Program Associate

At Quest Alliance, we transform learning ecosystems through education technology, capacity building, and collaboration to build 21st-century skills for learners and facilitators.

We are a not-for-profit trust that focuses on research-led innovation and advocacy in the field of teaching and learning. We engage with educators, civil society, government institutions, and corporate organizations to demonstrate and enable scalable and replicable solutions in school education and vocational training.

At Quest, you will get the opportunity to apply your skills and contribute to addressing issues around quality education and skills training. The organization gives you the space to learn and grow in a fun and engaging environment. We have an eclectic group of people working at Quest drawn from diverse disciplines, including Education, Technology, Design, Youth Development, and Business.

The Program Associate will support the effective implementation of the Women & Work (W&W) program across select Women ITIs/NSTIs in Tamil Nadu. The role focuses on enabling system-level change by strengthening employability skills training, supporting placement efforts, driving industry engagement, and ensuring quality delivery aligned with LEF (Leadership, Evidence, Flexibility) principles. The associate will work closely with government stakeholders, institute staff, and facilitators to build local capacities, promote inclusive strategies, and support blended learning initiatives.

Key Responsibilities:

• Ensure quality implementation of employability skills training across Women ITIs/NSTIs in Tamil Nadu.
  

• Guide ESTs and trainers in curriculum delivery, session planning, and building institute-level ownership.
  

• Coordinate with the LE team for training design inputs and post-training follow-up.
  

• Ensure Career Development sessions are delivered as per institute schedules.
  

• Support the rollout of Self-Employment Programs and maintain the mobile phone library in Women ITIs.
  

• Build strong working relationships with RJDs, Principals, ADs, POs, MTs, and ESTs in the assigned region.
  

• Enable system stakeholders to mainstream employability training, industry engagement, and gender-inclusion strategies through regular engagement.
  

• Participate in and help coordinate review meetings (monthly/quarterly) with institute stakeholders.
  

• Support the implementation of Career Connect and placement-related activities.
  

• Ensure the activation and continuity of Career Clubs and placement cells within institutes.
  

• Document learnings from industry engagement and share them with the broader program team.
  

• Support timely data collection for enrollments, sessions, placements, and other program activities.
  

• Ensure data quality in dashboards and center sheets and help institute teams interpret and use data effectively.
  

• Work closely with the M&E team to support assessments (baseline, end-line) and document insights through reports or case studies.
  

• Collaborate with the regional team, LE team, and placement leads to ensure alignment of activities with the overall state strategy.
  

• Participate in pilot initiatives such as design experiments and blended learning innovations.
  

• Document program processes and share insights that inform state-level strategies.
  

• Graduate/Postgraduate in Social Work, Education, Development Studies, or related fields.
  

• 2–4 years of relevant experience in program implementation, facilitation, or youth development work.
  

• Experience working with government institutions, vocational training ecosystems, or skilling programs preferred.
  

• Strong coordination, documentation, and stakeholder management skills.
  

• Proficiency in Tamil and working knowledge of English is essential.
  

Required Attributes :

• Program coordination and field-level implementation
  

• Stakeholder engagement and relationship management
  

• Communication and facilitation skills
  

• Monitoring, data management, and reporting
  

• Problem-solving and adaptability
  

• Gender sensitivity and inclusion orientation
  

Salary: The pay band for the position starts at Rs. 30,000/- per month (cost to company) (The salary offered will be commensurate with the experience and expertise of the candidate)