Associate Director Livelihood Skilling

Job Title: Associate Director Livelihoods - Skilling

Department: Livelihoods
Location: Regional Office
Reporting To: Sr. Director – Operations (Livelihoods)
Employment Type: Full-time

Job Summary

Lead and oversee the regional implementation and operational delivery of the Livelihoods program, enabling youth aged 18–25 years with life skills, workplace skills, career guidance and employment opportunities in the organized sector.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Program Management

• Lead and manage regional livelihood and youth skilling programs.
• Drive targeted enrolments, training quality, job placements and job-retention outcomes.
• Ensure achievement of project targets, KPIs, indicators and desired program outcomes.
• Oversee program budgets, monitoring, evaluation, MIS and performance reporting.
• Ensure effective implementation of national program guidelines and regional action plans.

Youth Employability & Placement

• Oversee youth mobilization, screening, profiling, counselling, skills training, mentoring and placement support.
• Strengthen post-placement support and track youth employment retention.
• Develop strategies to improve employment and education outcomes for youth.
• Explore self-employment and entrepreneurship pathways for youth.

Employer & Partnership Development

• Build and manage strategic partnerships with employers across sectors such as Retail, Hospitality and other emerging industries.
• Develop partnerships with vocational training institutes, colleges, universities and education providers.
• Engage with government training schemes and specialist livelihood organizations.
• Build strong employer networks and position the organization as a preferred skilling and employment partner.

Team Leadership & Capacity Building

• Lead, mentor and develop regional livelihoods teams.
• Build team capability in employability training, counselling, mentoring, mobilization and placement support.
• Ensure team performance is aligned with program objectives, organizational policies and standards.

Market Intelligence & Innovation

• Conduct regional market scans to understand employment trends, industry requirements, wages and emerging career opportunities.
• Identify risks, opportunities and changing skill requirements impacting youth employment.
• Develop innovative approaches aligned with changing labour-market needs.

Stakeholder Management & Representation

• Represent the organization with funders, employers, government bodies, institutions and other external stakeholders.
• Build strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders to drive program outcomes.
• Ensure compliance with Youth Protection and safeguarding policies and maintain a safe, inclusive environment.

Required Skills & Competencies

• Strong understanding of India's skilling ecosystem, including NSDC, DGT and Industry.
• Knowledge of labour-market trends, industrial clusters, wages and employment opportunities.
• Strong understanding of the end-to-end employability ecosystem: Mobilization, Screening, Counselling, Training, Placement, Post-Placement, MIS & Reporting.
• Excellent project management, budgeting and monitoring & evaluation skills.
• Strong people management and leadership capabilities.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong employer relationship-building and networking skills.
• Tech-savvy with strong MIS and reporting capabilities.
• Ability to work in a target-driven, fast-paced and changing environment.
• Willingness to travel extensively across the region.

Qualification & Experience

• Post-Graduation in Management / MSW / Social Sciences.
• Minimum 15 years of overall experience, including at least 5 years in a leadership role in Placements & Employment Connect within the Skilling/Staffing industry.
• Experience in managing target-driven programs and portfolios.
• Strong experience in market scanning and employer relationship management.
• Experience managing multidisciplinary teams and internal stakeholders.