JOB DESCRIPTION
Position Title : Senior Manager / Sector Head
Department / Vertical : Gender Equity, Skills and Livelihood
Location : Bengaluru, Karnataka
Reporting To : Executive Director / Designated Senior Management
Position Type : Full-time
Experience : 8–12 years of relevant experience
Educational Qualification:
Master's degree in Development Studies, Social Work, Gender Studies, Rural Development, Economics, Management, Public Policy, or a related discipline.
About TIDE
Technology Informatics Design Endeavour (TIDE) is a development organization working towards inclusive and sustainable development through innovative, technology-enabled, and community-centric solutions. TIDE works across multiple thematic areas, including gender equity, livelihoods, water and sanitation, clean energy, climate action, agriculture, youth empowerment, technology, and knowledge management.
TIDE has organized its programme portfolio into eight thematic verticals to strengthen technical specialization, programme quality, resource mobilization, partnerships, and institutional growth.
About the Vertical
The Gender Equity, Skills and Livelihood vertical focuses on advancing inclusive economic development by promoting gender equity, skills development, employability, entrepreneurship, sustainable livelihoods, and economic opportunities for women, youth, and marginalized communities.
The vertical will develop and implement programmes that enable individuals and communities to improve their skills, incomes, economic resilience, and participation in decision-making, while addressing structural and institutional barriers to equitable development.
Position Purpose
The Vertical Lead will provide strategic, technical, and operational leadership for the Gender Equity, Skills and Livelihood vertical.
The position will be responsible for developing and implementing the vertical's strategic priorities, building a strong programme portfolio, mobilizing resources, developing strategic partnerships, providing technical oversight to programmes, strengthening the vertical's team and capabilities, and establishing TIDE as a credible organization in the sector.
The Vertical Lead will also work collaboratively with other TIDE verticals to develop integrated and multidisciplinary programmes.
Key Responsibilities :
Strategic Leadership and Vertical Development (25%) :
• Lead the development and growth of TIDE's Gender Equity, Skills and Livelihood vertical, establishing clear thematic priorities, programme areas, and strategic directions for the next three years.
• Identify emerging development needs, sector trends, funding opportunities, and potential areas of intervention in gender equity, skills, livelihoods, entrepreneurship, employment, and inclusive economic development.
• Develop and maintain a strong portfolio of programmes that align with TIDE's organizational strategy, donor priorities, government programmes, and community needs.
• Develop annual plans and priorities for the vertical and ensure effective coordination with TIDE's other thematic verticals.
• Identify opportunities to develop, replicate, scale, and institutionalize successful programme models.
• Position TIDE as a credible technical organization in gender equity, skills development, livelihoods, and inclusive economic development.
Programme Development and Technical Leadership (25%) :
• Lead the conceptualization, design, and development of high-quality programmes addressing gender equity, skills development, employability, entrepreneurship, livelihoods, and economic empowerment.
• Develop programme concepts, theories of change, logical frameworks, implementation strategies, budgets, and technical approaches in collaboration with relevant teams and partners.
• Provide technical leadership and oversight to programmes implemented under the vertical, ensuring quality, relevance, innovation, and measurable outcomes.
• Develop approaches that strengthen women's economic participation, youth employability, entrepreneurship, household resilience, and sustainable livelihoods.
• Promote market-oriented and demand-driven approaches to skills development, enterprise development, value-chain strengthening, and livelihood promotion.
• Ensure that programmes incorporate gender-responsive, inclusive, participatory, and evidence-based approaches.
• Identify opportunities for cross-vertical programmes integrating livelihoods with climate action, clean energy, technology, agriculture, water, and other thematic areas.
Resource Mobilization and Strategic Partnerships (20%) :
• Develop and maintain a strong pipeline of funding opportunities for the vertical across CSR, foundations, government, bilateral and multilateral agencies, and other institutional donors.
• Lead the development of high-quality concept notes, proposals, budgets, presentations, and donor pitches.
• Build and manage strategic relationships with CSR foundations, corporates, government agencies, development organizations, academic institutions, skill-development organizations, financial institutions, and market actors.
• Identify opportunities for multi-year partnerships, consortiums, technical collaborations, and programme scale-up.
• Support the development of long-term funding and partnership strategies that strengthen the financial sustainability of the vertical.
• Represent TIDE in relevant sectoral forums, consultations, conferences, networking platforms, and stakeholder engagements.
Team Leadership, Programme Quality and Institutional Development (15%) :
• Build, lead, mentor, and strengthen the technical team working under the vertical, ensuring appropriate capabilities, roles, and responsibilities to support its growth.
• Promote a culture of ownership, collaboration, innovation, learning, and professional development within the team.
• Establish appropriate systems for programme planning, quality assurance, monitoring, documentation, and learning.
• Work closely with programme, finance, monitoring and evaluation, and knowledge management teams to ensure effective delivery and accountability.
• Strengthen internal technical capacities through mentoring, training, knowledge sharing, and exposure to emerging practices.
• Contribute to organizational planning, strategy development, budgeting, and other institutional priorities beyond the vertical.
Research, Knowledge and Sector Leadership (15%) :
• Promote research and evidence generation on gender equity, skills, livelihoods, entrepreneurship, employment, and inclusive economic development.
• Document programme experiences, innovations, lessons, and outcomes through case studies, technical papers, toolkits, manuals, and other knowledge products.
