Company Description Otavo.ai is a global AI-driven platform focused on senior recruitment for roles ranging from $50K USD to $2M+ in compensation. Founded by serial entrepreneur Mahak Garg, a Stanford MBA and Forbes Under 30 honoree, the company builds on her prior experience scaling Udayy with leading global investors.

Otavo.ai currently partners with 30+ fast-growing companies worldwide to address their senior talent hiring needs. The platform maintains a curated network of 10,000+ high-performing candidates with 5–20 years of experience, including alumni from top global schools and leaders across marketing, product, and strategy in major firms and startups. For each open role, Otavo.ai provides a small set of pre-vetted, well-matched candidates rather than long lists of low-fit profiles, enhancing hiring efficiency and quality.

Role: AI Advisory Director/Associate Director

Location: Delhi

Compensation: 45L-55L (fixed) + 5L-7L (variable)

Location: Delhi

Compensation: 45L-55L (fixed) + 5L-7L (variable)

About the role

We are hiring an entrepreneurial Associate Director / Senior Manager to strengthen and develop our AI Advisory practice, for government and social sector clients in India. You will collaborate with the organization's Senior Leadership, Executive, and Data Science teams to develop AI and technology aspects of current engagements, develop new engagements primarily with government partners, and support delivery of projects.

The role is particularly suited to someone who understands technology transformation and policymaking in Indian government institutions. It combines client-facing advisory work with business development, and sits at the intersection of AI, governance, and public sector consulting.

Ideal Candidate Profile

> We are looking for a senior professional with a strong background in AI, technology, or AI-led product development, who is motivated to apply their expertise to meaningful social impact and public sector transformation.

> While experience working with governments and social sector organizations is valuable, strong AI and technology expertise is the primary requirement. The company has established government advisory capabilities internally and is looking for someone who can complement this expertise with deep technical understanding.

Key Requirements

- Strong AI and technology background (non-negotiable): Demonstrated experience with AI technologies, products, or technology transformation. The candidate should understand AI capabilities, limitations, and practical implementation, particularly in complex organizational environments.
- Technical fluency without hands-on coding: The role does not require an engineer or developer. However, candidates must be technically strong enough to evaluate AI solutions, guide technical teams, and advise government stakeholders on feasibility, implementation, and risks.
- Seniority and leadership: Ideally 8–15 years of relevant experience, with the maturity to engage senior stakeholders and independently lead complex initiatives. Senior Director-level profiles are preferred, although exceptional candidates with 7–9 years of experience will also be considered.
- Genuine interest in social impact: Candidates should demonstrate a strong motivation to work on technology-driven solutions for governments and social sector organizations. Alignment with the company's mission and willingness to work on intellectually challenging, high-impact problems are important.
- Demonstrated AI expertise: Candidates should have substantive experience developing, evaluating, implementing, or leading AI-driven initiatives, rather than merely having AI-related terminology or responsibilities in their profiles.
- Government experience : Prior exposure to government advisory, public sector transformation, or development-sector projects is beneficial but can be secondary to strong AI and technology capabilities.

Preferred Candidate Backgrounds
1. Consulting + Technology + Social Impact

> Professionals who have worked in strategy or management consulting, developed substantial technology or AI expertise, and are interested in applying their experience to social impact.

> Potential backgrounds include Dalberg, BCG's public sector or social impact practices, Bridgespan, Samagra, and similar organizations, provided candidates have meaningful technical exposure.





1. Product Leaders from Leading Technology Companies

> Senior product managers and technology leaders from companies such as Google and other established technology organizations, ideally with 7–8+ years of experience and a strong understanding of AI products or technology platforms.

> Candidates should demonstrate a genuine interest in transitioning from commercial technology roles into public sector or social impact initiatives.

1. Specialist Technology and AI Leaders from Consulting Firms

> Professionals working in dedicated AI, digital transformation, technology, or product practices at leading consulting organizations, particularly MBB firms.

> Preference is for candidates with specialist technology expertise rather than purely generalist strategy consulting experience.

1. AI Startup Founders and Senior Leaders

> Founders, product leaders, or senior technology professionals from established or high-potential AI startups who may be interested in applying their technical expertise to larger-scale, mission-driven initiatives.

> Such candidates should demonstrate the ability to operate strategically, manage stakeholders, and translate AI capabilities into practical organizational solutions.

Candidate Evaluation Priorities Candidates will be assessed particularly on:

- Depth and credibility of AI and technology experience
- Ability to evaluate AI solutions and guide technical implementation
- Seniority, stakeholder management, and leadership capabilities
- Experience translating technology into practical organizational outcomes
- Genuine motivation to work with governments and social impact organizations
- Entrepreneurial mindset and ability to build new initiatives

About the organization

> We amplify social impact by partnering with leaders to develop tailored solutions. Our mission is to improve lives with data and evidence. We transform how the world fights poverty.

