Senior Associate, Program Management

About Us:

We are Kraftshala. We are an online skilling institution committed to playing the long game of building a transformative educational experience for the masses. We call this ‘Scaling with Soul’.
Scaling with Soul, to us, means we always prioritise student outcomes– specifically our Placement Rate (percentage of students placed)- over other metrics, such as number of enrolments or company valuation in the coming year.
This is, of course, easier said than done. There are painful choices to be made at every stage, from admissions to training to placements, that wouldn’t have been needed were we willing to give up on either of high quality or scale.But in the long run, we believe that our obsession over these student outcomes will earn Kraftshala the trust of Indian students, their families, recruiters and the broader ecosystem.That’s why we make each of our Placement Reports public, capturing how many students are placed in each batch, in what companies, at what salaries etc.We don’t need to. None of our competitors do (though we’d be happy to be proven wrong and have more educators join us!). Simply put, we have tasted the benefits of an education model grounded in high quality paired with the transparency of student outcomes and now cannot imagine doing it any other way.We are not the largest in terms of enrollments. Nowhere close, actually. Not yet.However, we are proud to be one of the largest, if not the largest already, in terms of actual, verifiable placements.And in terms of Placement Rate, the metric that matters most to us, we are the absolute best in edtech. In the last 4 years, we have placed more than 2000+ students with a Placement Rate of 94% (and improving).This is our long game- to Scale with Soul. We invite you to join us for the play.

Funding:

Kraftshala is backed by a number of eminent investors, including:

• Phanindra Sama and Sudhakar Pasupunuri, co-founders at Redbus
  
• Amit Kumar Agarwal, Saurabh Garg and Akhil Gupta, co-founders at Nobroker.com
  
• Sujayathi Ali, Co-founder at ShopUp and Voonik
  
• Doreswamy Nandkishore (Former Fortune 100 CEO, Head of Asia, Oceania, Africa for Nestlé S.A. and Professor, ISB)
  
• Pallav Jain and Sarfaraz Khimani (co-CEOs of Performics, India's largest SEO/ performance marketing agencies)
  

What do we value (the Kraftshala Kode):

Kraftshala is on a mission to become the largest career launchpad in the world.Team Kraftshala is for the ambitious, the forever-learners, and most of all, for those who live to add value to others. In a world where education companies often lose sight of their core, we aim to Scale with Soul, to offer greater value to each stakeholder (including our team) everyday we get bigger.Joining Kraftshala now means becoming part of a story still in its early chapters- one you’ll help shape with your ideas, actions, and leadership. Here are things we care for:

• We seek a

  value-adding mindset

  in prospective team mates. Folks who demonstrate a capacity to understand their users' needs and are willing to go the extra mile to deliver on that, fit right in.
• We value

  problem solving

  skills. We look at problems objectively, work backwards from the user, solve for root causes and optimize for their long-term good instead of our short-term gain. We don’t let processes or hierarchies get in the way of adding value.
• We believe

  speed

  matters enormously in business. We value people who move with urgency, have a bias for action and are willing to take calculated risks in the face of uncertainty.
• We look for people with high

  learning agility

  , those truth seekers who pursue the best data, ideas, and solutions with rigour and open mindedness, and are constantly working to become better today than yesterday.
• We admire people with

  ambition & courage

  to take on large goals. We are seeking to build a team of self-starters who demonstrate high ownership.
• We aim for

  consistency and reliability

  and expect the same from others. Predictability just makes everyone’s life a lot smoother.
• We believe people who demonstrate

  candour with care

  are the most effective: real, open and direct in communication, while still being highly empathetic.
• We have learnt that Scaling with Soul requires

  frugality

  . Resource constraints help sharpen focus and breed inventiveness.
• We are

  practical optimists

  . Our team strongly believes in a better future and takes joy and pride in the fact that we are playing our part to make that future a reality.

Senior Associate, Program Management - Purpose & Role Description

As a Senior Associate, Program Management at Kraftshala, you will be the engine that powers an exceptional student experience. You’ll be responsible for leading and executing various operational and relationship-building activities that ensure each student goes through an epic journey of growth, clarity, and confidence. You’ll be managing multiple batches, solving day-to-day issues, coordinating across stakeholders, and optimizing processes using tools and automation to minimize errors and delays.Specific responsibilities will include:

Program Management

• Taking charge of the entire learning expedition. Metric to Measure: % of students achieving key learning milestones
  
• Being the first point of contact for students, solving queries promptly and empathetically. Metric to Measure: Average response/resolution time; Student satisfaction with support
  
• Coordinating and executing live sessions and the overall schedule for students seamlessly. Metric to Measure: % of sessions conducted without errors or reschedules
  
