Lead India growth for APLYD AI: build and manage senior government and funder relationships, scope AI opportunities, produce quick technically honest concept notes, close paid mandates, and align delivery for deployable public-sector AI solutions. Provide limited support to other markets and contribute to practice playbooks.
Title- Director- Growth
Location- New Delhi, India
Employment type- Full-time
Reporting to- CEO, APLYD
Practice- APLYD AI by Athena Infonomics
Experience- 12-18 years
Role type- Government and funder growth, AI solutioning, relationship management, and paid mandate closure
About APLYD AI
APLYD AI by Athena Infonomics designs, builds, scales, and evaluates AI systems for public institutions. We work with governments and funders to turn public-sector problems into AI that actually gets deployed and adopted - built for trust, designed for impact. Backed by Athena Infonomics' public-sector and data practice, we operate in India and across emerging markets.
About the role
This is a front-line growth and solutioning role. The Director, Growth will own APLYD's government and funder relationships in India end to end - from the first conversation to a signed, funded mandate - and translate public-sector needs into credible, deployable AI concept notes.
The person must be credible in a government room, able to scope AI opportunities without an engineer beside them, and strong enough in writing to convert early conversations into clear concept notes, proposals, and commercial opportunities.
Core mandate
The Director, Growth will build trusted relationships with Indian government and funder stakeholders, identify and scope AI opportunities, close paid mandates, and ensure that what APLYD takes to market is technically honest, commercially viable, and deployable.
Key responsibilities
1. India government and funder relationships
• Build trusted relationships with decision-makers at Secretary, Principal Secretary, mission-director, and senior funder levels.
• Own India government and funder relationships from early interest through to signed engagement.
• Identify high-potential public-sector problems where AI can be credibly deployed and adopted.
2. AI opportunity scoping and concept notes
• Translate public-sector problems into clear AI opportunity areas, use cases, and concept notes.
• Produce technically honest, buyable AI concept notes within 48-72 hours where needed.
• Define what is feasible, what data is needed, what the solution will not do, and what risks must be managed.
3. Paid mandate closure
• Own the deal process end to end: opportunity qualification, proposal, commercial structure, negotiation, and signature.
• Close government-funded, funder-funded, and commercial mandates - not only donor grants.
• Maintain a live pipeline of opportunities, next steps, owners, decision points, and expected timelines.
4. Delivery alignment and deployability
• Work closely with delivery and technical teams so every solution scoped can actually be built, implemented, and adopted.
• Convert early-stage opportunities into clear handoffs covering problem definition, data needs, risks, and success criteria.
• Avoid overpromising and ensure proposals reflect realistic product, data, institutional, and implementation constraints.
5. Light-touch solution support for other markets
• Sharpen concept notes and proposals for APLYD field teams in other markets.
• Review external-market opportunities for technical credibility, data feasibility, and deployability.
• Keep this support secondary to the India growth and mandate-closure agenda.
6. External representation and practice contribution
• Represent APLYD credibly with governments, funders, foundations, and ecosystem actors.
• Contribute to APLYD's growth playbooks, proposal templates, concept note formats, and sector-specific solution narratives.
• Bring market intelligence from government and funder conversations back into APLYD's strategy and delivery priorities.
Where your time goes
A rough guide, so the role remains focused rather than defaulting to whichever demand is loudest:
First 90 days
Required experience
• 10-14 years of experience in development advisory, govtech, AI-for-government business development, public-sector consulting, or solutioning-heavy growth roles.
• Demonstrated track record of taking government or funder engagements from first conversation to signed, funded mandate.
• Senior Indian government exposure, including engagement with Secretary, Principal Secretary, mission-director, or equivalent decision-makers.
• Working AI fluency: enough understanding of AI systems, data requirements, feasibility, risks, and limitations to scope opportunities independently.
• Strong writing ability, especially for concept notes, proposals, short memos, and stakeholder-ready opportunity briefs.
Preferred background
• Exposure to African or other emerging-market public systems.
• Existing relationships with major global funders, foundations, multilaterals, or development-sector institutions.
• Sector depth in agriculture, health, citizen-facing services, or other public systems where AI adoption can create measurable impact.
Skills and attributes
• Credibility in senior government and funder conversations.
• Strong problem scoping and solution judgment.
• Commercial orientation and ability to close paid mandates.
• Fast, clean writing and proposal development.
• Ability to distinguish feasible AI opportunities from vague or overhyped ideas.
• Strong stakeholder management and follow-through.
What success looks like
• APLYD has a focused, high-quality India pipeline of government and funder opportunities.
• Senior stakeholders see APLYD as a credible AI-for-public-institutions partner, not a generic technology vendor.
• Concept notes and proposals are technically honest, commercially viable, and clear enough to move conversations forward.
• Paid mandates are closed with government, funder, and commercial stakeholders.
• Delivery teams receive well-scoped opportunities rather than vague commitments.
• The growth function becomes more disciplined, better qualified, and less dependent on ad hoc relationship management.
Additional Requirements
• This position requires successful completion of a reference check and employment verification.
• The successful candidate must not be subject to employment restrictions from a former employer (such as a non-compete) that would prevent the candidate from performing the job responsibilities as described.
• Only candidates who have India work authorization will be considered.
Athena Infonomics is an Equal Opportunities Employer
Athena Infonomics is an equal opportunity employer with a commitment to diversity. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, protected veteran status, or disability status.
AI Proficiency and Responsible Use
Proficiency in the responsible and sophisticated use of AI is a mandatory requirement for all roles, across all levels and functions at Athena Infonomics
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