Application Guide

How to Apply for Executive Assistant & Office Administrator, Acumen India

at Acumen

🏢 About Acumen

Acumen is a pioneering impact investment fund that specifically targets early-stage clean energy solutions for low-income communities, creating both social impact and sustainable business models. Working at Acumen India means contributing to a mission that has already impacted millions globally, while being part of a tight-knit team that values entrepreneurial thinking and deep commitment to social change.

About This Role

This hybrid role splits time equally between providing high-level executive support to the India Country Director—managing complex schedules, international travel, and strategic briefing materials—and ensuring smooth office operations for Acumen India, including vendor coordination and supporting the Acumen Academy team. The position is impactful because it directly enables leadership to focus on scaling clean energy access while maintaining operational excellence across the organization's Indian operations.

💡 A Day in the Life

A typical day might begin by reviewing and adjusting the India Country Director's schedule across multiple time zones, preparing briefing materials for an upcoming investor meeting, then switching to coordinate with IT vendors about office systems. The afternoon could involve submitting expense reports, taking detailed notes during a strategic planning session, and following up on action items while simultaneously managing logistics for an upcoming visit from Acumen's global leadership.

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🎯 Who Acumen Is Looking For

  • Has 5+ years specifically supporting C-suite or country director-level executives in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment (not just general admin experience)
  • Demonstrates proven ability to manage concurrent priorities across time zones, with examples of coordinating international travel and complex schedules
  • Shows experience with vendor payment coordination and collaboration with finance teams, not just basic office management
  • Exhibits discretion with sensitive information and can provide examples of preparing strategic briefing materials that informed leadership decisions

📝 Tips for Applying to Acumen

1

Quantify your experience with specific metrics: 'managed 15+ international trips annually across 8 time zones' or 'coordinated payments for 20+ vendors with 100% on-time completion'

2

Highlight any experience with clean energy, social impact, or development sectors—even if tangential—as Acumen values mission alignment

3

Demonstrate your understanding of the split role by structuring your resume with clear sections for executive support and office administration experience

4

Include examples of handling sensitive information discreetly, as this is explicitly mentioned in the job description

5

Show how you've supported strategic initiatives beyond administrative tasks, as the role involves special projects and decision-making support

✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter

['Your specific experience supporting senior leadership in mission-driven organizations, with examples of managing competing priorities', "How you've successfully coordinated between different teams (like finance and vendors) in previous roles", "Your understanding of Acumen's unique model of investing in early-stage clean energy for low-income communities", 'Examples of taking initiative on special projects or strategic support beyond routine administrative tasks']

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🔍 Research Before Applying

To stand out, make sure you've researched:

  • → Acumen's current clean energy portfolio companies in India and their impact metrics
  • → The leadership team structure at Acumen, particularly the India Country Director and Acumen Academy team
  • → Acumen's specific investment thesis for clean energy in low-income communities
  • → Recent news about Acumen's work in India or their global impact reports

💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics

Based on this role, you may be asked about:

1 Describe a time you had to manage multiple conflicting priorities for an executive across different time zones
2 How would you prepare briefing materials for a meeting between the India Country Director and potential clean energy investors?
3 Walk us through your process for coordinating vendor payments while ensuring transparency with the finance team
4 How have you handled highly sensitive information in previous roles, and what safeguards did you implement?
5 What experience do you have supporting organizational IT projects or implementations?
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⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Submitting a generic resume that doesn't address the 50/50 split between executive support and office administration
  • Failing to demonstrate experience with the specific requirements like vendor payment coordination or international travel management
  • Showing no knowledge of Acumen's specific mission or confusing it with a traditional venture capital firm

📅 Application Timeline

This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.

Typical hiring timeline:

1

Application Review

1-2 weeks

2

Initial Screening

Phone call or written assessment

3

Interviews

1-2 rounds, usually virtual

✓

Offer

Congratulations!

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Good luck with your application to Acumen!

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