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  • Designation: Start-up Accelerator Lead
  • Organization: SwitchON Foundation
  • Location: Kolkata (Candidates from Kolkata or willing to relocate)
  • Work Experience: 8 - 12 years of relevant experience
  • Compensation: 14-18 Lpa (Annual CTC will be decided based on experience, skills, and role fit)
  • Language Proficiency: English; Hindi or regional languages preferred



About SwitchON

SwitchON Foundation (est 2008) is a mission-driven organization working to strengthen sustainable agriculture, rural livelihoods, and climate resilience. We partner with Farmer Producer Companies (FPCs), Climate startups, investors, and institutions to build scalable solutions that create both economic and social impact.

Our growing enterprise platform combines acceleration, advisory, market access, capacity building, and investment facilitation to help FPCs and agri-enterprises and other climates become sustainable, growth-oriented businesses. Through strategic partnerships and ecosystem support, we enable enterprises to scale their impact and reach.

The SwitchON Foundation is part of the ON Universe, which operates an accelerator, impact fund and advisory that is dedicated to supporting proximate climate startups / social entrepreneurs and FPCs. Through the Greenovation and ONganic Accelerator—which runs challenges, bootcamps, and cohort-based programs—and the EarthON Fund, which leverages blended capital approaches, we address complex climate challenges across the Global South.

Position Summary

The Startup Accelerator Lead manages the day-to-day execution of our climate innovation accelerator programs, supporting both climate tech startups and Farmer Producer Organizations (FPOs). This role focuses on sourcing, evaluating, and supporting entrepreneurs and agri-collectives through structured acceleration initiatives. You'll work with founders, FPO leaders, mentors, investors, and ecosystem partners to help them achieve business readiness, investment readiness, and scale their climate and agricultural solutions.

This is an operational yet strategic role requiring strong execution capabilities, deep understanding of both startup and agricultural ecosystems, and the ability to bridge commercial innovation with ground-level rural impact.

Key Responsibilities

Startup & FPO Sourcing & Pipeline Development

  • Build and maintain high-quality pipelines of climate startups, tech-enabled social enterprises, and Farmer Producer Organizations
  • Design and execute recruitment campaigns across India
  • Lead application review and evaluation processes aligned with accelerator criteria
  • Manage cohort formation and maintain balance between startup, FPO, and sector diversity

Startup & FPO Support & Acceleration

  • Provide mentorship, guidance, and strategic support to portfolio startups and FPOs
  • Identify and address critical gaps in capabilities, business models, market fit, and operational efficiency
  • Facilitate meaningful connections between startups/FPOs and mentors, investors, and strategic partners
  • Track progress against KPIs and provide ongoing feedback tailored to each entity's stage and context

Program Management & Execution

  • Design and deliver cohort-based acceleration programs (bootcamps, workshops, pitch events, farmer field schools)
  • Oversee program curricula, logistics, and participant experience for diverse audiences
  • Manage batches from application through demo day/showcase and post-acceleration support
  • Build systems for monitoring progress, outcomes, and learning metrics

Mentor & Investor Network Management

  • Curate and engage networks of mentors, technical experts, domain specialists, and agri-experts
  • Facilitate introductions between startups/FPOs and ecosystem stakeholders
  • Build relationships with angel investors, early-stage VCs, and impact funders
  • Organize networking events, workshops, and knowledge-sharing sessions

Ecosystem & Partnership Development

  • Build relationships with corporate partners, universities, government agencies, and NGOs
  • Develop partnerships for co-acceleration, pilot programs, market access, and distribution channels
  • Collaborate with complementary accelerators, agricultural organizations, and ecosystem enablers
  • Represent the accelerator at industry events and ecosystem convenings

Program Quality & Reporting

  • Ensure high-quality execution across all accelerator initiatives
  • Build monitoring, evaluation, and learning systems for continuous program improvement
  • Maintain accurate reporting on cohort composition, startup/FPO metrics, and outcomes
  • Generate insights and recommendations for program optimization

