Chief Executive Officer

ABOUT THE COMPANY

Gram Tarang Employability Training Services (GTET) is a social entrepreneurial outreach of Centurion University of Technology & Management (CUTM) setup in partnership with National Skill Development Corporation in 2009 working towards a vision of inclusive & outcome-oriented skills for youth, especially those at the bottom of the pyramid. As one of the leading organizations in the skilling ecosystem, GTET has skilled 500,000+ youth across a wide range of industry sectors and job roles since inception. A pioneer and a disruptor in the vocational education space, CUTM & GTET’s unique ‘teaching, training, production’ model of providing youth hands on learning through industry exposure combined with live, on campus production centers has been commended world-wide by UN agencies, British Council, ADB, World Bank, NITI Aayog, EY, KPMG & the McKinsey’s Generation Foundation and over time, GTET has become a reference point in the skills landscape.

The GTET team of 300+ operate out of 15 centers in 10 states. The leadership team has top-notch professionals who have worked world-wide from sectors as diverse as manufacturing, management consulting, analytics, energy, education & consulting. The founding team and the current leadership bring a wide range of enterprise management skills to their shared vision of creating an educational framework which empowers all.

CUTM & GTET has also developed expertise in skilling for Industry 4.0 and offers hands-on, experiential learning in collaboration with leading industry partners like Dassault, Unity, AWS, Bosch, Schneider etc., and also operates production units in electric vehicles and transformer manufacturing apart from working with CUTM in drone based last mile services for the agriculture sector. GTET had identified these verticals as the next enabler and sees accelerated demand for its manufacturing & future skills vertical. For recharting the growth trajectory, GTET is looking for a leader who can rapidly grow the verticals and drive growth for the company. GTET is seeking a leader who shares this vision and also brings entrepreneurial passion and drive to deliver technology-enabled learning solutions to our customers. The new member will have full operational freedom and be backed up by GTETs current board.

JOB ROLE & LOCATION: Chief Executive Officer based out of Bhubaneswar 

JOB DESCRIPTION

The ideal candidate will lead the strategic, operational and financial direction of Gram Tarang, ensuring profitable growth in the various strategic business units of GTET namely

1) Paid or Student Fee Based Courses

2) Industry Skilling & CSR

3) Govt. Skilling

4) NSQF Schools

5) Production

6) Future Skills.

The role will largely focus on GTET’s building new revenue streams in verticals 5 & 6 namely Production (Electric Vehicles, Transformers, Apparel, CNC & Woodwork/Fabrication) & Future skills training programs, such as VR/AR, robotics, AI, automation, automotive diagnostics, AWS etc. while strengthening the company’s relationships with government bodies, regulatory agencies, and industry partners.

It will also involve managing the existing government projects like PMKVY, DDU GKY, OSDA etc. at the various centers. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in technology, marketing and sales to increase revenues from emerging skill courses, along with experience in implementing government programs and working within the Indian skilling ecosystem. Particularly, experience in production environment with Engineer-to-order products having high complexity and moderate volumes with a proven track record in improvement in quality and delivery speed along with cost cutting and efficiency improvement. Preference for expertise in inventory control, lead-time reduction, cost reduction and waste minimization.

Responsibilities

1. Strategic Leadership across the company’s verticals

1. Execute the company’s strategy aligned to its mission & vision of skilling youth for employability & self-employment
2. Lead the company’s growth in future skills such as VR/AR, robotics, automation, embedded systems, AI, and machine learning.
3. Expand and scale the company’s manufacturing capacity and improve profitabiltiy of the various production units transformers, electric vehicles, woodwork & apparel to drive revenue growth.
4. Identify new courses, programs & verticals for growth

2. Operational Management:

1. Oversee the implementation of skill development programs, ensuring alignment with industry needs and maintaining high placement rates for trainees.
2. Manage production units, ensuring operational efficiency, product quality, and market competitiveness.
3. Lead business development efforts for future skills courses, ensuring alignment with emerging trends in Industry 4.0.

3. Government & Regulatory Engagement:

1. Navigate the Indian education and skilling regulatory landscape comprising NSDC, NCVET, State & Central government schemes, SSCs etc. and ensuring compliance with policies and standards.
2. Manage relationships with government bodies, implementing programs and schemes that align with GTET’s objectives.
3. Ensure the successful execution of government-backed initiatives and schemes, maximizing their impact on rural or student communities.

4. Marketing & Sales:

1. Develop and execute a strong marketing strategy to promote the company’s future skills programs and training centers.
2. Drive sales and business development initiatives to increase revenue from courses in VR/AR, robotics, AI, and other advanced skills areas.
3. Build and maintain partnerships with corporate clients, industry leaders, and training bodies to enhance GTET’s market presence.
4. Build a pipeline of external orders for the various production units.

5. Financial & Stakeholder Management:

1. Oversee financial planning, budgeting, and revenue growth, ensuring the company’s sustainability.
2. Manage key relationships with industry partners, government bodies, and other stakeholders to enhance the company’s impact and visibility.

6. People & Culture:

1. Build, Mentor & Lead a diverse team, fostering a culture of innovation, inclusivity, and high performance.
2. Ensure the company’s training programs remain inclusive, benefiting women, marginalized communities, and the differently abled.

Minimum Qualifications

1. A technical or engineering background with a management degree from a reputed business school.
2. Minimum 16 years of leadership experience across various functions & domains, with stints in production / manufacturing, sales & marketing & training
3. Minimum 8 years of experience in training, skill development, or EdTech.
4. Minimum 5 years of experience in manufacturing
5. In-depth knowledge of the Indian education and skilling regulatory environment and experience with government programs and scheme implementation.
6. Strong marketing and sales skills, with proven ability to drive growth
7. Exposure & understanding of future skills areas such as VR/AR, robotics, automation, embedded systems, AI, Analytics etc..

Expected Attributes

1. Non negotiable in terms of integrity & ethics
2. An execution focused leader with a passion for skill development, social impact and real world problem solving.
3. Ability to manage multiple stakeholders and grapple with complex environments
4. Strong business acumen with a deep understanding of industrial trends, future skills, and the Indian skilling landscape.
5. Hands-on, results-oriented, with the ability to drive innovation and achieve measurable outcomes.
6. Able to take on and deliver targets in a high pressure environment
7. Excellent leadership, stakeholder management, people management skills and understanding of finance & accounts
8. Strong IT Skills and ability to work with spreadsheets & MS powerpoint

COMPENSATION: Competitive salary with performance-based incentives, commensurate with experience and impact.