Program Lead, Insight, Livelihood Program, Wardha, Maharashtra

Duration: Fixed Term Contract for 12 months (can be extended and regularized based on program requirements)

About The/Nudge:

is an action institute building resilient livelihoods to alleviate poverty. We work with women, farmers, tribals and youth on rural development, agriculture, skilling and economic inclusion, along with 15+ central and state government partners.

Our economic inclusion journey for 25 million Indians, has reached 10 states with $250M of government funding to cover 1.25M people. Our incubator, accelerator and grand challenges have supported 200+ social entrepreneurs including 17 Forbes 30U30, 3 EarthShot Prize winners, 1 Time Magazine cover and more.

support from 90+ eminent philanthropists , 40+ corporates and 15+ foundations including Gates, Mackenzie Scott, Vinod Khosla, Nandan Nilekani, Tata Trusts, Skoll, Meta, LinkedIn, HDFC, Mphasis, KPMG and L'Oreal, we are contributing towards a "poverty-free India, within our lifetime".

About Insight Program :

Who are we solving for?

We are solving for millions of adults in India-especially in rural communities, living with uncorrected presbyopia, a near-vision impairment affecting 1 in 3 people over 30. Without timely access to simple solutions like reading glasses, they face barriers to work and income, despite evidence showing such interventions can boost productivity by 34% and income by 20%.

What are we solving for?

Millions in India experience uncorrected presbyopia, a near-vision impairment affecting one in three people over 30, with cases now appearing as early as 35. Globally, presbyopia is the most common cause of vision impairment, impacting over 800 million people. In India alone, 300 million people live with this condition, contributing to $14 billion in lost productivity each year.

For many, especially in rural communities, clear near vision is essential for work and daily activities. Without access to timely solutions, individuals may face challenges in earning a livelihood. However, studies from Assam and Bangladesh show that a simple intervention—reading glasses—can increase productivity by 34% and boost income by 20%.

Despite the clear benefits, several factors have made it difficult for people to access reading glasses at scale:

With only one trained optometrist per 180,000 people, access to professional eye care remains a challenge in many areas.

Many individuals aren't aware that their near-vision difficulties can be easily corrected, and some hesitate to wear glasses due to social and cultural perceptions.

Bringing reading glasses to remote and rural areas requires innovative and community-driven approaches to ensure affordability and reach.

Through , The/Nudge Institute is collaborating with central and state governments to make India presbyopia-free using a community-led model.

What will you do:

The/Nudge is working with the Government of Maharashtra to help enable access to affordable near vision glasses by targeting people above the age of 35, mainly in rural areas. As part of this effort, a State Project Management Unit (SPMU) is being set up at Wardha, Maharashtra, to help the Government to design and implement a program for screening & distribution of near vision glasses. This position is for the SPMU at Wardha, Maharashtra.

Key Responsibilities:

• To understand and practice the Spirit of The/Nudge Institute
• Ensure all project activities are implemented on time with utmost quality as per approved Project Implementation Plan (PIP)/ Standard Operating Procedure (SoP)/ in the respective districts.
• Coordinate with District and Block offices to ensure smooth implementation of the project.
• Support the community cadre on training, procurement, screening & distribution of near vision glasses.
• Coordinate and facilitate in organizing the capacity building training of the project team and community cadre.
• Coordinate and lead in organizing any project related event at the regional and district.
• Coordinate and support in any field visits of dignitaries and officials.
• Ensure timely planning and implementation of project activities.
• Ensure proper documentation and reporting related to the project to respective offices.
• Facilitate the Timely collection/ entry, processing and reporting of data.
• Support and practice Monitoring & Evaluation of the project.
• Good stakeholder management at the grassroots level.

Qualifications and Skills:

• Must be a graduate/post-graduate will be preferred, in relevant streams like rural development, rural management, Healthcare, social work etc.
• Must have 6+ years of relevant experience in the development sector/ rural development projects/ healthcare projects/ livelihood projects.
• Work experience working in district-level positions in National Health Mission or any other healthcare Institution and managing projects operations, building, capacity building, social development will be preferred.
• Must have her/his own mode of transport with a valid driving license as it is a field role
• Must be fluent in English and Hindi

What's in it for you?

• Own your growth: An impact-led learning environment encourages Nudgesters to invest in their learning and capacity building needs through initiatives and policies, including L&D wallet, individual development plan and internal role change opportunities.
• Find your tribe: Our hiring philosophy emphasises intent, attitude, smarts and skills, in that order, to build a cohesive environment for Nudgesters. The organisation is committed to curating people-centric policies, enhancing how employees experience life at The/Nudge.
• Take big bets: Organisational initiatives are intended to facilitate Nudgesters with a view to the big picture, illustrated by our impact across households, 15+ governments, 200+ social enterprises and Charcha: India's largest social sector convening forum.
• Make it happen: A product-based approach in an action-biased environment empowers Nudgesters to implement audacious plans. Driven to fail fast, we endeavour to optimise resources in favour of programs that align with our scale ambition.

You can learn more about what we do and how we do it through this

We aspire to be an inclusive and diverse organization and encourage qualified individuals irrespective of their religion, caste, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, ethnicity, age, or any other dimension of identity, to apply.