Project Lead (ITI Transformation)

Job Title: Project Lead – ITI Transformation

Location: Maharashtra (base location Mumbai / Pune/Pimpri-Chinchwad cluster, with travel across assigned ITI clusters in the state

Travel: As per the project need

Position Overview:

Lend A Hand India is hiring a Project Lead to own the day-to-day leadership of ITI transformation operations across Lend A Hand India's assigned ITI clusters in Maharashtra. This is a state-level leadership role that sits at the heart of the State PMU: the Project Lead will coordinate with the state skills department, manage cluster teams and their delivery of the 10-pillar playbook, coordinate ecosystem and technology partners, track outcomes against milestones, and represent Lend A Hand India in engagements with the Central PMU. The role suits someone who can operate comfortably across strategy, field execution, government liaison and data-driven program management.

Key Responsibilities:

1. State & Cluster Program Leadership

• Lead the overall planning, rollout and day-to-day management of ITI transformation operations across Lend A Hand India's clusters in Maharashtra (e.g., Pimpri and other assigned districts).
• Own delivery at the cluster level, from student mobilization and aspiration-building through to post-placement mentorship and tracking.
• Manage and mentor Cluster Project Coordinators/field teams (approx. 15 ITIs per cluster), setting clear targets, reviewing progress and unblocking implementation issues.
• Drive the baseline data assessment process for target ITIs and ensure findings feed into cluster-level planning and prioritization.

2. Government & Ecosystem Coordination

• Serve as the primary point of coordination with the Maharashtra state skills department and relevant government stakeholders on ITI transformation matters.
• Coordinate with the Central PMU on strategy alignment, reporting requirements and cross-state learning.
• Build and maintain relationships with ecosystem and implementation partners — industry bodies, other NGOs and technology partners — to ensure coordinated delivery across pillars.
• Support ITI principals, faculty and administration in strengthening institutional processes under the Admin Strengthening and Faculty Development pillars.

3. Industry Engagement & Placements

• Lead local industry engagement efforts, particularly with employers in Maharashtra's manufacturing and industrial corridors, to strengthen demand-supply mapping and Dual System of Training (DST)-style partnerships.
• Oversee placement support and apprenticeship pipelines, working with industry to convert exposure and training into quality job or apprenticeship outcomes.
• Support design and delivery of post-placement mentorship, monitoring and retention efforts, given known drop-off risk in the first year after placement.

4. Data, Technology & Monitoring

• Ensure timely, accurate data reporting from cluster to State and Central PMU levels, and use data to identify anomalies, delays and areas needing intervention.
• Track progress against the program roadmap and milestones (baseline assessment, pilot rollout, scale-up phases) and flag risks early.

5. Team & Stakeholder Management

• Build, lead and develop a high-performing state team, including hiring, coaching and performance management of cluster staff.
• Represent Lend A Hand India and the state program in reviews with the Central PMU, donors, and government counterparts.
• Contribute to the continuous refinement of the ITI playbook and operating model based on on-ground learning.

Requirements -

Minimum Experience:

• 8–10+ years of experience in program/project management, with significant exposure to skilling, vocational training, education, or livelihoods program.
• Demonstrated experience managing multi-stakeholder program involving government departments, NGOs/implementation partners, and industry.
• Prior experience working with or within the ITI/vocational training ecosystem (DGT, MSDE, State Skill Development Missions) is strongly preferred.
• Experience managing field teams and driving delivery across multiple sites/districts simultaneously.

Educational Background:

Graduate/Postgraduate degree in any discipline; a background in social work, development studies, education, engineering, or management is an advantage.

Skills & Competencies:

• Strong stakeholder management and government liaison skills; comfortable engaging with state department officials, ITI administration, and corporate partners.
• Data-driven program management — able to work with dashboards/MIS tools, interpret outcome data, and translate it into action.
• Strong people leadership: hiring, coaching and managing distributed field teams.
• Structured problem-solving and the ability to operate in an evolving, build-as-you-go program environment.
• Excellent written and verbal communication in English and Marathi/Hindi.
• Willingness to travel extensively within Maharashtra to ITI clusters and district offices.

Personal Attributes:

• Relationship - Oriented
• Proactive and Self - driven
• Adaptable and resilient
• Strong ownership and accountability

About Lend A Hand India : Lend A Hand India (LAHI) is a leading national Think Tank/NGO with over 20 years of experience in strengthening India's skill and vocational education ecosystem. LAHI works closely with 20+ State and UT governments through long-term partnerships, providing technical advisory and Project Management Unit (PMU) support to drive systemic reforms.

Our Mission

Equip School Students to Maximise Their Potential Through Skill Education

Our Approach

• Direct implementation in schools
• Partnership with central-state governments to define, and scale policy
• Building of Centres of Excellence that act as lighthouses for innovation
• Resource organisation for the skilling ecosystem

Our Knowledge in Action

Through the design & execution of innovative models from training centres, innovation hubs to mobile outreach initiatives, LAHI's innovative knowledge resource drives both grassroots learning and systemic transformation across India. With 250+ LAHI staff embedded in state education systems across 20+ states, we provide technical and project management support, enabling governments to translate policy into action.

Our Reach

LAHI's current scale of work includes -

• 20+ States and UTs
• 15000+ Schools
• 15 Lakh+ Students
• 250+ Team Members