Lead Program Manager

Location: Bhubaneswar
Experience: 8+ years in public policy, government advisory, large-scale program implementation, or management consulting
Compensation: Competitive

The Udaiti Foundation

The Udaiti Foundation (TUF) is a not-for-profit working to advance Women's Economic Empowerment (WEE) in India. TUF aims for women to be central to India's $30 trillion economy goal by 2047. It focuses on increasing the Female Labour Force Participation Rate to 50% and doubling women-owned enterprises. TUF works to improve quality work for women, engage the private sector, and support the WEE ecosystem. It is a portfolio organisation under The Convergence Foundation (TCF), backed by Ashish Dhawan.

Role

The SPM (Senior Program Manager) will lead the Technical Support Unit (TSU) in Odisha. This person will work closely with government stakeholders to lead Udaiti's women's economic empowerment initiatives in the state. The role requires a self-driven leader comfortable in a fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities

Lead program design and implementation for women's economic empowerment in Odisha.
Build and maintain strong relationships with senior government officials and departments.
Identify systemic challenges and co-create scalable solutions with the government.
Conduct landscape studies, diagnostics, and research to set program priorities.
Design and manage pilot projects to test solutions and support scaling up.
Represent Udaiti in high-level meetings, workshops, and government forums.
Work with internal and external partners, including researchers, implementation agencies, and donors.
Track project milestones, risks, and outcomes, ensuring high-quality and timely delivery.

Requirements

8+ years of experience in public policy, government advisory, large-scale program implementation, or management consulting.
Strong problem-solving skills and ability to work in complex, ambiguous environments.
Proven experience in managing relationships with senior government officials.
Passionate about gender equity and driving systems-level change.
Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams and manage stakeholders.
Comfortable with data analysis, policy research, and turning insights into action.
Strong communication skills; familiarity with Odia (reading and speaking) is an advantage.