National Manuscript Program Manager

Job Title: Manuscript Program Manager

Location: Chennai

Organization: Madras Sanskrit College

Reports To: Director of Sanskrit Research

About the Role

Madras Sanskrit College is seeking a Manuscript Program Manager to lead a pioneering initiative focused on the collection, preservation, and digital transformation of Sanskrit manuscripts. This role bridges traditional scholarship and cutting-edge technology, contributing to the development of AI-driven language models grounded in authentic source material.

What Youll Do

• Lead nationwide efforts to identify and acquire rare Sanskrit manuscripts from institutions, collectors, and scholars.
• Design programs to decipher manuscripts in scripts such as Grantha, Sharada, and Nandinagari.
• Collaborate with scholars and experts to interpret and standardize manuscript readings.
• Oversee digitization and work with technical teams to convert manuscripts into machine-readable text.
• Support the integration of digitized texts into AI/LLM systems under development.

What Were Looking For

• Advanced degree (Masters/PhD) in Sanskrit, Manuscriptology, Indology, or related fields.
• Experience working with manuscripts or archival materials.
• Familiarity with traditional Indic scripts (e.g., Grantha, Sharada, Nandinagari).
• Interest or experience in digital humanities, OCR, or AI-based text processing.
• Strong project management and collaboration skills.

Why Join Us

• Be part of a unique initiative combining heritage preservation with AI innovation.
• Work with leading scholars and technologists.
• Contribute to preserving and revitalizing Indias intellectual traditions.

2. Internal HR Version (Detailed with KPIs)

Job Title: Manuscript Program Manager

Department: Sanskrit Research

Reporting To: Director of Sanskrit Research

Role Purpose

To lead the end-to-end lifecycle of manuscript acquisition, decipherment, digitization, and conversion into structured datasets for integration into AI-based language models being developed by the institution.

Key Responsibilities & KPIs

1. Manuscript Acquisition

Responsibilities:

• Develop and execute a national acquisition strategy.
• Build partnerships with institutions, mutts, and private collectors.

KPIs:

• Number of manuscripts acquired annually (target-based).
• Number of institutional partnerships established.
• % of manuscripts with complete provenance documentation.

2. Decipherment Programs

Responsibilities:

• Design training and research programs for reading historical scripts (Grantha, Sharada, Nandinagari, etc.).
• Engage scholars and create standardized transcription protocols.

KPIs:

• Number of decipherment programs/workshops conducted.
• Number of trained scholars or participants.
• Accuracy rate of transcriptions (peer-reviewed benchmarks).

3. Digitization & Text Conversion

Responsibilities:

• Oversee manuscript digitization workflows and archival quality standards.
• Coordinate with developers on OCR/transcription tools.

KPIs:

• Number of manuscripts digitized per quarter.
• % of digitized manuscripts successfully converted into text.
• Error rate in OCR/transcription outputs.

4. AI/LLM Integration

Responsibilities:

• Prepare datasets for AI ingestion with proper annotation and metadata.
• Ensure textual fidelity and contextual accuracy.

KPIs:

• Volume of validated text datasets delivered to AI teams.
• Dataset quality scores (based on internal benchmarks).
• Turnaround time from digitization to AI-ready format.

5. Program Management

Responsibilities:

• Manage budgets, timelines, and cross-functional coordination.
• Report progress to leadership and stakeholders.

KPIs:

• On-time delivery of program milestones.
• Budget adherence (% variance).
• Stakeholder satisfaction and reporting quality.

Qualifications

• Masters/PhD in Sanskrit, Indology, Manuscriptology, Linguistics, or related discipline.
• 38+ years of relevant experience (flexible depending on expertise).
• Demonstrated experience in manuscript handling or cultural heritage projects.

Competencies

• Scholarly expertise with practical program execution ability.
• Cross-disciplinary collaboration (academia + technology).
• Strong documentation and organizational rigor.

Adaptability to evolving AI and digital humanities tools