Job Title:
Senior Manager (Outreach Karigar, School of Applied Learning)
Reports to
: Co Founder
Location:
Pune, Maharashtra
Travel :
PAN India as per the need of the job role
Position Overview
Lend A Hand India (LAHI) is at the forefront of implementing India&aposs National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 through its groundbreaking initiatives. Two of those initiatives are Karigar School of Applied Learning and the mobile Skills on Wheels (SoW) fleet. With formal mandates from state governments to scale these models, we are looking for a dynamic Manager to drive on-ground execution and help bring hands-on, vocational education to millions of students. This Manager role is responsible for the end-to-end execution and expansion of Lend A Hand India&aposs skill education initiatives across multiple states. The core mandate involves launching and ensuring the smooth operation of Karigar hubs and Skills on Wheels mobile labs in strict adherence to government guidelines and SOPs. A critical component of the role is building and developing a high-performing pan-India field team through strategic recruitment, mentoring, and capacity building. The Manager will also drive operational excellence by monitoring KPIs, managing vendors, and engaging with government stakeholders and local communities to foster partnerships, generate demand, and showcase impactful success stories.
Lend A Hand Indias Mission
Equip School Students to Maximise Their Potential Through Skill Education
Our Approach
- Direct implementation in schools
- Partnership with central-state governments to define, and scale policy
- Building of Centres of Excellence that act as lighthouses for innovation
- Resource organisation for the skilling ecosystem
Our Knowledge In Action
Through the design & execution of innovative models from training centres, innovation hubs to mobile outreach initiatives, LAHIs innovative knowledge resource drives both grassroots learning and systemic transformation across India. With 250+ LAHI staff embedded in state education systems across 20+ states, we provide technical and project management support, enabling governments to translate policy into action.
Our Reach
LAHIs current scale of work includes -
- 20+ States and UTs
- 15000+ Schools
- 15 Lakh+ Students
- 250+ Team Members
What Truly Sets a Career at Lend A Hand India Apart:
- Work as a Systems Architect, not just an Implementer: You help build and refine the system itself, influencing policy and creating lasting change.
- Experience the thrill of scale with depth: See your ideas and efforts replicated across thousands of schools, impacting millions of students in a measurable way.
- Master Complex Collaboration: Gain unparalleled experience navigating and synergizing the worlds of government, corporate CSR, and community.
- Career with a Tangible Legacy: Your work directly creates skilled professionals, confident entrepreneurs, and a stronger national economy.
- Investment in you: We offer competitive compensation, comprehensive support, robust benefits and a culture that actively champions your professional development and holistic well-being.
Why This Role Matters
The National Education Policy 2020 makes hands-on vocational education a compulsory, credit-bearing component for every school child in India. Lend A Hand India (LAHI) already operates the award-winning Karigar School of Applied Learning, dubbed the Disneyland for Skills, in Pune, and the mobile Skills on Wheels fleet that brings fully equipped skill labs to hard-to-reach schools across ten states. With formal mandates now secured from SCERT Maharashtra to replicate five Karigar hubs statewide and from Samagra Shiksha Andhra Pradesh to co-design four Centres of Excellence serving 1,578 schools and 2.5 lakh learners, the next two years will decide whether India can translate NEP2020 from policy to practice at scale.
Why Karigar & Skills On Wheels Matter
Karigar is a first-of-its-kind skills hub that transforms theoretical knowledge into practical expertise for thousands, making working with hands aspirational and universal.Skills on Wheels breaks barriers to access, bringing multi-sector skill labs on wheels to remote and resource-limited schools, becoming Indias most visible mobile skills movement.Both directly address NEP2020s vision for integrated, hands-on, vocational learning for every child, every district.
Mission & Scope
Senior Manager will architect, launch and operate every new Karigar hub in Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh and at least six additional states, while doubling the annual reach of the Skills on Wheels fleet. The brief demands corporate-style expansion speed, rigorous SOPs, and bold brand buildingexactly the arenas where your 24-year record in pan-India retail roll-outs, P&L ownership and OGSM discipline gives you a head-start.
Core Responsibilities
State Expansion & Replication:
- Launch five Karigar hubs across Maharashtra within 24 months, meeting SCERT infrastructure and curriculum specifications.
- Co-design four Karigar-inspired CoEs across APincluding lab layouts, equipment lists and trainer capacity-buildingin partnership with Samagra Shiksha (government letter referenced).
- Create a plug-and-play blueprint for additional states; target six new state MoUs by FY 26.
Operational Excellence & SOPs
- Codify every elementfrom site selection to tool procurementinto scalable SOPs.
- Institute OGSM frameworks, weekly dashboards and P&L rigour, mirroring best practices from OnePlus and Samsung experience.
Team & Vendor Ecosystem
- Recruit 50+ cross-functional staff (project managers, trainers, field ops, mobile-unit drivers) across multiple states; embed leadership pipelines.
- Forge vendor panels for civil works, tools and IT labs; drive cost optimization without compromising quality.
Brand, Marketing & Advocacy
- Position each Karigar hub as the regional Disneyland for Skills through high-voltage ATL/BTL campaigns, school immersion days and influencer tie-upsleveraging Skills on Wheels for pre-launch buzz.[5][6]
- Showcase success stories to central ministries, CSR boards and media; secure ??25+ crore CSR inflow tied to measurable NEP2020 outcomes.
Impact & Reporting
- Achieve 250,000 student exposures in Year 1 across all formats; double year-on-year.
- Ensure >90% trainer certification rates and >80% student competency attainment, independently assessed
Requirements
Minimum Qualifications & Experience
- A Masters degree in Business Administration, Operations Management, Education Technology, or a related field.
- A proven track record of 15+ years in leadership roles with direct responsibility for:
- Retail Expansion & Operations: Expertise in scaling multi-site operations, including both permanent and mobile formats.
- P&L Management: Full ownership of business unit profitability and financial sustainability.
- Team Building & Leadership: Experience building, mentoring, and leading high-performing, multi-disciplinary teams.
- Demonstrated experience in creating and implementing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and leadership development programs
- Experience working on large-scale projects with direct, measurable targets and calendar-driven deliverables.
Preferred Skills & Attributes
- Strategic Vision & Operational Excellence
- Innovation & Scalability
- Stakeholder Engagement & Influence
- Marketing & Outreach Acumen
- Driven by Impact
- Financial Acumen
- Adaptability
If youre ready to move from conventional retail and operations to national mission modewhile maximizing the impact of your leadership, operational know-how, and strategic visionthis is your next challenge. Lead Indias skill empowerment revolution!
Benefits
This role will empower you to:
- Utilize Your Vast Experience:
- Deploy your proven strengths in retail expansion, operational excellence, team building, and strategic marketingacross both permanent and mobile education formats.
- Leverage expertise in SOP creation and leadership development to scale national models in skill education, directly aligned with NEP2020.
- Drive Projects of National Importance:
- Be the architect of Indias largest and most innovative hands-on learning and outreach programs, impacting millions and shaping policy on vocational education.
- True Ownership & Leadership:
- Lead a multi-disciplinary team and a pioneering social impact initiative with full autonomy, direct calendar-driven targets, and national visibility.
- Build on your legacy of success in sales, operations, and retail by bringing applied learning to every corner of Indiaurban and rural alike.
- Creativity & Innovation:
- Transform cutting-edge educational models into scalable, practical solutions; translate operational frameworks into social impact metrics.
- Be Recognized As A National Changemaker:
- Shape policy and practice, feature in national media and sector forums, and leave an indelible mark on the implementation of NEP2020.
