AVP/VP - Women's Economic Liberty

Arthan is hiring experienced leaders for key roles in collaboration with our partner organization. We are looking for AVP/VP-level candidates to strengthen their portfolio of work in the girl capital domain, who will be responsible for leading the overall design, execution, and monitoring of a multi-faceted programme aimed at understanding and addressing the barriers to female workforce participation while collaborating with a diverse set of stakeholders including government bodies, private sector companies, and community organizations.

Key Responsibilities:

Programme Strategy and Planning and Execution:

• Lead the development and execution of a comprehensive strategy for enhancing female labour force participation in India.
• Lead on provision of high-quality technical assistance to selected national ministries and state governments, businesses and their associations.
• Work collaboratively with relevant ministries, state governments, private businesses, industry associations and others (e.g., MWCD, MSDE, MoE, MoL, MoCA, State Governments, Businesses, CIII, FICCI etc., development partners and other implementation partners) at the national and state level.
• Ensure the programme's goals align with national development objectives, sustainable development goals (SDGs), and gender equality initiatives.
• Oversee the implementation of various interventions, pilot programmes, and partnerships aimed at increasing FLFP in targeted regions.
• Provide leadership, guidance, and mentorship to a cross-functional team, ensuring effective coordination and timely delivery of project milestones.
• Monitor and evaluate the progress and impact of the programmes using key performance indicators (KPIs), adjusting strategies as needed based on evidence and feedback.

Government Engagement and Partnership Management:

• Foster and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders, including government agencies, private sector companies, industry leaders, and community leaders.
• Work closely with policymakers to support evidence-guided policy frameworks that promote women's economic empowerment and employment opportunities.
• Collaborate with the private sector to create gender-sensitive workplaces, inclusive recruitment practices, and skill development programs.
• Devise mechanisms to engage with local communities to ensure grassroots support and develop culturally sensitive and locally relevant initiatives.

Leadership and Team Management:

• Lead a multidisciplinary team, fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, and accountability.
• Provide technical mentorship and build team capacity for effectively delivering programme objectives.
• Represent the programme at national and international forums, sharing knowledge and steering a case for investing in actions to enhance female labour force participation.
• Prepare policy briefs, reports, and research papers to support advocacy efforts and contribute to public discourse on gender and labour market issues.

Educational Background:

Master's degree or higher in Economics, Public Policy, Gender Studies, Development Studies, or a related field.

Work Experience:

• 10-15 years of experience in leading programmes or projects focused on gender equality, women's economic empowerment, or labour market development in India
• Strong understanding of the socio-cultural, economic, and policy-related factors affecting female labour force participation in India, with experience addressing these through actionable interventions.
• Proven track record of engaging with national and state governments and the private sector in India to strengthen female labour force participation.

Technical Expertise:

• Deep knowledge of the drivers of low FLFP, such as gender norms, access to education and skill development, childcare, workplace conditions, and social security frameworks.
• Expertise in understanding the roles of government, the private sector, and community initiatives in driving sustainable change in women's participation in the workforce.

Key Skills and Competencies:

• Strategic Leadership: Demonstrated capacity to lead complex, multi-stakeholder programmes at scale.
• Analytical Thinking: Strong data interpretation skills, academic content decoding, and evidence-based decision-making.
• Communication and Negotiation: Exceptional verbal and written communication skills; ability to engage and persuade diverse stakeholders.
• Team Building: Ability to lead and inspire a multidisciplinary team, fostering a culture of excellence and innovation.