Project Lead/Program Manager

Position: Program Manager – Urban & Rural Skilling Programs

Functional Area: STeP

Experience Required: 7 - 10yrs

Location: New Delhi (Head Office) Reporting To: Head – Livelihoods

About Smile Foundation:

Sustainability, social equality and the environment are now business problems. And corporate leaders can't depend on governments to solve them. Inspired by this philosophy of Peter Senge, a group of young corporate professionals came together in 2002 to set up Smile Foundation to work with grassroots initiatives for effecting positive changes in the lives of underprivileged children, their families and communities. Today, Smile Foundation is directly benefiting over 2 million children and families through more than 400 welfare projects on education, healthcare, livelihood, and women empowerment spread across 2,000 villages and urban slums in 27 states, every year.

Visit our website to know more about us and our latest development: www.smilefoundationindia.org

Role Purpose:

The Program Manager will be responsible for end-to-end management of skill development programs across urban and rural areas, ensuring quality training, high placement outcomes, and effective budget utilization. The role requires strong expertise in program implementation, placement linkages, financial oversight, and partner management.

Key Responsibilities:

Program Implementation & Delivery

• Lead and manage all stages of urban and rural skilling projects – mobilization, training, certification, and placement.
• Ensure curriculum is delivered as per industry standards and sector skill council norms.
• Design innovative strategies for youth mobilization, especially in rural geographies.

Placement & Industry Linkages

• Build strong employer networks across sectors (urban & rural) to secure job opportunities.
• Ensure minimum 70–80% placement of trained youth with focus on sustainable employment.
• Track post-placement retention (3–6 months) and provide support for re-placement where needed.
• Develop entrepreneurship and self-employment linkages, especially in rural areas.

Budgeting & Financial Oversight

• Monitor expenditure against approved budgets and ensure compliance with donor/organizational norms.
• Provide timely financial reports and flag variances for corrective action.
• Optimize resources to maximize program impact.

Monitoring, Evaluation & Reporting

• Track KPIs including mobilization, course completion, certification, placement, and retention.
• Maintain updated MIS and dashboards for internal review and donor reporting.
• Document impact stories, case studies, and best practices for knowledge sharing.

Partnership & Stakeholder Management

• Manage relationships with donors, corporate partners, NSDC, and government agencies.
• Collaborate with grassroots NGOs, panchayats, and local industry for rural skilling.
• Ensure all reporting, branding, and visibility commitments are fulfilled.

Team Leadership & Capacity Building

• Lead and mentor regional officers, centre managers, and trainers.
• Conduct regular performance reviews and build staff capacity on program delivery and placements.
• Foster a results-oriented, collaborative team culture.

Strategic Development

• Identify new growth opportunities in both urban and rural livelihoods.
• Contribute to proposal development, donor pitches, and scaling models.
• Align programs with emerging industry trends, certification standards, and government schemes.

Qualifications & Experience:

• Postgraduate in Social Work, Rural Development, Management, or related field.
• 8–10 years of relevant experience, with at least 5 years managing skilling/livelihood programs.
• Proven track record in placements, budgeting, and donor reporting.
• Experience in urban skilling sectors (BFSI, ITES, Retail, etc.) and rural livelihoods (Green Jobs,

BPO etc.).

• Strong financial acumen with ability to manage budgets and resources efficiently.
• Willingness to travel across urban and rural sites.

Competencies Required:

• Attention to Detail: Pays close attention to information that is overlooked or taken for granted by others. Prefers to look beyond the obvious and does not accept situations or take information at face value. Scrutinizes how things go together, making sure components are indeed aligned and appropriately interrelated.
• Flexible and Adaptive: Remains effective when experiencing major changes in work tasks or the work environment; adjusts effectively to work within new work structures, processes, requirements, or cultures.
• Analytical Problem Solving: Analyzes information to understand relationships, patterns, and causes and effects, integrate data, and check facts. This is done with both qualitative and quantitative information, making rational and timely judgments on the basis of the information that is available.
• Planning and organizing: Establishing courses of action for self and others to ensure that work is completed efficiently.
• Contributes to Team Performance & Team Collaboration: Is an engaged and integral member of a group, recognizing the need for group collaboration, empathy, consensual decision-making, and respect for others.
• Initiating action: Taking prompt action to accomplish objectives; taking action to achieve goals beyond what is required; being proactive.
• Communication: Clearly conveying information and ideas through a variety of media to individuals or groups in a manner that engages the audience and helps them understand and retain the message. Able to give and take during a conversation in a balanced way, listening as well as speaking at appropriate intervals.
• Manages Conflict: Dealing effectively with others in an antagonistic situation; using appropriate interpersonal styles and methods to reduce tension or conflict between two or more people.