Program Manager/Program Associate

Program Manager & Program Associate Central Team · New Delhi · Full-time Experience:  Program Associate: 1-3  years Program Manager - 3- 5 years Base: New Delhi (travel to project states) Reports to: Senior Programme Managers, Atithi Foundation About Atithi Foundation Atithi Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation working to transform India's tourism sector into a key engine of economic growth. We partner with government bodies, industry leaders, knowledge institutions and community stakeholders to design evidence-based policies and strategies to create livelihoods, safeguard heritage, and strengthen India's position on the global tourism stage. Our vision: To make India a $490 billion tourism economy by 2035, with inclusive growth, preserving heritage, and showcasing the nation's culture and natural beauty to the world. Tourism as an Economic Engine Tourism generated over $200 billion for India in 2023 — 5.5% of GDP — and supports nearly 40 million jobs (8% of national employment). 54% of the tourism workforce comprises women, making it one of India's most inclusive growth sectors. India's Untapped Global Potential Despite extraordinary geography and heritage, India attracted only 10 million foreign visitors in 2023 — against China's 66 million (2019), Thailand's 40 million, and Vietnam's 18 million. Closing even half that gap is a multi-billion dollar opportunity. Key Challenges We Are Solving Inadequate tourism infrastructure: Most high-potential destinations lack the accommodation, connectivity, and on-site facilities needed to convert visitors into multi-night stays PPP gap: Tourism assets remain underinvested because transaction structures, risk allocation, and bankable project formats are not yet in place at scale Fragmented governance: Infrastructure development, land, environment, and culture sit across multiple departments — a single coordination failure stops a project Narrow brand and distribution: India's top six destinations absorb the bulk of tourism spend; 90% of the country's potential goes unmonetised The Role This is an early-career role for someone who wants to do real work on a hard problem. We are not looking for a particular background in a specific space. We are looking for someone who is genuinely curious, takes ownership instinctively, and is energised by the idea of working on something that matters. Someone who wants to learn fast, roll up their sleeves, and be in the room where decisions get made, not wait to be invited. This person will work across Atithi's programmes - supporting destination strategy, government engagement, research, investor outreach, and programme management, and grow into whatever they are best at. The role is deliberately broad at the start. What it becomes depends on you. What You Will Actually Do 1. Research and Analysis That Actually Gets Used Build the evidence base for Atithi's work: tourism data, destination benchmarks, international case studies,…