Project Manager, Think Tank (Systems' Designer)
SELCO Foundation
Company Overview
SELCO Foundation
HeadquartersBangalore, India
Founded2010
SizeApproximately 600 employees across the SELCO ecosystem, leveraging philanthropic funding without public revenue disclosure (source: frappe.io).
What They Do
SELCO Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to developing and deploying decentralized renewable energy solutions, primarily focusing on solar technologies. Founded by Harish Hande, who also co-founded SELCO India, the Foundation aims to alleviate poverty and enhance access to essential services such as healthcare and education in underserved rural communities across India (source: energypedia.info). The Foundation operates mainly in South Asia, particularly in states like Karnataka, Odisha, and Jharkhand, utilizing a network of energy service centers established by SELCO India (source: selcofoundation.org). Their approach emphasizes user-centered solutions, including solar-powered lighting, thermal water heaters, and energy-efficient medical equipment, which are designed to reduce labor and enable income generation for low-income rural users (source: lemelson.org).
Projects & Track Record
SELCO Foundation has undertaken several notable projects aimed at enhancing energy access and improving livelihoods. One significant initiative is the e-Shala (e-school) project, which deploys solar-powered storage devices and LED projectors to electrify education in rural areas, particularly in Karnataka (source: wikipedia.org). Additionally, the Foundation has supported agricultural mechanization projects, such as Jayashree's bread-making unit, which utilizes SELCO-supported machinery to reduce labor on farms (source: lemelson.org). The Foundation's current major projects include the 'Energy for Health' initiative, which aims to provide solar solutions to 25,000 healthcare facilities by 2026, and the Sustainable Energy Led Climate Action Program (SELCAP) focusing on energy planning in Odisha and Jharkhand (source: hbs.edu).
Recent Developments
In recent years, SELCO Foundation has expanded its partnerships and initiatives significantly. The 'Energy for Health' partnership with IKEA Foundation has been announced to target solar solutions for 25,000 healthcare facilities by 2026, building on previous successful projects (source: hbs.edu). The Foundation also received a $400,000 grant from the MacArthur Foundation in 2022 to integrate decentralized renewable energy into programs in Odisha and Jharkhand, following a $200,000 grant in 2020 for healthcare initiatives (source: macfound.org). While no acquisitions or mergers have been reported, the Foundation continues to receive funding from various sources, including a notable $2 million grant from DOEN Foundation in 2016 (source: doughnuteconomics.org).
Working There
SELCO Foundation operates within a broader ecosystem that includes SELCO India and other entities, employing around 600 people across various roles. Positions range from design thinking and technology development to program implementation in health, education, and livelihoods (source: frappe.io). The Foundation primarily hires from its headquarters in Bangalore and branches across several Indian states, emphasizing local recruitment to build trust in rural service roles (source: selco-india.com). The company culture is centered around long-term mission protection, inclusive hiring practices, and collaboration within the ecosystem, focusing on user-centered innovation and community ownership models (source: doughnuteconomics.org).
Last updated on Feb 23, 2026 | Report an issue
Job Description
Being an implementation based organisation, SELCO is constantly trying to be futuristic in its vision and co- create programs with end users and ecosystem partners for livelihood, health, climate action; as well as constantly improve the sustainability, efficiency and effectiveness of the programs designed by the organisation. For this, it champions the use of systems thinking to understand problem statements holistically and uses design research and service design tools to convert that understanding into actionable workplans.
The Think Tank at SELCO Foundation has a goal of sharing learnings and practices with the larger sector in order to shift local ecosystems towards inclusion, prosperity and sustainability. The Think Tank identifies program design for these long term systemic shifts as a key challenge in the development sector- and aims to build tools, cases and approaches that improve awareness on the same.
The candidate would specifically engage with this problem statement, and apply design thinking and service design tools to pilot, adapt and disseminate tools for program designs that aim to transform and shift ecosystems.
The candidate will be working with the implementation teams, and SELCO's larger network of ecosystem partners to strengthen the frameworks, documents and communication on ecosystem approach for program design.
Key Responsibilities
- Plan and manage the design research activities collaboratively with the implementation teams, and bring in experts as and when needed
- Plan and execute system mapping, stakeholder journeys, scenarios and service specifications for chosen program
- Conduct landscape studies that bring out gaps in the ecosystem, and its impact on sustainability of impact created in the ground
- Develop frameworks and tools that allow for improved program design by adapting design research, systems design and service design tools- specifically oriented to delivering sustained impact for the social sector
- Anchor and deliver on new and innovative ways to communicate systems thinking and ecosystem building activities across the sector
- Conduct regular team meetings internally to identify opportunities for improved systems thinking application
- Design and plan for regular blogs, newsletters and updates to inform the sector on the Organization's key learning
- Keep abreast with trends and narratives emerging in the sector
Who should apply
- At least 5 years of experience in service design
- Demonstrated an in-depth understanding and application of service design tools. An application in the social impact space would be preferred
- Keen interest in systems thinking concepts
- Strong communication skills, both written and oral
- Ability to grasp audience sensibility and calibrate communications to resonate with different target audience
- Ability to process complex information and break it down for easy consumption
- Open to thinking creatively on communication of critical information to further application of systems thinking
- Willingness to learn, grow and develop at personal and professional front, at a rapid pace with a steep learning curve
- Ability to work in an interdisciplinary and multicultural environment
- Willingness to travel
Process
Applications will be processed on a rolling basis.
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Job expired?Please let SELCO Foundation know you found this job on Rejobs. It helps us grow and get more people working in renewable energy.
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About the role
July 30, 2026
July 30, 2026
Full time
On-site
Non-profit
- Bengaluru, India
At least 5 years
UTC+05:30