Lead – Marketing and Product Management in Chennai | Nilay Foundation

Nilay Foundation

Thousands of rural entrepreneurs and Self-Help Groups across India make good products, but very few of them ever become lasting brands. Nilay Foundation exists to close that gap. The team turns scattered Self-Help Group products into one connected market system that people actually want to buy from, so the money flows back to the women and families who make the goods. The work joins the practical side of production with the commercial side of selling, from packaging standards to shelf space. This role sits within Nilay Foundation's marketing and product function, which builds the brands and market links that carry Self-Help Group products into mainstream retail.

Role

This is market creation, not routine marketing. As Lead of Marketing and Product Management, you own the full journey of Self-Help Group products, from how they are made and packed to how they reach buyers and sell again. You will connect supply from village producers to demand in retail, business-to-business and online channels, and build a brand story strong enough that people buy for quality, not for sympathy.

Responsibilities

• Standardise, package and improve a wide range of Self-Help Group product lines so they meet retail, commercial and consumer quality standards.
• Build supply chain links between regional Self-Help Groups and mainstream buyers.
• Design and run go-to-market plans for retail, business-to-business and digital marketplaces.
• Shift how buyers see these products, from a charity purchase to a high-value product worth paying for.
• Create brand stories and positioning that bring in repeat demand on their own.
• Plan and run sales and marketing campaigns based on real data, aimed at measurable income growth for partner entrepreneurs.
• Track unit economics for each product line and keep pricing and margins workable.
• Train local Self-Help Group teams on market requirements, packaging norms and inventory consistency.
• Keep supply steady and consistent so buyers can rely on repeat orders.
• Work with producers, buyers and distribution partners to grow the number of channels selling these products.

Requirements

• At least 5 years of experience in product management, trade marketing, FMCG or social enterprise development.
• Proven record of coordinating supply chains from source to sale.
• Strong grasp of unit economics and how to keep a product line commercially viable.
• Experience building distribution that can scale beyond a single region.
• Deep understanding of brand positioning and consumer psychology.
• Ability to build a brand well beyond designing basic collateral.
• Comfort working with data to plan campaigns and measure results.
• Skill in training and coaching community teams who are new to formal market requirements.
• Willingness to travel and work directly with rural producer groups.
• Genuine belief in rural economic empowerment and community-led enterprise.

Benefits

• Ownership of a whole market-building function, not a narrow marketing brief.
• Direct, measurable impact on the incomes of rural entrepreneurs and Self-Help Group members.
• Work that joins commercial rigour with social purpose.
• On-site and hybrid working from Chennai.
• A mission-driven team building something that does not yet exist at scale.

Apply

Interested candidates can send their updated resume to the mail below

Email: [email protected]

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