Senior Director – Urban Livelihoods

We are looking for an experienced leader to drive regional implementation and operational delivery of a youth livelihoods programme, supporting young people aged 18–25 years in building life skills, developing workplace readiness, and securing gainful employment in the organised sector.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the effective implementation and management of regional livelihoods programmes, including online and centre-based skilling initiatives, ensuring targeted enrolments, training quality, job placements, and job retention tracking.
• Provide leadership to regional livelihoods teams to ensure high-quality delivery of needs assessments, career counselling, skills training, mentoring, job and education placements, and post-placement support.
• Oversee programme monitoring and evaluation, performance reporting, regional budgets, and achievement of programme outcomes and indicators.
• Develop partnerships with vocational training institutes and specialist livelihoods organisations to enable youth to progress into employment or further education.
• Build strategic partnerships with regional employers to create meaningful employment opportunities and develop employer-centric models aligned with workplace skill requirements across sectors such as retail and hospitality.
• Strengthen the capabilities of regional programme teams by ensuring they have the tools, skills, and knowledge required to deliver employability training, mentoring, placements, and ongoing youth support.
• Ensure effective programme implementation, high-quality delivery, and adherence to agreed performance indicators and outcomes.
• Communicate and implement national programme updates and identify regional issues, opportunities, and risks that may influence programme success.
• Undertake regional research to understand youth needs, emerging employment opportunities, education pathways, and labour market developments.
• Represent the organisation in regional engagements and negotiations with funders, partners, employers, external stakeholders, and the public.
• Develop partnerships and approaches that enable youth to explore self-employment and entrepreneurial pathways.
• Build partnerships with colleges, universities, education providers, and government training schemes to expand access to further education and career development opportunities.
• Ensure all programme activities undertaken by the organisation and its partners follow safe practices, promote equality, and comply with applicable youth protection policies and procedures.

Desired Competencies

• Programme management, including budgeting, monitoring and evaluation, and financial oversight.
• Strong people management and team leadership skills.
• Empathy and the ability to work effectively with people from diverse backgrounds.
• Business and financial acumen.
• Data analysis and performance management.
• Networking, communication, and relationship management, including donor engagement.
• Strong results orientation and accountability.
• Partnership development and management.
• Negotiation and stakeholder management skills.

Qualifications & Experience

• Master's degree in Management, Social Work, Social Sciences, or a related discipline.
• 18–20 years of experience in the social sector, including at least 7 years in a comparable leadership role managing youth development and skilling programmes.
• A demonstrated track record of programme performance and stability across previous roles will be an advantage.
• Experience working in the Western region of India would be desirable.