JOB DESCRIPTION
Associate Program Manager - Industry Engagement
Location: Bangalore, Karnataka
Role Purpose:
The Associate Manager– Career Transitions will anchor the regional strategy for meaningful work transitions across ITIs and VTIs inthe state. The role is designed as a systems and ecosystem-building function focused on strengthening institutional placement systems, industry engagement architecture, and emerging livelihood pathways for youth.
The role will work across the learner transition journey:
Career Exploration → Decision Making → Career Readiness → Work Transition
The position will primarily focus on:
Regional labour market and ecosystem strategy
Institutional systems strengthening
Employer and ecosystem partnerships
Government and stakeholder engagement
Building sustainable transition models beyond direct placement activities
While the role will support execution of transition-related activities where required, the primary expectation is to build long-term institutional and ecosystem capacity rather than directly manage day-to-day placement operations.
The role requires a strong balance of strategic thinking, ecosystem engagement, stakeholder management, and regional ownership.
About the Role
The Associate Manager– Career Transitions will anchor the regional strategy for meaningful work transitions across ITIs and VTIs inKarnataka. The role is designed as a systems and ecosystem-building function focused on strengthening institutional placement systems, industry engagement architecture, and emerging livelihood pathways for youth.
The role will work across the learner transition journey:
Career Exploration → Decision Making → Career Readiness → Work Transition
The position will primarily focus on:
Regional labour market and ecosystem strategy
Institutional systems strengthening
Employer and ecosystem partnerships
Government and stakeholder engagement
Building sustainable transition models beyond direct placement activities
While the role will support execution of transition-related activities where required, the primary expectation is to build long-term institutional and ecosystem capacity rather than directly manage day-to-day placement operations.
The role requires a strong balance of strategic thinking, ecosystem engagement, stakeholder management, and regional ownership.
Key Responsibilities:
1. Regional Strategy and Ecosystem Development (Primary Responsibility – 35%)
Anchor the regional work transition strategy for Karnataka aligned with labour market realities and institutional needs.
Identify emerging employment sectors, industry clusters, green jobs, and entrepreneurship opportunities relevant to youth transitions.
Build regional pathways for industry engagement, apprenticeships, self-employment, and career transitions.
Develop long-term employer and ecosystem partnerships to strengthen institutional transition systems.
Support state and institutional stakeholders in moving from activity-based placements to structured transition systems.
Contribute to strategic planning, regional reviews, and program design discussions related to meaningful work transitions.
2. Institutional Systems Strengthening (20%)
Strengthen institutional capacity for placement and career transition systems across ITIs and VTIs.
Support institutes in developing sustainable placement cells, employer engagement mechanisms, and alumni tracking systems.
Build the capacity of Placement Officers, trainers, and institutional leadership on transition planning and industry engagement.
Support adoption of digital systems and data-driven approaches for transition tracking and employer engagement.
Enable institutions to independently manage placement and transition functions over time.
3. Employer and Stakeholder Engagement (15%)
Build and maintain relationships with employers, industry bodies, sector skill organizations, and ecosystem actors.
Facilitate strategic partnerships for apprenticeships, recruitment, exposure opportunities, and emerging livelihood pathways.
Engage with government stakeholders, NGOs, and regional partners to strengthen ecosystem ownership.
Represent Quest Alliance in regional ecosystem forums, industry engagements, and stakeholder consultations where required.
4. Transition Activities and Program Execution (20%)
Support coordination of placement drives, job fairs, industry visits, and transition-related activities in collaboration with institutional stakeholders.
Provide implementation support for pilot initiatives related to entrepreneurship, green livelihoods, and career transition models.
Support periodic reviews and tracking of institutional transition activities.
Ensure timely coordination with internal teams and regional stakeholders for execution priorities.
5. Team Coordination, Learning and Reporting (10%)
Support associate-level team members, interns, or fellows contributing to transition-related work.
Document regional learnings, ecosystem insights, and transition models.
Contribute to reporting, program reviews, and organizational learning systems.
Ensure adherence to organizational processes and monitoring systems.
Non-Negotiable Skills
Strategic Ecosystem Building: Ability to build long-term partnerships and transition ecosystems involving industry, institutions, and government stakeholders.
Labour Market and Regional Understanding: Strong understanding of employment trends, regional industries, and emerging livelihood pathways.
Institutional Systems Strengthening: Ability to strengthen placement and transition systems within training institutions.
Stakeholder and Government Engagement: Ability to work across government systems, industry bodies, and multi-stakeholder environments.
Strategic Program Management: Ability to balance regional ownership, planning, coordination, and execution within complex program environments.
Experience
Minimum 5–7 years of experience in:
youth employability
skilling and vocational education
workforce development
industry engagement
transition or livelihood programs
Demonstrated experience in:
stakeholder management
ecosystem partnerships
institutional capacity building
strategic program coordination
Experience working with government systems, ITIs, VTIs, or workforce ecosystems preferred.
Salary: The pay band for the position starts at Rs. 66,000/- per month (cost to company) (The salary offered will be commensurate with the experience and expertise of the candidate)
To Apply
Interested candidates are requested to apply for the role by filling up the application form given here.
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About Quest:
A social impact organization with close to two decades of experience, Quest Alliance works at the intersection of technology and future skills to make learning more equitable and relevant, especially for socially and economically vulnerable learners. The organization influences systems to empower young learners in government high schools and trade and vocational institutes to holistically navigate their education to career transitions.
Skills Required
- 5+ years of relevant experience in placements, employability programs, or vocational education ecosystems
- Prior experience working with ITIs, Polytechnics, or training partners
- Fluency in Kannada (spoken and written)
- Working knowledge of monitoring and evaluation (M&E) frameworks and tools
- High data accuracy and management of databases
- Collaborative working style across teams and partners
What We Do
Quest Alliance is a not-for-profit trust focused on research-led innovation and advocacy in teaching and learning, equipping young people with 21st-century skills through technology-enabled self-learning experiences.
