Senior Manager - Rural Programs

Work location: MP: Indore or Maharashtra: Nandurbar

About Udhyam

Udhyam Learning Foundation (Udhyam) is on a mission towards Making Bharat Entrepreneurial. We believe that entrepreneurship is a powerful way to channelize an individual's potential. Entrepreneurship enables agency and allows an individual to work on their strengths while creating value for the world.

Our programs

• Udhyam Vyapaar focuses on nano businesses in India, and solving large problems faced by them, at scale; having already enabled an income uplift for close to 10,000 entrepreneurs.

• Udhyam Shiksha works on developing entrepreneurial mindsets among the youth and enabling them to achieve their potential, having impacted ~40,00,000 learners across 12 Indian states.
  
  

The goal for Udhyam is to build a thriving and supportive ecosystem, where every individual feels empowered to define their own path.

Udhyam Vyapaar is working with Nano Entrepreneurs in the rural segment, mainly women and helping them with their businesses. Once the nature of the business is understood, various templatised solutions in terms of Sourcing, Market Linkage, Innovative practices and Business centric training are conducted with the ultimate goal of income increase and entrepreneurial mindset creation so that the business becomes sustainable in the long run. While typical engagements vary anywhere from 3 -9 months per Vyapaari, there is also extended support provided to those with further growth potential.. Currently this program is running across multiple villages in a few districts in MP and MH. 

About the Role

The Senior Manager – Rural Programs owns Udhyam Vyapaar’s field delivery and its impact. You will lead a large field team, set program strategy, manage the budget, and ensure that every engagement leads to measurable income and mindset outcomes for Vyapaaris. You will also represent the program to partners, funders and government stakeholders, using data and technology to guide decisions.

Key Responsibilities

1. Operational strategy and impact

• Translate the organisation’s overall direction and funder commitments into operational plans, targets and rollout for MP and MH.

• Own impact outcomes: income increase, business sustainability and entrepreneurial mindset.

• Use field data to refine solution templates and decide where and how to scale.

2. Program management and operations

• Oversee delivery of vyapaari engagements across sourcing, market linkage, innovative practices and training.

• Set SOPs, quality standards and review rhythms across districts.

• Coordinate between field and solutioning teams

3. Team leadership

• Lead, coach and grow a large field team, including hiring, goal-setting and performance reviews.

4. Budget management

• Plan and track the program budget, and keep the cost per Vyapaari within target.

5. Data and technology

• Work with data and tech teams on MIS, dashboards and field tools, and use them to drive decisions.

6. Stakeholder management

• Manage relationships with funders, partners, local government and market partners, and report progress and impact to them.

What You Bring

• 10+ years of experience in rural development, livelihoods, microenterprise or inclusive-business programs or entrepreneurial experience , including 5+ years managing large field teams.

• Experience running programs for women or other underserved groups, or in rural markets, supply chains or market linkages.

• Empathy and ability to work with field teams and rural communities

• Strong analytical skills and comfort with data, dashboards and technology tools.

• Strong inter personal and  stakeholder management skills.

• Excellent communication skills in English (verbal and written) and ability to speak, read and write in Hindi and/or Marathi] 

• Willingness to travel regularly and frequently to villages in MP and MH as well as other markets 

• Problem solving mindset, ability to navigate challenges and arrive at solutions