Project Lead/Program Manager
- Compensation
- Not disclosed
- Location
- Delhi, DL, India
- Work setup
- Not specified
- Seniority
- Lead
- Employment
- Not specified
- Experience
- 5+ years
- Category
- Project management
- Posted
Skills
Must have
- • 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 f
- • 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 cu
- • 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 i
- • 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
- • 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. Abl
- • 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.
Full description
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:
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.