Senior Program Associate – Livelihoods

Pratham; Delhi; On-site; INR 600,000 - 1,200,000; Full time

Job summary

Pratham Education Foundation in Delhi is seeking a Senior Program Associate for Livelihoods to shape program design, identify viable pathways for women and girls, and collaborate with government partners to drive impact. The role requires extensive field exposure and travel across rural India.

You will build monitoring systems, track participant outcomes and ensure alignment with Education and Skilling teams, reporting to Head, Livelihoods.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s/Master’s degree in development studies, rural management, social work, economics or related field.
• 3–5 years of relevant experience in rural livelihoods, women’s economic empowerment, skilling or related development programs with field exposure in rural India.
• Demonstrated experience in program design, implementation and monitoring, including working with data and reporting.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English.
• Willingness to travel extensively to rural parts of India, including locations with limited amenities.

Responsibilities

• Research and design livelihood pathways by studying rural opportunities and identifying viable options for women and girls.
• Engage with state teams, government departments, SHG networks and banks to turn pathways into plans.
• Design monitoring frameworks and data systems to track progress and outcomes.
• Coordinate with Education and Skilling teams to connect learning to income generation.

Skills

Research

Stakeholder engagement

Monitoring & evaluation

Strong communication

MS Office / Excel

Education

Bachelor’s / Master’s degree in development studies or related field

Tools

MS Office

Google Workspace

Job description

Pratham Education Foundation (Pratham) is one of the largest education NGOs in India with a record of innovative, rigorously evaluated programs that have inspired similar programs across three continents. With a history spanning 30 years, Pratham’s work today extends from programs for early and elementary years to girls and women, and youth skilling. Through programs covering 24 states and Union Territories, in an average year, Pratham usually reaches over 7 million children and youth. This is achieved through a combination of efforts: directly working with children and youth in communities, as well as through collaborations with state and district-level governments.

Pratham has received notable awards such as the Lui Che Woo Prize, WISE Prize for Innovation, Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship, the Henry R Kravis Prize in Leadership and the CNN-IBN Indian of the Year for Public Service. Pratham also received the 2021 Yidan Prize for Education Development and the Yashraj Bharati Samman in 2025.

Livelihoods is a new initiative at Pratham, launching to help women and girls in rural India turn education and skills into sustainable income. It builds on Pratham’s long-standing work with girls and women through its various education and youth skilling programs. The program focuses on identifying viable local livelihood pathways, from self-employment and enterprise to wage employment, and connecting participants to the markets, government schemes, credit and networks they need to pursue them. Working alongside Pratham’s Education and Skilling teams, it seeks to create a continuous journey from learning to earning, implemented through state teams in close collaboration with government and community partners. As an early member of the team, the Senior Program Associate will help shape the program’s design and approach from the ground up.

Position Summary

The role will focus on four areas:

• Research and pathway design: Studying rural livelihood opportunities, markets and existing schemes to identify viable pathways for women and girls.
• State engagement and implementation: Working with state teams, government departments and local resources to turn these pathways into practical implementation plans.
• Monitoring and tracking: Building and running systems to track program progress, participant outcomes and learnings.
• Cross-team convergence: Aligning livelihoods work with the Education and Skilling teams so participants move smoothly from learning to earning.

This is a role with significant ownership, extensive field exposure and opportunities to shape a growing program area.

Key Responsibilities

1. Research and Pathway Design

• Conduct secondary and field research on rural livelihood opportunities for women and girls, including farm, non-farm, self-employment and wage-employment options.
• Map local market demand, value chains, employers and enterprise opportunities in program geographies.
• Review central and state government schemes, missions and entitlements (for example, NRLM and state livelihood missions) that participants can access.
• Draw on evidence and practice from other organisations to inform program design.
• Develop clear livelihood pathway models that link education and skilling outcomes to income generation.
• Prepare research briefs, concept notes and presentations for internal and external audiences.

2. State Engagement and Implementation Pathways

• Work with state and district teams to adapt livelihood pathways to local contexts and turn them into actionable implementation plans.
• Build relationships with state government departments, livelihood missions, self-help group networks, banks, training institutions and local employers.
• Identify and leverage state resources, schemes and partnerships to support program delivery.
• Support state teams in planning, rollout and troubleshooting of livelihood activities, including trainings, exposure visits and linkages.
• Make regular field visits to understand ground realities, gather participant feedback and support teams.

3. Monitoring, Tracking and Learning

• Design and maintain monitoring frameworks, indicators and data systems to track program progress and participant outcomes.
• Track implementation against plans, timelines and budgets, and flag emerging challenges early.
• Analyse program data to generate insights and recommend course corrections.
• Document learnings, case studies and success stories to strengthen the program and inform scale-up.
• Prepare regular progress reports and dashboards for program leadership, donors and partners.

4. Collaboration with Education and Skilling Teams

• Work closely with the Education (including Second Chance) and Skilling teams to build continuous pathways for women and girls from learning to earning.
• Identify points of convergence across programs, such as shared geographies, cohorts, content and partnerships.
• Contribute livelihoods perspectives to curriculum, life-skills and career guidance content developed by other teams.
• Coordinate with internal teams such as Measurement, Finance, Content and Communications for effective program delivery.

Desired Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor’s/Master’s degree in development studies, rural management, social work, economics, public policy or a related field.
• 3–5 years of relevant experience in rural livelihoods, women’s economic empowerment, skilling or related development programs, with substantial field exposure in rural India.
• Demonstrated experience in program design, implementation and monitoring, including working with data and reporting.
• Strong research and analytical skills, with the ability to turn findings into practical program recommendations.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English.
• Proficiency in MS Office and Google Workspace, especially Excel or Sheets for data analysis.
• Willingness to travel extensively to rural parts of India, including locations with limited amenities.
• Experience working with government departments, livelihood missions, SHG federations or similar state-level stakeholders.
• Experience with market assessments, value chain analysis or enterprise development.
• Exposure to gender-focused programs for adolescent girls and young women.

Personal Attributes

• Able to work independently and take ownership of outcomes.
• Comfortable working across teams and building trust with diverse stakeholders.
• Strong organisational skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Adaptable and comfortable in dynamic, evolving contexts.
• Committed to gender equality and Pratham’s Code of Conduct.

Reporting and Location

Reports to:

Head, Livelihoods

Location:

Delhi. Candidates must be based in Delhi or be willing to relocate.

Travel:

Frequent travel to program states and rural field sites.

• A single-page, up-to-date CV, including:
• Contact information
• Academic background, universities attended, degrees and academic record (marks/GPA, if applicable)
• Past work experience, highlighting relevant skills and responsibilities in livelihoods, skilling or rural development
• Languages spoken

Statement of Purpose (maximum 500 words):

Why are you a good fit for this role, and what is one rural livelihood pathway for women or girls you find promising?

Shortlisted candidates will be contacted for further rounds: a telephonic/online interview and a final interview.

Note:

Due to the high volume of applications we receive, we will not be able to provide individual responses to every applicant and will reach out only to shortlisted candidates. We appreciate your understanding and patience.