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…