Senior Manager - Outreach (Skill Initiatives)

Lend A Hand India • Full-time • Pune, Maharashtra • 5m ago

Job Title: Senior Manager - Outreach (Skill Initiatives)

Reports to : Co Founder of the organization

Location: Pune, Maharashtra

Travel : PAN India as per the need of the job role

Position overview:

Lend A Hand India (LAHI) is at the forefront of implementing India's National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 through its groundbreaking initiatives. Two of those initiatives are Karigar – School of Applied Learning and the mobile Skills on Wheels (SoW) fleet. With formal mandates from state governments to scale these models, we are looking for a dynamic Manager to drive on-ground execution and help bring hands-on, vocational education to millions of students. This Manager role is responsible for the end-to-end execution and expansion of Lend A Hand India's skill education initiatives across multiple states. The core mandate involves launching and ensuring the smooth operation of Karigar hubs and Skills on Wheels mobile labs in strict adherence to government guidelines and SOPs. A critical component of the role is building and developing a high-performing pan-India field team through strategic recruitment, mentoring, and capacity building. The Manager will also drive operational excellence by monitoring KPIs, managing vendors, and engaging with government stakeholders and local communities to foster partnerships, generate demand, and showcase impactful success stories.

Lend A Hand India’s 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

Here’s how this role will empower you to leverage your experience and ambition:

1.Become a Systems Architect
Here, you will help build and refine the system itself. You will directly influence policy, design scalable models, and create the frameworks for lasting change.

2. Experience the Scale with Depth.
You understand growth. This role offers a canvas unlike any other: to see your proven strategies with earlier experience in expansion, operational excellence, and team leadership replicated across thousands of schools, impacting millions of students in a direct, measurable way.

3. Master the Ultimate Collaboration.
This is your chance to gain unparalleled experience synergizing the three most powerful forces in development: government bodies, corporate CSR, and local communities. You will navigate this complex ecosystem to drive projects of genuine national importance.

4. Lead with True Autonomy and Ownership.
You will be the visionary leader of a pioneering national initiative. We provide full autonomy to lead a multi-disciplinary team, direct P&L responsibility, and calendar-driven targets, giving you the freedom to build and execute with the same rigor you’d expect in a top corporate role.

5. Build your Legacy as a National Changemaker.
Your work will directly create skilled professionals, confident entrepreneurs, and a stronger national economy. You will be recognized as a key architect in implementing the NEP2020, shaping policy, and featuring in national forums—leaving an indelible mark on the country.

Why This Role Matters

The National Education Policy 2020 makes hands-on vocational education a compulsory, credit-bearing component for every school child in India. Lend A Hand India (LAHI) already operates the award-winning Karigar – School of Applied Learning, dubbed the “Disneyland for Skills,” in Pune, and the mobile Skills on Wheels fleet that brings fully equipped skill labs to hard-to-reach schools across ten states. With formal mandates now secured from SCERT Maharashtra to replicate five Karigar hubs statewide and from Samagra Shiksha Andhra Pradesh to co-design four Centres of Excellence serving 1,578 schools and 2.5 lakh learners, the next two years will decide whether India can translate NEP2020 from policy to practice at scale.

Why Karigar & Skills On Wheels Matter:

· Karigar is a first-of-its-kind skills hub that transforms theoretical knowledge into practical expertise for thousands, making “working with hands” aspirational and universal.

· Skills on Wheels breaks barriers to access, bringing multi-sector skill labs on wheels to remote and resource-limited schools, becoming India’s most visible mobile skills movement.

· Both directly address NEP2020’s vision for integrated, hands-on, vocational learning for every child, every district.

Mission & Scope

Senior Manager will architect, launch and operate every new Karigar hub in Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and at least six additional states, while doubling the annual reach of the Skills on Wheels fleet. The brief demands corporate-style expansion speed, rigorous SOPs, and bold brand building—exactly the arenas where your 24-year record in pan-India retail roll-outs, P&L ownership and OGSM discipline gives you a head-start.

Core Responsibilities:

Project Execution & State Support:

Support the launch and operations of new Karigar hubs across multiple states as per the expansion plan in collaboration with Skills on Wheels team
Ensure strict adherence to government-mandated infrastructure, curriculum, and operational SOPs at each site.
Manage the scheduling, routing, and operational readiness of mobile labs to maximize reach and impact.

Team Handling & Development:

Responsible to recruit, manage, and mentor a growing pan-India field team, including mid level Managers, Lab Trainers, and operations staff.
Foster a high-performance culture by setting clear goals, providing regular feedback, and conducting performance reviews.
Identify skill gaps and implement targeted training programs to build capacity and ensure team readiness for scale.
Build a robust leadership pipeline by empowering team members and creating opportunities for professional growth.

Operational Management:

Implement and monitor standardized operating procedures (SOPs) for all aspects of Skill hub and Skills on Wheels unit operations.
Track and report on key performance indicators (KPIs) through weekly dashboards, ensuring projects stay on time and on budget.
Manage vendor relationships for civil works, tool procurement, and lab maintenance.

Stakeholder Engagement & Advocacy Support:

Liaise with government school officials, district education officers, and other local stakeholders to ensure smooth operations.
Execute local marketing and community engagement campaigns to generate awareness and demand.
Document and showcase field success stories for internal reporting and donor updates.

Requirements

Minimum Skills and experience:

12 -15 years of experience in field operations, project expansion & management
Proven experience in managing multi-location operations and implementing SOPs for scale.
Demonstrated experience in end-to-end team handling: recruitment, mentoring, performance management, and development of large, distributed teams.
Exceptional data analysis and reporting skills, with proficiency in creating dashboards and tracking metrics.

Preferred Skills and experience:

Prior exposure to the development sector, vocational training, or skill education. Technical background will be a plus.
Experience in vendor and supply chain management, specifically for tools, equipment, or labs.
Experience in stakeholder management with government or public systems.
Understanding of the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and its implications for vocational education.

Key Attributes for Success:

Passion for Mission
Operational Excellence
People First Leader
Driver of Outcomes
Resilience and Grit

Benefits

This role will empower you to:

Utilize Your Operational & Leadership Expertise:
Deploy your proven strengths in multi-location operations, project execution, team management, and field marketing across both permanent hub and mobile education formats.
Drive Projects of National Importance:
Be a key driver in executing India’s most innovative hands-on learning programs, directly impacting hundreds of thousands of students and contributing to national educational transformation.
Creativity & Innovation:
- Translate innovative educational models into tangible, on-ground reality, devising creative solutions to overcome logistical and operational challenges.
- Champion new ideas for community engagement, team motivation, and process improvement to enhance the reach and effectiveness of skill development initiatives.
Be Recognized as a Changemaker:
Gain visibility as a key contributor to a national movement, with opportunities to represent the organization in state-level forums and share success stories that influence broader practice.