Stanford India Pvt. Ltd.  is excited to announce an opening for the Business Transformation Advisor position at the Stanford Seed in South Asia.

We are seeking qualified candidates to join our dynamic team and contribute to our mission. A Business Transformation Advisor partners with small and medium enterprises (SME) leaders to shape their growth plans, translating Seed’s curriculum into practical and context-specific guidance.

About Stanford Seed 

Building on Stanford's decades-long history of educating innovators in Silicon Valley, Stanford Seed has been bringing this innovative mindset and practical business training to entrepreneurs in South Asia for the past eight years, making a significant impact in the region.

Seed is a Stanford Graduate School of Business-led (GSB) initiative that's working to end the cycle of global poverty. We believe that business is one of the most powerful engines of change to move developing economies to greater prosperity. To maximize our impact, we're working on multiple fronts and across multiple horizons. We partner with entrepreneurs in emerging markets to build thriving enterprises that transform lives. For more information about the Seed program, please visit seed.stanford.edu. 

Position Summary

Through the Seed Transformation Program (STP), Stanford GSB faculty and regional experts equip founders and CEOs of SMEs with the knowledge needed to scale their businesses and drive inclusive economic growth.

At the heart of this 10-month blended program lies the role of the Business Transformation Advisor (BTA), a key enabler of impact and transformation. Each participating company is paired with a BTA who works closely with its founder and leadership team to contextualize and apply Stanford’s intensive curriculum to their specific business environment.

The BTA serves as a strategic thought partner, facilitating leadership engagements, guiding application of frameworks, and supporting the development of a medium- to long-term growth plan. This role is a unique blend of curriculum translation, business advising, and relationship management, playing a critical part in helping SMEs realize their growth potential.

The position reports to the Senior Business Transformation Advisor of Seed South Asia and offers a remote working arrangement with travel across the region as required.

In this role, your primary duties and responsibilities will include:

1. Curriculum Translation and Business Advising

• Translate Stanford Seed’s curriculum, covering areas such as strategy, marketing, sales, finance, operations, organizational design and other related fields into actionable insights tailored to the unique contexts of each company.

• Advise business leaders and their senior teams on applying key frameworks and methodologies to build holistic transformation plans, incorporating relevant AI-enabled tools and approaches where these offer practical value in the SME context.

• Facilitate immersive workshops (in-person and virtual) and small-group structured leadership circles aligned with curriculum themes and growth planning stages.

• Capture and contribute advisory insights, effective approaches, and lessons from founder engagements to the team's shared knowledge base, supporting continuous improvement across the BTA team. 

2. Portfolio Engagement and Recruitment

• Guide a portfolio of assigned companies throughout the Seed Transformation Program, serving as a primary advisor and thought partner.

• Track and monitor company progress across the program journey, providing insights to support continuous learning and outcomes measurement.

• Build and sustain trusted relationships with business leaders in your portfolio, fostering deep engagement and continuity.

• Support the STP recruitment efforts, contributing to the selection of high-potential SMEs. 

3. Program Impact and Collaboration

• Support data collection efforts and contribute to program assessments that help evaluate impact and shape future program enhancements.

• Contribute to the growing community of practice within Stanford Seed by sharing learnings, innovations, and emerging patterns across SMEs, while also engaging in strategic initiatives to enhance programs and processes at the South Asia and global levels.

• Collaborate with the Global team and Seed faculty to align on delivery standards, content integration, and participant experience.

To be successful in this role, you will bring:

Education and Experience: 

• A bachelor’s degree in business, economics, management, statistics, or a related field from an accredited university is required; a master’s degree is a plus.

• 12+ years in advisory, entrepreneurship, or P&L roles with exposure to SMEs/startups in South Asia; Experience coaching founders or C-suite on growth and transformation is a strong plus.

• Certifications in leadership coaching, strategic planning, or business operations are desirable.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSAs):

• Advising and Facilitation

  • Strong facilitation skills with the ability to lead structured workshops and strategic discussions.

  • Passion for supporting and transforming small to mid-sized businesses in South Asia.

  • Ability to inspire and influence founders and leadership teams toward bold, growth-oriented action.

  • Comfort with AI-enabled tools and a practitioner mindset toward using technology to enhance advisory quality and personalisation.

• Leadership and Collaboration

  • Demonstrated leadership skills with the ability to influence and engage across diverse organizational boundaries.

  • Highly collaborative working style that fosters partnership with staff, cross regional and functional teams.

  • Ability to remain effective under pressure, manage multiple priorities, and meet tight deadlines.

• Communication and Interpersonal Skills

  • Build and maintain trusted working relationships with business leaders and their senior teams, sustaining engagement across the program journey.

  • Excellent interpersonal and active listening skills to engage with a wide range of stakeholders.

  • Advanced fluency in spoken and written English, with the ability to communicate complex ideas clearly and effectively.

• Regional and Cultural Awareness

  • Understanding of the South Asian region, including business ecosystem, cultural nuances and business etiquette relevant to SMEs and family-run enterprises.

Benefits:

Stanford India Private Limited offers a competitive and holistic benefits package designed to support the well-being and professional growth of our employees. Key benefits include:

• Comprehensive medical insurance coverage, structured leave entitlements, and statutory benefits as per applicable Indian employment laws

• A competitive, compliant compensation framework, including reimbursement of approved work-related expenses such as travel and accommodation, in line with company policy

• Flexible and remote-friendly work arrangements

• A collaborative and purpose-driven work environment that values innovation and impact

• Opportunities for continuous learning, knowledge exchange within a global network, and a culture of wellness and individual development

In addition, requirements include:

• Be legally authorized to work in India

• Comfortable with remote working and collaborating virtually with a distributed team across geographies.

• Ability to travel locally and/or internationally with occasional overnight travel

• May work variable hours, evenings or weekends

The job duties listed are typical examples of work performed by positions in this job classification and are not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, tasks, and responsibilities. Specific duties and responsibilities may vary depending on department or program needs without changing the general nature and scope of the job or level of responsibility. Employees may also perform other duties as assigned.

Stanford University is one of Silicon Valley's largest and unique employers. Our mission is to educate future leaders and promote interdisciplinary, world-class research and teaching. This passion makes Stanford an intensely creative, rewarding, and challenging place to work. At the same time, our traditions of respect and collaboration sustain a humane, supportive environment in which to pursue your life and your career.