Associate Manager – Corporate Relations

1. Research, Proposal Development & Grant Writing

• Conduct desk research on corporates, foundations, CSR priorities, funding trends, sectors and relevant grant opportunities.

• Research prospective corporate partners and develop profiles covering their CSR priorities, focus areas, geography, funding patterns and relevant decision-makers.

• Develop high-quality proposals, concept notes, grant applications, presentations and other fundraising materials.

• Support the preparation of responses to RFPs, grant opportunities and corporate partnership requirements.

• Translate programme information and impact data into clear, compelling and donor-oriented proposals.

• Work with programme, finance, monitoring & evaluation and other internal teams to gather inputs required for proposals.

• Coordinate across teams to develop budgets, work plans, logical frameworks, impact metrics and other proposal components.

• Ensure proposals are tailored to the specific priorities, requirements and formats of prospective partners.

• Maintain a repository of organisational information, programme narratives, impact data, budgets and other frequently required fundraising content.
2. CSR Due Diligence & Compliance
• Conduct corporate and donor due diligence before initiating or progressing potential partnerships.
• Develop an understanding of corporate CSR policies, priorities and giving processes.
• Research and track relevant CSR regulations, compliance requirements and statutory processes applicable to corporate partnerships.
• Support internal teams in ensuring proposals and partnership documentation are aligned with relevant CSR and donor requirements.
• Keep abreast of developments in the CSR ecosystem, including changes in regulations, funding priorities and corporate giving practices
3. Corporate Prospecting & Relationship Building
• Identify and develop a pipeline of prospective corporate partners across relevant geographies.
• Research and map relevant CSR Heads, Corporate Affairs leaders, business leaders and other decision-makers.
• Initiate conversations and coordinate meetings with prospective partners.
• Participate in meetings with corporates to understand their CSR priorities, interests and potential areas of collaboration.
• Support the Corporate Relations team in developing opportunities from initial conversations through proposal development and partnership discussions.
• Build and nurture relationships with prospective and existing corporate stakeholders.
• Represent Ei at relevant CSR forums, conferences, networking events and other sector platforms.
4. Internal Coordination & Opportunity Management
• Work closely with fundraising and programme teams to convert corporate conversations into relevant partnership opportunities.
• Coordinate with internal stakeholders to ensure timely development and submission of proposals and grant applications.
• Maintain clear records of prospects, proposals, grant applications, meetings, follow-ups and partnership status.
• Support the team in tracking the fundraising pipeline and ensuring timely follow-up on opportunities.
• Contribute to improving Ei’s proposal development processes, fundraising knowledge base and corporate intelligence.

What We Are Looking For
• 3–5 years of relevant experience in corporate relations, CSR, fundraising, grant writing, business development, research, consulting or a related field.
• Good understanding of the CSR ecosystem in India, including corporate CSR priorities, processes and funding mechanisms.
• Strong research and analytical skills, with the ability to synthesise information from multiple sources.
• Strong written communication skills, particularly in proposal writing, grant applications and concept notes.
• Experience in developing proposals, budgets, presentations or grant applications will be strongly preferred.
• Understanding of CSR compliance, due diligence and corporate partnership processes.
• Strong coordination and project management skills, with the ability to work across multiple internal teams.
• Good interpersonal and communication skills, with the confidence to engage with corporate stakeholders.
• Ability to independently research prospects, identify opportunities and prepare relevant materials.
• Comfortable with external meetings, networking and corporate engagement across relevant geographies.
• Strong attention to detail, ownership and ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Interest in education and social impact, with alignment to Ei’s mission.