Senior Manager/Head - Business Strategy - IIT/NIT/BITS/IIM/ISB/XLRI/FMS

About the Role:

We are building one of India's most ambitious fintech platforms and are looking for a sharp, first-principles thinker to join the Founder's Office. This is not a support role - you will work at the intersection of strategy, product, and execution, owning 0-to-1 initiatives that directly shape the company's trajectory.

You will work closely with the founders on the company's most critical problems - from market expansion and business model design to AI-led product innovations and regulatory strategy. If you are someone who thrives in ambiguity, moves fast, and has a deep passion for fintech and AI, this role is built for you.

What You'll Do?

- Own 0-1 Mandates: Drive new business initiatives from ideation through execution - market sizing, business case development, go-to-market planning, and launch.

- Founder Leverage: Act as a force multiplier for the founding team - prepare strategic briefs, board materials, investor decks, and internal memos with precision and speed.

- AI-Led Strategy: Identify and integrate AI/ML applications across business functions - underwriting, collections, customer experience, and operational efficiency.

- Market Intelligence: Conduct deep-dive analysis on competitive landscape, regulatory changes, and macro trends in digital lending and fintech ecosystems.

- Cross-functional Execution: Collaborate with Product, Tech, Risk, and Ops teams to translate strategic priorities into actionable roadmaps and measurable OKRs.

- Partnership & BD: Evaluate and structure strategic partnerships, channel tie-ups, and co-lending or co-branded product opportunities.

- Data-Driven Decisions: Build analytical models, frameworks, and dashboards to monitor business performance and drive evidence-based decision-making.

What We're Looking For?

Education:

- B.Tech / B.E. from a premier engineering institute (IIT / NIT / BITS or equivalent)

- MBA from a Tier-1 business school (IIM A/B/C/L/K/I, ISB, XLRI, FMS, or equivalent)

Experience:

- 6-18 years of total professional experience (post-MBA experience preferred)

- Fintech / Digital Lending: hands-on exposure to digital lending, either at a fintech, NBFC, or a consulting firm advising financial services clients

- Strategy & Consulting: experience at a top-tier strategy consulting firm (MBB, Big 4, or boutique), or a high-growth startup strategy function

- 0-1 experience: proven ability to ideate, structure, and execute new initiatives with minimal hand-holding.

AI & Technology Acumen:

- Working knowledge of AI/ML concepts - LLMs, generative AI, machine learning.

- Ability to evaluate and deploy AI tools to improve business outcomes (not just theoretical understanding).

- Comfort with data and analytics tools.

- Strong curiosity about the evolving AI + fintech landscape, with the ability to connect technological trends to business opportunities.

Core Competencies:

- Exceptional structured thinking and problem-solving skills - ability to break down ambiguous problems into clear frameworks.

- Outstanding written and verbal communication - boardroom-ready storytelling through data, decks, and documents.

- High ownership mindset - you treat company problems as your own and proactively find solutions.

- Comfort with speed and ambiguity - ability to deliver high-quality work under tight timelines.

- Strong interpersonal skills - ability to influence and collaborate across levels without formal authority.

Good to Have:

- Prior experience at a fast-scaling fintech startup in a strategy or product role.

- Exposure to credit bureau data, alternative data underwriting, or regulatory frameworks (RBI guidelines, FLDG norms, co-lending regulations).

- Experience building or managing AI-powered products or workflows.

- Network within the Indian fintech ecosystem (investors, regulators, partners).