Junior Program Manager

About Us:

Good Business Lab is an independent, non-profit labor innovation company. We use rigorous academic research to prove that worker well-being programs have business impacts. We develop market-ready, scalable interventions that benefit both workers and businesses. Our goal is to disrupt the traditional notion of business and show that worker well-being can be a good business practice.

The founders of the lab are Ach Adhvaryu - Professor of Economics and Director of 21st Century India Center at the School of Global Policy and Strategy, UC San Diego (www.achadhvaryu.com), Anant Ahuja-head of Organization Development at Shahi Exports Pvt. Ltd., and Anant Nyshadham- Assistant Professor of Business Economics and Public Policy at the University of Michigan (www.anantnyshadham.com).

Role Summary:

The Junior Program Manager will support the planning, coordination, and execution of project deliverables under the Women’s Economic Advancement project currently underway in partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), the Automotive Components Manufacturers Association of India (ACMA) and the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM). The project focuses on improving women’s participation in paid work, retention, and growth in the automotive sector through a holistic approach focused on conducting diagnostic research, designing solutions, evaluating interventions, and disseminating the results at scale. This role requires excellent organizational, communication, and stakeholder coordination skills and strong attention to detail to ensure smooth project implementation.

We are actively looking to host people from underrepresented and marginalized backgrounds. If comfortable, please share your social location in your application. This information will be limited to the hiring team (not more than four people) and will not have any detrimental impact on your candidature.

Roles & Responsibilities:

Firm Partner Management:

• Manage five automotive firm partners based in Delhi NCR and Mumbai/Pune
• Customize engagement approaches for different partner firm contexts, ensuring alignment with project goals.
• Regularly engage with partner Points of Contact (POCs) to coordinate meetings, handle data requests, approve field visits, and facilitate social media approvals.
• Manage the dissemination of project deliverables and help plan the dissemination process with partner firms.
• Oversee plant selection, data requirement discussions, and outcome-focused conversations with partners.
• Participate in problem validation and solutions workshops with stakeholders.

Monitor Implementation of Interventions:

• Collaborate with the research team to develop the intervention implementation plan and support firm relationships during pilot implementation and impact evaluation.
• Oversee pilot program planning and execution, ensuring adherence to project goals, timelines, quality standards, and budget.
• Facilitate feedback loops with pilot teams and stakeholders to incorporate lessons learned.
• Liaise with firms and provide advisory support to the DT team to implement recommendations.

Development of Deliverables:

• Develop work plans for deliverables and Project Reports, and allocate tasks across project teams.
• Collaborate with teams to draft and develop deliverables, proactively addressing any challenges.
• Ensure that internal stakeholders are kept updated on project progress.
• Ensure deliverables meet quality standards and comply with project requirements.
• Highlight key project milestones in relevant forums to ensure visibility

Budget & Resource Management:

• Monitor project expenditures, track budget deviations, and report financial updates to relevant stakeholders.
• Implement a change control process to handle modifications to project scope, timelines, or resources.

Programmatic Support for Gender Champions Consortium Convenings:

• Develop and strategize the delivery of high-quality sessions for the Gender Champions Consortium.
• Oversee the planning, coordination, and execution of Consortium convenings, ensuring alignment with program objectives and timelines.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to ensure active participation and engagement in the sessions.
• Monitor the success of convenings and gather feedback to ensure continuous improvement.

Team Management:

• Guide the Project Associate and other project team members, ensuring they understand their roles and responsibilities.
• Allocate tasks effectively based on team strengths and project needs, ensuring balanced workloads and optimal efficiency.

Documentation and Reporting:

• Maintain accurate and up-to-date documentation on project schedules, status reports, and meeting notes.
• Prepare and present regular project reports to stakeholders, focusing on progress, risks, and upcoming milestones.

Any other tasks or responsibilities as needed to ensure the successful completion of the project and meet evolving project needs.

Skills and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field (e.g., Business Administration, Project Management, Public Policy, or Social Sciences). Advanced degrees or certifications (e.g., PMP, PRINCE2) are a plus.
• 2–4 years of experience in project coordination, program management, or a similar role, ideally within a non-profit, social impact, or consulting environment.
• Proven ability to work effectively with cross-functional teams and manage various project components.
• Hands-on experience in planning and executing events or workshops, especially with diverse or cross-cultural groups, is advantageous.
• Familiarity with project management tools (e.g., Asana, Trello, MS Project) is beneficial.
• Skilled in report preparation and presentation, with proficiency in MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and basic data visualization.

Also, we know it’s tough, but please try to avoid the confidence gap. You don’t have to match all the listed requirements exactly to be considered for this role.

What should you be comfortable with?

• A dynamic environment with competing priorities.
• Working within a global team with shared responsibilities.
• Independently coordinating with coworkers to accomplish goals.
• Being resourceful in new environments and scenarios.
• Problem-solving in high-pressure environments.

Type of Engagement: Fixed term (till March 2026 with possible extension)

Location - Delhi NCR (preferable) /Mumbai

Remuneration - 13-15 LPA (based on experience)

Start Date - ASAP

Perks of working with us

There are plenty of benefits at GBL, here are some examples:

• Flexible leave policy:Time away from work can be extremely helpful for maintaining a healthy work/life balance. GBL encourages managers and leadership to set the example by taking time off when needed and ensuring their team members do the same. We don't have a strict limit on paid leaves, only suggested (extremely liberal) averages. 
• Flexible working hours: We recognize that a better work-life balance can improve employee motivation, performance, productivity, and reduce stress. The basis of our norms pertaining to this is a system of trust in each other and our common goals.
• GBL Care Systems:As an organization, we are committed to ensuring the wellbeing of our team members and creating a thriving work environment- because that gives us, together, the best chance at achieving our shared mission and sparking joy at work. We do this by partnering with organizations such The Mindclan, Therapize among others for workshops and other wellbeing-related initiatives. 
• Growth-oriented review policy:To foster collaboration, we have adopted regular reviews and check-ins among team members. We see a manager's role beyond what is expected from them by conventional management thinkers. Apart from delivering high-quality work, managers are responsible for the holistic development of their team members. This can be achieved through practices inspired by coaching philosophy.

Additional benefits

• Wellbeing budget: This includes an individual budget for each team member that they can claim reimbursement for things such as therapy, any physical-health related activity and home office setup. Additionally, there's a separate budget for Managers for care packages or any other team activities. There's also a budget for our People Operations team to organize team-wide activities or provide mental health services in collaboration with organizations like Therapize and Mindclan.
• Informal virtual and in-person hangs and activities!

Recent projects and blog posts:

To acclimatize yourself with some of our work, you can read our blog posts on Medium, and also go through our LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

The process:

We are glad you’re interested in applying for this role! Here is an excerpt on the screening process overview which can take upto 6-8 weeks.

1. CV screening
2. First round of interview
3. Take-home assignment 
4. Presentation of Assignment if shortlisted + Final Interview

Depending on the candidate pool, we may add any additional interviews to make a well thought through decision.

Our Commitment to Diversity

GBL is an equal-opportunity employer, welcoming all qualified applicants regardless of race, color, nationality, religion, sexual orientation, gender, age, disability, or employment history. We celebrate diversity and provide an inclusive, supportive environment with benefits like insurance and travel allowance. As a young, growing company, we offer opportunities for innovation, role diversity, and professional growth.

If you need accommodation during recruitment, please let us know.

By applying, you accept GBL’s Privacy Policy and zero-tolerance policy for sexual harassment/exploitation/abuse, confirming no prior related legal or disciplinary actions.