Job ID: 288411

Project Manager - Aspirational Livelihood For Youth And Women

Magic Bus India Foundation

Location: Gadchiroli Or Amravati Or Nagpur, Maharashtra

Apply by: 16 Apr 2026

Relevant Sectors

Agriculture, Livelihoods, Microfinance, Rural, Urban

Capacity Building, Training, Advocacy

About the Project
Magic Bus is implementing a Livelihood Resource Centre (LRC) model across selected districts in Maharashtra to strengthen access to livelihood opportunities for rural youth and women. The programme will establish 7 Livelihood Resource Centres across blocks in Nashik, Gadchiroli, Amravati, and Chandrapur districts. These centres will function as community-based livelihood hubs, providing youth with access to life skills and employability training, digital literacy, job placement support, entrepreneurship development, and linkages to government livelihood schemes. The programme focuses on enabling youth—especially women and marginalized communities—to access sustainable livelihoods through market-linked training, self-employment incubation, and strong partnerships with industry, government, and community institutions.

The LRC model builds on Magic Bus’s existing livelihood programme by strengthening community outreach, local employer engagement, and rural livelihood ecosystems, enabling youth from underserved communities to access sustainable livelihood pathways.

Role Overview
The Programme Manager – Livelihood Resource Centres will provide strategic leadership and operational oversight for implementing the LRC model across four districts in Maharashtra. The role will oversee the performance of 7 Livelihood Resource Centres and their Centre Managers, ensuring effective programme implementation, quality delivery, and achievement of livelihood outcomes for rural youth. The Programme Manager will also lead partnerships with government institutions, the state rural livelihood mission, private sector employers, and community stakeholders to strengthen the rural livelihood ecosystem.

Key Responsibilities
Programme Leadership & Implementation
• Lead planning, implementation, and monitoring of Livelihood Resource Centres across four districts.
• Ensure effective delivery of youth mobilisation, employability training, job placement support, and entrepreneurship development activities.
• Support Centre Managers in achieving mobilisation, training, placement, and enterprise development targets.
• Ensure programme quality, standardisation, and alignment with Magic Bus livelihood frameworks.
Rural Livelihood Ecosystem Development
• Strengthen linkages with local employers, MSMEs, producer groups, and entrepreneurship networks.
• Facilitate convergence with government livelihood and skilling schemes such as NRLM, NULM, PMKVY, and state skill missions.
• Promote livelihood opportunities aligned with local rural markets and economic opportunities.
• Encourage participation of women, tribal youth, and marginalised communities.
Team Leadership & Capacity Building
• Directly manage and mentor Centre Managers across the 7 Livelihood Resource Centres.
• Conduct regular field visits, programme reviews, and coaching sessions.
• Build team capacity in community mobilisation, training delivery, placement processes, and enterprise support.
• Foster a collaborative and accountable team culture across locations.
Stakeholder Engagement & Partnerships
• Represent Magic Bus in district and state-level coordination meetings with government and institutional stakeholders.
• Develop partnerships with district administration, industry partners, training institutions, and community organisations.
• Strengthen linkages with colleges, youth groups, and self-help group networks for mobilisation.
Monitoring & Reporting
• Ensure accurate data capture, MIS reporting, programme tracking, and documentation across centres.
• Conduct monitoring visits and performance reviews to strengthen programme outcomes.
• Document impact stories, case studies, and programme learnings.
Budget Management & Compliance
• Monitor programme budgets and utilisation across centres, and ensure alignment with financial guidelines and project plans.
• Support financial tracking, audits, and donor reporting processes.
• Ensure compliance with organisational policies and programme standards.
Qualifications & Experience
• Postgraduate degree in Social Work, Rural Development, Management, Development Studies, or related fields.
• Minimum 10 years of relevant experience in rural livelihoods, skilling, women entrepreneurship, or youth development programmes.
• Proven track record in team leadership, programme implementation, and stakeholder management.
• Experience managing multi-location programmes and field teams.
• Strong experience working with rural and tribal communities.
Desired Competencies
• Strong programme leadership and strategic planning skills.
• Experience in stakeholder engagement and partnership development.
• Understanding of rural livelihood ecosystems and government livelihood schemes.
• Strong communication, analytical, and problem-solving abilities.
• Willingness to travel frequently across districts and remote rural locations.
• Fluency in English and Marathi preferred.

Compensation
Compensation will be competitive within the development sector and commensurate with the candidate’s relevant experience, qualifications, and last drawn salary.

How to Apply
Interested candidates are invited to submit their updated resume along with a brief cover letter highlighting relevant experience to apoorva.punekar@magicbusindia.org. Please ensure that the subject line of the email reads: “Project Manager – LRC – Maharashtra.”

Job Email ID:

apoorva.punekar(at)magicbusindia.org