Private Sector Engagement Lead

IPE Global; Ranchi; On-site; INR 900,000 - 1,400,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive compensation

Equal opportunity employer

Job summary

IPE Global’s Social and Economic Empowerment practice seeks a strategic Private Sector Engagement Lead to strengthen school-linked employment mechanisms, expand OJT opportunities for girls, and support the state vocational education action plan.

You will collaborate with State DoSELs, district officials, industry associations, and CSRs to create private sector engagement strategies and build employer pipelines for aspirational trades.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in business administration, public policy, social sciences, or related field.
• 7-10 years of professional experience engaging with corporates, government departments, and donor agencies on education or skilling.
• Strong understanding of gender and labour-market dynamics in India.
• Experience building partnerships with local employers, MSMEs, or industry associations.
• Proven track record implementing placement, apprenticeship, internship, or OJT programmes.

Responsibilities

• Analyse state, student and industry aspirations to develop a private sector engagement strategy.
• Develop state-specific SOPs for industry engagement and employer databases.
• Build partnerships with local employers, MSMEs, and industry associations for OJTs and internships.
• Mobilise CSR partners to strengthen vocational education infrastructure and exposure opportunities.
• Coordinate with schools, VTPs, and employers to plan and execute OJT.
• Ensure safe, compliant, and gender-responsive training environments for girls.
• Assist the state in organising local career fairs with industries and State Skill Mission.

Skills

Strategic thinking

Negotiation

Relationship management

Communication

Education

Master’s degree in business administration, public policy, social sciences, or related field

Job description

IPE Global’s Social and EconomicEmpowerment practice works towards building girl capital, empowering women andnurturing resilient communities by creating inclusive and sustainablesolutions, including but not limited to policy development, capacity building,adaptive management, community mobilisation, behaviour change communication,deepening social safety nets, beneficiary feedback analysis, povertyassessment, and evidence-based monitoring.

She Learns is a five-year (2026-2031)project to enable 27 lakh additional girls’ access to vocational education inschools, including on-the-job training (OJT) in market-linked aspirationaltrades. We seek a strategic leader who will strengthen institutional employmentmechanisms for school students, amplify OJT/internship opportunities for girlsin aspirational market-linked trades, and support the implementation of thestate vocational education action plan.

The Private Sector Engagement Lead willwork closely with State DoSELs, State Skill Missions, district officials,industry associations and CSRs to ensure girls in vocational education gainmeaningful exposure to aspirational courses.

Key Responsibilities

• Analyse state, student and industryaspirations to develop a curated private sector engagement strategy.
• Work with states to develop state-specificSOPs for industry engagement, partnership pipelines, and employer databases.
• Build partnerships with local employers,MSMEs, and industry associations to expand structured OJTs, internships andapprenticeship (NAPS/CMAP) opportunities for girls.
• Support mobilisation of CSR partners tostrengthen vocational education infrastructure and exposure opportunities.
• Support the state government inestablishing and operationalising the State Employer Engagement Cell.
• Coordinate with schools, VocationalTraining Providers (VTPs), and employers to ensure smooth OJT planning andexecution.
• Ensure safe, compliant, andgender-responsive training environments for girls.
• Support the state department in organisinglocalised career fairs and aspiration exercises in collaboration withindustries and the State Skill Mission.

As job descriptions cannot be exhaustive, thePrivate Sector Engagement Lead may be required to undertake other duties broadlyin line with the above key responsibilities, as determined by seniorleadership.

Qualification & Experience

Educational Background

Master’s degree in business administration,public policy, social sciences, or related field

Work Experience and Expertise

• 7-10 years of professional experience inengaging with corporates, government departments, and donor agencies on educationor skilling
• Track record of engaging with seniorindustry leaders and influencing organisational change.
• Strong understanding of gender and labourmarket dynamics in India.
• Experience building partnerships with localemployers, MSMEs, or industry associations.
• Proven track record in implementingplacement, apprenticeship, internship, or OJT programmes, highly desirable
• Experience working with state governmentsystems preferred

Key Skills and Competencies

• Strategic Thinking & Innovation: Abilityto design and drive complex partnership models for social impact.
• Negotiation & Influence: Skilled inbuilding high-level alliances with government and private players.
• Relationship Management: Proven ability tobuild trust with state officials and local employers.
• Communication: Strong written and verbalcommunication in English and the dominant state language (Hindi, Marathi).

Our Commitments

• We offer competitive compensation and acomprehensive benefits package.
• We are committed to diversity in ourworkforce and are proud to be an equal opportunity employer.
• You will work with sector experts andunderstand how people-centred policies can be created and effectivelyimplemented.
• With us, you will master framing narrativesand counterpoints and pace storytelling for internal and external stakeholders.
• We offer a space for you to grow, thinkinnovatively, and shed unconscious biases while learning more about diversecultures.