WSN Program Manager

Wadhwani Foundation; Chennai District; On-site; INR 1,500,000 - 2,000,000; Full time

Job summary

An educational nonprofit is seeking an Ecosystem Program Manager in Chennai, India, to manage and expand its skilling ecosystem. The role involves driving the lifecycle of skilling programs, building partnerships with employers, and engaging with various stakeholders. Applicants should have 12–15 years of experience in education or talent development and proven skills in employer engagement. Additionally, strong project management and relationship skills are required. This position offers a dynamic work environment with significant impact on vocational training.

Qualifications

• 12–15 years of experience in skilling, education delivery, or talent development.
• Demonstrated experience in employer engagement and large-scale partnerships.
• Strong background in channel development and familiarity with vocational training.

Responsibilities

• Drive the complete lifecycle of skilling programs from design to impact measurement.
• Build and scale a demand-led ecosystem by onboarding employers.
• Engage effectively with government bodies and other ecosystem actors.

Skills

Employer engagement

Project management

Stakeholder relationship skills

Process orientation

Counselling

Channel development

Job description

Position Title: Ecosystem Program Manager
Reporting To: Ecosystem Head
Locations: Ahmedabad, Chennai, Hyderabad

Role Summary

The Ecosystem Program manager will be responsible for end-to-end management and expansion of the skilling ecosystem in the assigned region. This includes designing and implementing skilling programs, establishing strong partnerships with employers and training partners, and ensuring high-quality outcomes in student training, placement, and career success.

Key Responsibilities

• Program Leadership & Delivery
  • Drive the complete lifecycle of skilling programs — from design, development, and partner onboarding to execution, monitoring, and impact measurement.
  • Ensure alignment of skilling initiatives with national and state-level employment priorities.
• Ecosystem Development
  • Build and scale a demand-led ecosystem by onboarding employers and identifying sector-specific talent needs.
  • Expand the supply-side ecosystem by signing up new training partners based on regional demand and industry requirements.
• Stakeholder Engagement
  • Engage effectively with government bodies, vocational training providers (VTPs), ITIs, Polytechnics, and other ecosystem actors to co-create impactful solutions.
  • Actively represent the Foundation in industry forums, academia, and policy platforms to shape and contribute to the broader skilling discourse.
• Process Management
  • Design and institutionalize scalable processes across the student lifecycle — from mobilization, counselling, training, placement to post-placement tracking.
  • Create operational frameworks that break complex implementation plans into actionable micro-processes.

Required Experience & Skills

• 12–15 years of experience in skilling, education delivery, or talent development domains with proven experience across multiple delivery modes (digital, blended, classroom).
• Demonstrated experience in employer engagement and establishing large-scale partnerships for placement and industry alignment.
• Deep understanding of student journey, with experience in counselling, mobilization, training, placement, and post-placement tracking.
• Strong background in channel development (employers and training partners) and familiarity with the vocational training landscape.
• Prior experience collaborating with government bodies, academic institutions, and industry associations on skilling or education projects.
• Excellent project management capabilities, stakeholder relationship skills, and process orientation.
• Should be actively involved in industry or skilling forums and networks.