Website:
habitatrobotics.org
Job details:
About Habitat Robotics
Habitat Robotics is an early-stage nonprofit working at the intersection of robotics, artificial intelligence, and wildlife conservation.
Across India, conservation teams face increasingly complex challenges, from human–wildlife conflict to monitoring biodiversity across vast and difficult-to-access landscapes. While advances in sensing, robotics, and AI have created powerful new possibilities, many of these technologies remain inaccessible or impractical for frontline conservation teams.
We are working to change that.
Habitat Robotics partners with conservation organizations, researchers, and field practitioners to build and deploy practical, field-ready technologies. Our work includes thermal-drone monitoring of elephant movements, connected wildlife sensing systems, AI-powered species detection, and tools that turn ecological data into actionable information.
We are currently developing and testing our systems with conservation partners in India, with the long-term ambition of making advanced conservation technology accessible, affordable, and usable at scale, globally.
Learn more: https://habitatrobotics.org
About the Role
We are looking for a Chief of Staff — Strategy, Partnerships & Operations to join our founding team and help build Habitat Robotics from the ground up.
This is a broad, high-ownership role working directly with the co-founders across organizational strategy, fundraising, partnerships, operations, and institutional development.
As one of our earliest hires, you will help translate Habitat's vision into practical execution. On any given week, you might be developing a proposal for a prospective funding partner, coordinating a field deployment with a conservation organization, engaging government stakeholders, researching a new partnership opportunity, or helping establish the internal processes required to scale our work.
We are looking for someone who combines structured thinking with a willingness to get things done, thrives in ambiguous environments, and is excited by the opportunity to build an organization with meaningful impact.
Key Responsibilities
Strategy & Organizational Development
- Work directly with the founders to define and execute Habitat Robotics' strategic priorities and organizational roadmap.
- Research and evaluate opportunities for new programs, geographies, technologies, and strategic collaborations.
- Develop operating plans, budgets, progress reports, and organizational performance metrics.
Partnerships & Stakeholder Engagement
- Identify, develop, and manage relationships with conservation NGOs, research institutions, universities, technology partners, and other relevant organizations.
- Coordinate partnership proposals, agreements, project plans, and collaborative initiatives.
- Work with conservation partners to understand their operational challenges and translate these into opportunities for meaningful technological intervention.
Fundraising & Donor Relations
- Develop and manage a pipeline of prospective donors, philanthropic foundations, CSR partners, and institutional funders.
- Prepare fundraising proposals, grant applications, presentations, budgets, and donor communications.
- Coordinate grant reporting, funding deliverables, and impact communications in collaboration with the founders and technical team.
Program & Field Operations
- Support deployment planning, logistics, procurement, scheduling, and coordination with field stakeholders.
- Help establish repeatable processes for managing projects across different conservation landscapes.
- Work closely with technical and field teams to ensure projects are aligned with partner requirements and organizational priorities.
Who We're Looking For
Required qualifications
- Approximately 3–6 years of professional experience in strategy, operations, partnerships, program management, consulting, startups, nonprofits, or related fields.
- Strong analytical and structured problem-solving skills, with the ability to break down ambiguous problems into actionable plans.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.
- Demonstrated ability to independently manage projects, coordinate stakeholders, and deliver results.
- Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and comfort managing multiple workstreams.
- Ability to work effectively in a small, distributed team with limited supervision.
- Genuine interest in wildlife conservation, environmental sustainability, science, or technology for social impact.
- Willingness to travel within India for field deployments, partner meetings, and organizational activities (once a quarter at max).
Preferred qualifications
- Experience working with nonprofits, philanthropic foundations, social enterprises, or mission-driven startups.
- Exposure to fundraising, grant writing, CSR partnerships, or donor relationship management.
- Experience engaging with government institutions, research organizations, or conservation stakeholders.
- Background in strategy consulting, a startup Founder's Office, or cross-functional program leadership.
- Familiarity with India's development, environmental, or conservation ecosystem.
- Proficiency in Hindi or another Indian language relevant to our field operations.
Mandatory experience in robotics, artificial intelligence, or wildlife conservation is not required. We care more about your ability to learn, take ownership, build relationships, and execute effectively.
What We Offer
- Competitive compensation: ₹65,000–₹90,000 gross per month, depending on experience and demonstrated capabilities.
- Performance-based bonus: Eligibility for an annual bonus linked to clearly defined individual and organizational objectives, subject to organizational policy and available funding.
- Health and accident insurance: Organization-sponsored coverage in accordance with Habitat Robotics' employee benefits policy.
- Company-provided hardware: The equipment required to work effectively will be provided.
- Remote-first work: Work remotely from anywhere in India, with travel as required for deployments, partner meetings, and team activities.
- Meaningful ownership: Join as one of the organization's earliest employees, with opportunities to shape its strategy, operations, partnerships, and culture.
- Field exposure: Work alongside conservation organizations, researchers, engineers, and field practitioners addressing real-world conservation challenges.
- Growth opportunities: Develop broad experience across nonprofit management, technology programs, institutional partnerships, and organizational leadership.
Why Join Habitat Robotics?
Habitat Robotics is at an exciting but early stage. We are building an organization from the ground up, testing technologies in real conservation settings, and working toward solutions that could eventually support conservation teams across India and beyond.
This is not a role with a narrowly defined set of responsibilities or established playbooks. You'll have the opportunity to help create those playbooks, shape the organization, and see the direct impact of your work.
If you are energized by complex challenges, enjoy building things from scratch, and want to apply your skills to wildlife conservation, we'd love to hear from you.
Click on Apply to know more.