Associate Manager - Industry Engagement & Work Transition - Bangalore

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 â Decision Making â Career Readiness â 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 in Kerala, Tamil Nadu & Karnataka. 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 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:

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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 involving industry, institutions, or government stakeholders.
• Labour Market and Regional Understanding: Strong understanding of employment trends, regional industries, and emerging livelihood pathways.
• Stakeholder and Government Engagement: Ability to work across government systems, industry bodies, and multi-stakeholder environments.
• Cross Functional Collaboration: Demonstrated experience in working with cross functional teams to deliver on program objectives.
  
  

Experience

• 5-6+ years of experience in:
• youth employability
• skilling and vocational education
• workforce development
• industry engagement
• livelihood programs
• Demonstrated experience in:
• stakeholder management
• ecosystem partnerships
• capacity building
• cross functional collaboration
• 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)