Fundraising & Ecosystem Support

  • Support efforts to secure grants, corporate sponsorships, and philanthropic funding
  • Develop compelling program documentation and impact narratives
  • Engage with donors and ecosystem funders to communicate value and results



Required Qualifications

Education

  • Bachelor's degree in Management, Entrepreneurship, Business, Agriculture, Engineering, Development Studies, Environmental Science, or related field
  • Master's degree preferred

Experience

  • 8-10 years of relevant experience in one or more of:
  • NGO/non-profit sector (required)
  • Accelerators, incubators, or startup ecosystems
  • Agricultural development, farmer collectives, or rural enterprise programs
  • Program management in innovation, entrepreneurship, or social impact spaces
  • Venture development or advisory roles
  • Demonstrated experience working with farmer organizations, agricultural collectives, or rural communities
  • Strong understanding of climate tech, sustainability, agri-innovation, or rural livelihoods sectors
  • Proven track record of supporting entrepreneurs/social enterprises and building pipelines



Preferred Skills & Competencies

Core Competencies

  • Dual Ecosystem Knowledge: Understanding of both startup ecosystems AND agricultural/rural development ecosystems
  • Leadership & Stakeholder Management: Ability to manage diverse stakeholders—founders, farmers, investors, NGO partners, government officials
  • Program Management: Experience designing and executing programs with measurable outcomes for different audiences
  • Communication: Excellent ability to communicate with founders, FPO leaders, mentors, investors, and rural communities
  • Strategic Thinking: Balancing operational execution with ecosystem development and long-term impact

Technical & Domain Skills

  • Understanding of climate innovation, sustainability, renewable energy, or green livelihoods
  • Familiarity with agri-tech, agricultural innovation, sustainable farming practices, or rural development
  • Experience with startup evaluation frameworks and investment readiness criteria
  • Knowledge of farmer collectives, FPC models, cooperative structures, and agricultural supply chains
  • Understanding of blended finance or impact investing models (preferred)

Operational Skills

  • Strong organizational and project management capabilities
  • Ability to build systems and processes that work across different contexts (urban startups and rural FPOs)
  • Comfortable with data tracking, analytics, and performance reporting
  • Proficiency with startup ecosystem tools and digital platforms

Personal Attributes

  • Entrepreneurial mindset with strong execution focus
  • Passion for climate innovation and rural/agricultural impact
  • Ability to thrive in fast-paced, evolving environments
  • Strong work ethic and comfort with ambiguity and multitasking
  • High emotional intelligence and coaching ability
  • Genuine interest in bridging the gap between technology innovation and ground-level agricultural transformation
  • Comfort working across different contexts—urban tech spaces and rural communities

Reporting & Collaboration

Reporting To: Leadership

Key Collaborations:

  • Founder community and portfolio startups
  • FPO leaders and farmer communities
  • Mentor and investor networks
  • Ecosystem partners (corporates, governments, universities, NGOs)
  • Internal teams (Operations, Impact & Learning, Fundraising)

Ideal Candidate Profile

The ideal candidate is:

  • NGO-rooted: Brings deep experience and understanding of the non-profit sector and community-based approaches
  • Dual-focused: Equally comfortable working with tech-savvy startup founders and with farmer leaders in rural areas
  • Execution-oriented: Drives tangible results and builds systems that work in diverse contexts
  • Impact-driven: Passionate about both climate solutions and agricultural transformation reaching the last mile
  • Relationship builder: Strong ability to build trust and meaningful connections across different communities
  • Systems thinker: Balances tactical program delivery with strategic ecosystem development
  • Adaptable: Comfortable in evolving, resource-constrained environments with changing priorities
  • Field-experienced: Ideally has spent time on the ground understanding farming communities and rural challenges
  • Data-conscious: Uses metrics and learning to continuously improve programs while valuing qualitative impact stories

To learn more about our work, please visit: www.switchon.org.in

Travel for: Ecosystem events, Startup engagements ,Partner meetings, Investor interactions, National and international ecosystem convenings.