Associate - SF - Livelihood

The Opportunity

We are seeking a highly motivated Associate to support the Transaction Management of the Skills Outcomes Fund (SOF), a ₹530 crore outcomes-based financing programme established in partnership with the National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) and the Government of India. Working closely with NSDC, the independent verification partners and other stakeholders, the Associate will support the programmes day-to-day governance and operations. The role offers hands-on experience operationalising a large-scale outcomes fund and applying outcomes-based financing in practice within India's skilling ecosystem.

Key Responsibilities

1.      Governance, Risk, Compliance & Safeguarding

• Support the establishment and ongoing functioning of the programme's governance framework, including preparing materials and tracking decisions and actions for Executive Committee and Steering Committee meetings.
• Support the design and maintenance of a comprehensive programme-level risk register covering programmatic, operational, financial, safeguarding and reputational risks, and monitor risks on a regular cadence, flagging early warnings to the relevant governance forums.
• Support monitoring of legal and compliance obligations on an ongoing basis, and coordinating with relevant stakeholder legal teams for timely resolution.
• Support the development of the programme's safeguarding framework and grievance redressal processes, and support the safeguarding committee in the investigation and resolution of any incidents.
• Maintain a log of key governance decisions, risk mitigation measures and compliance actions, and follow up on agreed actions across stakeholders.

2.      Stakeholder & Partner Management

• Manage day-to-day engagement and reporting with international philanthropic funders, including fulfilling reporting requirements outlined in relevant contracts.
• Support direct contracting with training providers, including conducting due diligence as required.
• Support the development and maintenance of a common communications framework, including agreed messaging, terminology and stakeholder communication protocols, to ensure consistent representation of the programme.
• Support resource mobilisation for the programme, including preparing funder-facing investment materials, coordinating engagement with prospective domestic and international philanthropic funders, and supporting funder due diligence.

3.      MEL & Verification Partner Management

• Support the selection and onboarding of the independent third-party verification (MEL) partner, and coordinate day-to-day engagement with the partner.
• Track the verification partner's outputs and outcome-verification batches against agreed timelines, flagging delays or quality issues as needed.
• Support supervision of the verification partner's on-ground verification activities, and coordinate dispute resolution processes in cases of evaluation challenges.
• Monitor the verification partner's performance against agreed service levels, and support periodic reporting on MEL outputs to Executive and Steering Committee.

4.      Learning and Institutionalization

• Support the design of systems-strengthening measures that enable future institutionalisation, including innovation pilots and technology-enabled monitoring and verification systems.
• Support the documentation and synthesis of learnings from the programme’s design and early implementation, translating implementation experience into practical insights for programme improvement.
• Coordinate with the Knowledge Partner to facilitate timely sharing of programme information, implementation updates and operational learnings, and contribute to knowledge products that document the Fund's design and approach.

5.      Programme Administration & Financial Management

• Undertake review of financial outcome-payment calculations, and support administration and processing of outcome-linked funding in accordance with approved calculations, contractual terms, donor restrictions and agreed fund-flow mechanisms.
• Support financial reporting to funders, maintenance of accounting records, reconciliations, financial controls, and compliance with applicable funding restrictions and contractual requirements.
• Monitor financial performance, fund utilisation, exceptions and control risks; support preparation of periodic financial insights and escalate material variances to the Senior Manager on the team.

Experience & Person Specification

Essential

• 3-5 years of professional experience in programme management, management consulting, international development, social finance, government advisory, or a related field.
• Experience managing or supporting complex programmes involving multiple stakeholders, with strong attention to detail and delivery against timelines.
• Strong analytical skills, with experience working with programme, operational or performance data and translating analysis into actionable insights.
• Experience developing high-quality reports, presentations, trackers, dashboards or other management materials for senior stakeholders.
• Strong project management and organisational skills, with the ability to manage multiple workstreams and deadlines simultaneously.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to work effectively with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently on defined areas of responsibility while contributing effectively to a wider team.
• Comfort working with contracts, budgets, financial reports or payment/disbursement calculations, with a keen eye for detail and accuracy.

Desirable

• Experience working with government or public sector institutions, particularly in India.
• Experience working with skilling, livelihoods, employment, entrepreneurship or education programmes.
• Familiarity with outcomes-based financing, results-based financing, impact bonds or other innovative financing models.
• Experience with monitoring, evaluation, verification or performance management systems.
• Experience working with large datasets, dashboards or financial/programme models.
• Experience supporting programme payments, grants, contracts or other performance-linked funding mechanisms.
• Familiarity with legal, risk or compliance frameworks in a programme, transaction or grant management context.
• Experience organising workshops, consultations or multi-stakeholder convenings.

Candidates from management consulting, public policy, development finance, international development, government advisory and other strategy-focused roles are encouraged to apply.