• Liaising with internal and external stakeholders (trainers, leads, industry experts) to ensure aligned delivery. Metric to Measure: Timeliness and clarity of stakeholder tasks; Stakeholder feedback
  
• Closely tracking student progress using internal tools and offer personalized nudges/support. Metric to Measure: % of students receiving timely nudges/support
  

Process Optimization

• Identifying and improving inefficiencies in program delivery processes. Metric to Measure: # of processes optimized; measurable impact on delivery quality
  
• Leveraging automation tools and platforms (e.g., Notion, Zapier, etc.) to streamline workflows and reduce manual errors. Metric to Measure: % reduction in manual interventions; automation coverage across key steps
  

Some of your Monthly Outcomes for the first 4 months in this role:

Month 1:

• Understand Kraftshala’s program workflows, internal tools (Notion, Sheets, Slack), and the student journey end-to-end
  
• Shadow ongoing batches and support tasks like session scheduling, student communication, and progress tracking
  
• Build familiarity with common student queries and support responses
  
• Start documenting inefficiencies or gaps in delivery processes
  

Month 2:

• Independently manage all core delivery workflows for at least one batch (sessions, progress nudges, presentations)
  
• Begin managing student queries and issues directly, with minimal supervision
  
• Identify and propose at least one automation/process improvement with expected impact
  

Month 3:

• Own 2-3 batches independently: ensure smooth execution, stakeholder coordination, and high student satisfaction
  
• Drive and implement at least two process improvements with clear metrics (e.g., fewer manual steps, faster turnaround)
  
• Consistently hit KPIs on student support, batch operations, and delivery process reliability
  

Top Grading:

• Student-Centricity:

  An A-Player engages students with empathy and goes the extra mile to ensure a delightful experience, whereas a B-Player treats queries as tasks and lacks a personal connection.

• Value Additive Mindset:

  An A-Player constantly looks for opportunities to make each student interaction more meaningful - whether by connecting them to helpful resources, nudging them toward a breakthrough, or encouraging a growth mindset - and they don’t let internal processes or hierarchies stop them from doing what’s right for the student. In contrast, a B-Player sticks to solving only the stated problem and often lets rigid systems or reporting lines limit the support they provide.

• Proactiveness:

  A-Player anticipates and addresses problems before they affect students whereas a B-Player waits for students or stakeholders to raise issues before acting

• Ownership & Accountability:

  An A-Player takes full ownership of program delivery and doesn’t let things slip through the cracks, whereas a B-Player completes tasks but may drop follow-ups or need reminders.

• Process Thinking:

  An A-Player builds and improves scalable systems proactively, while a B-Player sticks to existing processes without questioning or optimizing them.

• Attention to Detail:

  An A-Player spots and fixes small issues before they escalate, while a B-Player misses details that can lead to errors or delays.

• Impactful Communication:

  An A-Player communicates clearly, promptly, and with context; a B-Player’s communication is often vague, delayed, or incomplete.

• Learning Agility:

  An A-Player regularly identifies and drives process improvements or automation, whereas a B-Player relies on existing systems and seldom suggests change.

Must Haves:

• 1-2 years of experience in managing students or program operations, ideally in an ed-tech organization. (We’re not fussed about the exact years of experience, as that’s just a proxy for your skill level.)
  
• Ability to manage independently in a fast-paced, in-office setup, with strong daily execution discipline
  
• Experience managing student escalations or delivering difficult feedback empathetically
  
• Structured documentation skills, especially for tracking batch progress, student data, and internal workflows
  
• Experience in cross-functional coordination, including with trainers, evaluators, and internal teams
  
• Hands-on proficiency with tools like MS Excel, PowerPoint, Google Sheets, Notion, Slack, and Zoom
  

Good-to-haves:

• Comfort working in non-hierarchical, high-trust teams, where initiative and clarity are valued over seniority
  
• Track record of process improvements or reducing delivery errors in operational roles
  

Selection Process:

As a small team, we must get to know each other before taking the leap. We want to ensure you succeed in your role within our team. Each conversation with us will last about 30-60 minutes. Typically the whole process takes between 7 - 10 business days depending on your and our schedules.

• Technical Exercise:

  This is a specific assessment designed to evaluate your fit for this role

• Setting Expectations:

  This will be a call to understand your profile briefly and share the details of the selection process.

• Conversation 1:

  This will be a detailed assessment review conversation with our Operations Lead to go over your submission for the technical exercise, along with other competencies required for the role.

• Conversation 2:

  This will be a conversation with our HR Lead wherein you can expect to be evaluated on the competencies needed for the job (mentioned above).

• Conversation 3:

  A conversation with our CEO to ensure that there is a fit with the Kraftshala Kode.

• Extending an offer:

  If all goes well, we will extend an offer that will mention the relevant details.

Location:

Delhi