• Develop and disseminate evidence and learning that can inform programme design, policy discussions, and sector practice.
• Build partnerships with research and academic institutions to strengthen the evidence base and technical depth of the vertical.
• Identify and pilot innovative approaches and models with potential for replication and scale.
• Contribute to TIDE's publications, conferences, knowledge platforms, and external communications to strengthen the organization's sectoral visibility.
Key Accountabilities :
The Vertical Lead will be accountable for:
1. Strategic growth and development of the vertical.
2. Development and quality of the programme portfolio.
3. Resource mobilization and development of a sustainable funding pipeline.
4. Development and management of strategic partnerships.
5. Technical quality and impact of programmes.
6. Development and retention of a capable technical team.
7. Generation and dissemination of knowledge and evidence.
8. Contribution to TIDE's overall organizational strategy and growth.
Travel and Field Engagement Expectations :
The position requires regular travel within India and the candidate should be comfortable with travel as an integral part of the role. Travel may include:
• Field visits to monitor and provide technical oversight to ongoing projects.
• Donor and CSR meetings for relationship management and programme development.
• Proposal pitching and presentation meetings with prospective funders and partners.
• Government meetings and consultations at state, district, and local levels.
• Conferences, workshops, seminars, exhibitions, and sectoral events.
• Partner and stakeholder meetings across different geographies.
• Project inception, review, monitoring, evaluation, and closure visits.
• Community and beneficiary consultations to inform programme design and learning.
• Site visits for programme assessment, due diligence, and scale-up opportunities.
The candidate should be willing and able to undertake frequent travel, including short-notice travel when programme or organizational requirements necessitate it.
The role may require periods of intensive travel depending on the project portfolio, proposal pipeline, donor requirements, and programme locations.
Required Experience and Competencies :
Essential Experience :
• 8–12 years of relevant experience in the development sector.
• Demonstrated experience in programme design and management.
• Strong experience in one or more of the following areas:
o Gender equity and social inclusion
o Skills development and employability
o Livelihood development
o Entrepreneurship and enterprise development
o Youth development
o Rural development
o Economic empowerment
• Experience in proposal development and donor/CSR engagement.
• Experience in managing multidisciplinary teams and stakeholders.
• Demonstrated experience in developing partnerships with government, CSR, industry, or development organizations.
Desirable Experience :
• Experience in mobilizing CSR or institutional funding.
• Experience in developing and managing multi-year programmes.
• Experience in market-linked livelihood and enterprise development.
• Experience in monitoring, evaluation, and impact measurement.
• Experience working across multiple geographies.
• Experience in research, publications, or development of knowledge products.
Core Competencies :
Strategic and Technical :
• Strategic planning and programme development
• Gender-responsive programming
• Skills and employability
• Livelihood and enterprise development
• Programme management
• Monitoring and impact orientation
Resource Mobilization :
• Proposal development
• Donor and CSR engagement
• Partnership development
• Business development
• Fundraising strategy
Leadership :
• Team leadership and mentoring
• Stakeholder management
• Decision-making
• Collaboration and delegation
• Conflict resolution
Communication :
• Excellent written and verbal communication
• Proposal and report writing
• Presentation and facilitation
• External representation
Personal Attributes :
• Initiative and ownership
• Analytical and problem-solving ability
• Strategic orientation
• Integrity and professionalism
• Commitment to inclusive and sustainable development
Key Interfaces :
The Vertical Lead will work closely with:
• Government institutions
• CSR and donor organizations
• Academic and research institutions
• Industry and market partners
• Community institutions and implementing partners
Success in the Role :
The Vertical Lead will be expected to establish the Gender Equity, Skills and Livelihood vertical as a strong, technically credible, financially sustainable, and impact-oriented practice area within TIDE.
Success will be demonstrated through the development of a strong programme portfolio, mobilization of resources, strategic partnerships, quality implementation, measurable beneficiary outcomes, technical innovation, knowledge generation, and development of a capable team.
The position therefore requires an individual who can operate beyond individual project management and take ownership of building and growing an institutional thematic vertical.
Compensation and Benefits :
TIDE offers a competitive compensation package aligned with industry standards for professionals with comparable experience and responsibilities. The final compensation will be determined based on the candidate's qualifications, relevant experience, technical expertise, leadership capabilities, and suitability for the role.
Travel Benefits: Official travel undertaken for field monitoring, donor and CSR engagements, proposal pitching, conferences, government meetings, and other organizational requirements will be supported in accordance with TIDE's applicable policies.
Medical & Insurance Benefits: The position will be eligible for medical benefits and applicable insurance coverage in accordance with TIDE’s employee benefits policy and organizational norms.
How to apply?
We are looking for a candidate who wants to make a difference in the lives of others, willing to step outside your comfort zone, travel to rural and remote locations, work in challenging conditions, take responsibility without being constantly directed, and do what is required to achieve the intended impact. If yes, please submit your updated CV along with a brief cover letter outlining your relevant experience, sector expertise, key achievements, and interest in the position.
Applications may be submitted to hr@tide-india.org with the subject line:
Application_Sector_Gender Equity, Skills and Livelihood
Candidates are encouraged to highlight their experience in programme development, resource mobilization, donor/CSR engagement, partnerships, team leadership, and field-based programme implementation.
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for the next stage of the selection process.