JOB DESCRIPTION: Theme Lead – Youth Skills and Enterprise Development
Aga Khan Rural Support Programme India (AKRSP India) is a non-denominational, non-political, non-government organization. AKRSP India was established in 1983 and it seeks to contribute to rural poverty reduction through community involvement and empowerment that leads to efficient management and an improved environment. For more details please visit: https://www.akrspindia.org.in
Location: Ahmedabad, Gujarat
Reports to: Programme Director
Position Summary
The Theme Lead – Youth Skills and Enterprise Development will provide strategic leadership and technical oversight for AKRSPI’s initiatives aimed at enhancing employability, skills, and entrepreneurship among rural youth and community members. The position will be responsible for designing, strengthening, and scaling placementlinked vocational skills programmes and entrepreneurship development initiatives aligned with emerging livelihood opportunities.
The role requires deep domain expertise, strong programme leadership, and the ability to build partnerships with government institutions, private sector, training providers, and development partners.
Key Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership
- Provide strategic direction and technical leadership for AKRSPI’s Youth Skills and Enterprise Development thematic area.
- Develop and implement strategies to enhance employability and entrepreneurship opportunities for rural youth and communities.
- Identify emerging sectors, future skills, and new livelihood opportunities, including digital and IT-enabled employment.
- Support programme expansion and scaling of successful models across programme geographies.
Programme Development and Management
- Lead the design, planning, and implementation of placement-linked vocational skills programmes.
- Develop and strengthen initiatives for rural entrepreneurship, enterprise promotion, and livelihood diversification.
- Ensure effective programme implementation, monitoring, and quality assurance.
- Establish systems for tracking training outcomes, job placements, and enterprise performance.
Partnerships and Stakeholder Engagement
- Develop and maintain strong partnerships with government departments, skill development missions, and relevant institutions.
- Build collaborations with industry partners, employers, and training providers to strengthen placement linkages.
- Represent AKRSPI in relevant networks, platforms, and forums related to skills and enterprise development.
Donor Engagement and Resource Mobilization
- Lead development of programme proposals, concept notes, and project documentation.
- Maintain effective relationships with donors and development partners.
- Ensure compliance with donor requirements and high-quality reporting.
Team Leadership and Capacity Building
- Provide leadership and mentorship to programme teams across locations.
- Strengthen internal capacities related to skill development, entrepreneurship promotion, and programme management.
- Promote a culture of innovation, collaboration, and accountability within the team.
Financial and Project Management
- Lead programme planning, budgeting, and financial monitoring of projects.
- Ensure efficient utilization of resources and adherence to organisational and donor guidelines.
- Monitor programme progress and ensure timely documentation and reporting.
Required Qualifications and Experience
- MBA/Rural Management/ MSW/ Engineering or post-graduation in any related disciplines.
- Minimum 10 years of relevant professional experience in skills development, placement-linked vocational training, and/or entrepreneurship development.
- Demonstrated experience in programme design, strategic planning, and project management in the development sector.
- Experience working with government programmes, skill missions, business incubators and industry partners.
- Proven track record of managing multi-stakeholder partnerships and donorfunded projects.
Required Competencies
- Strong understanding of rural livelihoods, youth employment, and enterprise development ecosystems.
- Knowledge of future skills, emerging job markets, and IT-enabled service sectors.
- Strategic thinking and ability to translate ideas into scalable programmes.
- Strong leadership and team management skills.
- Excellent communication, partnership development, and stakeholder engagement abilities.
- Ability to work in diverse rural contexts and manage multi-location programmes.
Key Benefits:
- Opportunity to work with a renowned NGO.
- On-site and off-site training opportunities.
- 5-day work week.
- Comprehensive medical insurance for employee, spouse, and children.
- Maternity and paternity leave as per organizational policy.
- 15 General Leaves and 16.5 earned leaves annually (earned leaves can be encashed if not utilized).
- 10 declared public holidays and 3 optional holidays.
- Diwali break for 5 days every year.
- We strongly encourage women, LGBTQ+ individuals, and specially abled candidates to apply
Please note that we will begin the search immediately, and if a suitable candidate is found, we will close the application process!