Program Manager - Government Project & Technology Implementation

Location: Bengaluru

About Chalo:

Chalo is transforming public transportation through technology, including live bus tracking, digital ticketing, payments and data-driven operational insights. We partner with city transport authorities and government stakeholders to improve public transport at scale.

About the Role:

We are looking for a hands-on Program Manager to lead the end-to-end implementation of Chalo's technology-enabled public transport project in Bengaluru.

The role combines technology implementation, field operations and government stakeholder management. You will drive deployment, depot readiness, testing, go-live and operational performance, working closely with BMTC and Chalo's cross-functional teams to deliver measurable outcomes.

What You'll Do:

1. Technology Implementation:

- Own project plans, milestones and deployment across all 50 BMTC depots, including UAT, issue resolution, training, go-live and operational handover.

2. Field Operations:

- Drive on-ground readiness, coordinate field teams and vendors, establish operating processes, and ensure service levels and compliance.

3. Government Stakeholder Management:

- Build strong relationships with BMTC officials and government stakeholders, manage reviews and approvals, and resolve dependencies to keep execution on track.

4. Business Performance:

- Track KPIs across deployment, digital ticketing, app adoption, service levels and city-level EBITDA; use data to identify gaps and improve outcomes.

5. Cross-functional Leadership:

- Align Product, Engineering, Operations, Finance and other teams on priorities, risks and timelines, ensuring clear ownership and timely execution.

What We're Looking For:

- 7 - 12 years of experience in program/project management, technology implementation or large-scale operations.

- Proven experience delivering technology implementation or digital transformation projects from planning through go-live.

- Strong experience working with government departments, public-sector organisations or government clients is essential.

- Experience managing field teams, vendors, multi-location deployments and complex stakeholder relationships.

- Understanding of technology systems, integrations, testing and UAT, with the ability to work closely with Product and Engineering teams.

- Strong project planning, risk management, problem-solving and communication skills.

- Ability to analyse data, track KPIs and drive operational and commercial outcomes.

- Willingness to work on the ground with stakeholders and field teams as required.

Good to Have:

- Experience in public transportation, mobility, smart cities, e-governance or infrastructure technology.

- Exposure to IT system integration, government approvals, compliance and contractual deliverables.

- Experience driving user training, change management and technology adoption.