Business Manager – Rural Incubation Programme

Position: Business Manager – Rural Incubation Programme

Location: West Bengal / Jharkhand / Punjab/ Tripura/Rajasthan/Madhya Pradesh/Andra Pradesh/Assam (with travel as required)

Organisation: IIM Calcutta Innovation Park (IIMCIP)

Application Deadline:

About IIMCIP

IIM Calcutta Innovation Park (IIMCIP) is a not-for-profit incubator established under the aegis of IIM Calcutta, focused on supporting innovative and socially impactful enterprises. As part of its work with State Rural Livelihood Missions, IIMCIP is implementing incubation programmes aimed at nurturing rural and women-led enterprises to become growth-oriented, sustainable businesses.

Role Overview

The 
Business Manager

will play a critical role in driving the performance and growth of a portfolio of rural enterprises supported under the rural incubation programme. This is a field-intensive role requiring extensive travel and direct, hands-on mentoring of entrepreneurs in areas such as production, procurement, sales, marketing, finance, and compliance. The Business Manager will work closely with functional experts and report to the Project Lead, ensuring that supported enterprises achieve their key business and governance milestones.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide intensive, hands-on business mentoring to a cohort of rural enterprises across functional areas including production, procurement, sales, and operations.
• Ensure timely achievement of enterprise-specific KPIs related to revenue growth, profitability, governance, and capacity building.
• Support entrepreneurs in preparing and executing business plans, improving operations, managing working capital, and enhancing productivity.
• Track monthly, quarterly, and annual progress of assigned enterprises against defined performance metrics.
• Liaise with domain experts and functional specialists for technical and strategic support wherever required.
• Build trust-based relationships with entrepreneurs and promote a strong culture of accountability and entrepreneurial spirit.
• Support enterprises in identifying market opportunities, strengthening supply chains, and accessing finance or credit.
• Document case studies, success stories, and impact data as part of programme reporting and learning.

Required Qualifications & Must-Have Skills

• Postgraduate degree in Business Management, Rural Management, Development Studies, Economics, Accounting, or a related field; or professional qualifications such as CA, ICWA, etc.
• At least 5 years of experience in enterprise development or business management, preferably in functional roles such as production, procurement, operations, or sales.
• Strong mentoring, problem-solving, and field engagement skills with a demonstrated ability to support micro or small enterprises.
• Strong understanding of business planning, performance tracking, and KPI-based growth strategies.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to engage with rural entrepreneurs with empathy and practical guidance.
• Willingness to travel extensively and spend time in rural and semi-urban locations.

Preferred Attributes

• Educational background from premier institutions such as IIMs, IRMA, XIMB, TISS, or similar reputed bodies.
• Experience working with rural producer enterprises, FPOs, SHGs, or social businesses.
• Familiarity with enterprise finance, costing, pricing strategy, and credit facilitation.
• Experience with incubators, accelerators, or livelihood programmes under NRLM/SRLMs.
• Strong data analysis and reporting capabilities using digital tools and platforms.

Compensation & Contract

Compensation will be competitive and commensurate with experience. The position is full-time and initially offered for a one-year term, extendable based on performance and project requirements.

How to Apply

Interested candidates should email their 
CV and a cover letter

(maximum 500 words) explaining their suitability for the role to 

with the subject line: 
Application for Business Manager – Rural Incubation Programme
.