> We are a global nonprofit that equips leaders with the data, evidence and technology to improve lives at scale. We partner with governments, NGOs, multilaterals, and funders to support decisions at every stage of their impact journey – from bold pilots to nationwide scale-ups. Our teams bring rigorous evidence and practical insights so leaders can make informed decisions that truly change lives. With our partners, we are pioneering the next frontier of social impact, where data and technology accelerate progress for millions. We help leaders overcome the three main barriers to impact:

- Figuring out what works

- Learning and improving
- Reaching and operating at scale

> We work in multiple countries across Asia and Africa. Our work spans a wide range of sectors, including agriculture, education, health, governance, sanitation, financial inclusion, and other areas.

> We have expertise in a variety of rigorous approaches and methodologies, which we tailor to each client depending on their needs and constraints. To achieve a positive social impact we:

- Support our partners with the full 'data and evidence' value chain – from primary data collection to data systems, monitoring evaluation and learning tools, and data science
- Inform funding decisions – toward high-impact initiatives and away from less effective programs or approaches
- Create cutting-edge AI-for-good products that make the delivery of social interventions and learning tools more cost-effective and scalable

Our diverse, growing team of roughly 250 outstanding colleagues operate in nearly two dozen countries around the world.

What you will do

- Lead policy advisory and AI support for governments: Support the organization's current government partners navigate the intersection of technology, AI, and policy, and grow our portfolio by engaging new government departments/agencies in AI and policy advisory.
- Policy advisory on AI: Support current and new government partners in:
- Design and deployment of tech-enabled systems,



including AI-native tools, data systems, and digital platforms — with a grounded understanding of requirements and constraints in Indian government settings, including data governance, procurement constraints, interoperability, and the political economy of adoption.

Developing policies, regulations, and governance frameworks shaping AI use in India. Translating broad questions into concrete, impactful opportunities and recommendations
- Client engagement: Participate in high-level meetings, workshops, and consortium discussions with government officials, funders, and partner organisations as a credible voice on technology, AI, and AI policy in governance contexts.
- Government client development: Identify and develop recent opportunities to support governments on AI and technology, through active origination of new AI advisory engagements, conversion of leads, and drafting and reviewing proposals, growing the practice's pipeline and revenue especially with government organisations.
- Represent the organization externally through thought leadership and public communications (blog posts, conference presentations, sector convenings, and written outputs) that advance its profile and influence on AI transformation.
- Develop new AI advisory and evaluation engagements: Grow the AI advisory and evaluation practice with NGOs, social enterprises, and foundations.
- Client development: Identify, scope, and structure new engagements. Build relationships with prospective partners and develop proposals that match the organization's capabilities to client needs.
- AI Transformation Advisory: Serve as the senior lead on advisory and evaluation engagements — identifying the right use-cases; building, testing and evaluating AI-based products; and integrating AI products responsibly into client systems and workflows.
- Thought leadership: Represent the organization in sector conversations on AI in the social sector through writing and external engagement.
- Training and workshops: Design and deliver executive workshops, workflow redesign sessions, and training programs that build lasting client capability.

Financial management
- Demonstrate a strong understanding of the organization's business model and contribute to a financially sustainable practice through sound strategic decision-making and resource stewardship.

Review budget design and resource allocation, ensuring financial planning supports quality delivery, funder expectations, and growth of the practice. Build trust with clients and funders through timely, accurate, and strategic financial reporting.

Who we are looking for

Qualifications

- Commitment to the organization's values and mission.
- 6–10 years of professional experience, with significant time in consulting, digital transformation, product management, or technology implementation, ideally serving governments, foundations, or social sector organizations.
- Technical fluency: Strong understanding of LLM capabilities and limitations, AI agent architectures, and the practical realities of deploying AI in organizations. Ability to credibly direct a technical team. The role does not require production coding skills.
- Direct experience working with Indian government: Ideally ministries, national commissions, or large national programmes, with a strong understanding of how decisions get made and how change actually happens in these institutions, and the requirements that technology and AI systems must meet in government settings.
- Client-facing consulting: Experience leading complex advisory engagements, managing senior client relationships, and delivering results against defined success metrics.
- People management: Track record of building, managing, and developing high-performing teams that include both technical and non-technical roles.
- Demonstrated experience in client development: identifying opportunities, scoping engagements, developing proposals, and building relationships with senior stakeholders.
- Comfortable operating in ambiguous, fast-moving environments with limited structure.
- Entrepreneurial — can identify an opportunity and build from it without waiting for a fully defined brief.
- Strong communicator who can adapt between technical, bureaucratic, and donor audiences.
- Based in Delhi, or willing to relocate for the duration of the engagement.

📌 AI Advisory Director/Associate Director (Delhi)
🏢 Otavo.ai
📍 Delhi