Operational Excellence

• Develop and maintain SOPs and process documentation across assigned functions, ensuring clarity and consistency in execution
• Identify operational gaps and inefficiencies across teams and implement practical improvements
• Streamline workflows and standardise processes to improve organisational efficiency
• Support cross-functional initiatives aimed at improving systems, tools, and ways of working across IIS

Qualifications & Experience

Essential

• Bachelor’s degree from a reputed institution — engineering, management, or any analytical discipline
• 3–5 years of work experience in consulting, operations, programme management, or a related field
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel — non-negotiable
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with a structured approach to ambiguous challenges
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple workstreams independently
• Understanding of financial processes — budgeting, expense tracking, and compliance

Desirable

• Prior exposure to sports, CSR-funded organisations, or high-performance environments
• Experience building processes or systems from scratch
• Familiarity with project management tools