Private Sector Engagement Lead

Role Overview

SHE WORKS is a five-year (20252030) initiative to enable 3 million young women (1829) to access aspirational jobs by addressing the social, economic, and institutional barriers that limit their participation in paid work. The design draws on proven modelsincluding the Manzil programme in Rajasthan (which supported over 15,000 young women), the NSDC Skill Impact Bond, and FSGs GLOW gender diversity roadmaps. The initiative will partner with state governments in Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Uttar Pradesh to create scalable solutions.

The State Mission aims to increase women's participation in paid work by improving hiring, retention, workplace safety, and gender-inclusive practices across high-growth sectors. IPE is hiring a Private Sector Engagement Lead who will anchor all state-level industry engagement, working directly with employers, industrial associations, district officials, and state departments to increase womens employment opportunities and improve workplace conditions across the state.

This role will design and implement a state-specific strategy to onboard companies, secure diversity pledges, strengthen gender-responsive practices at the firm level, and build long-term partnerships with industry networks.

Roles & Responsibilities

Key Responsibilities

Lead the development and execution of a state-specific private-sector strategy to increase womens employment across priority industries and clusters.

Coordinate with the State-Specific Labour Department, State Skill Development Mission (SSDM), District Skill Committees (DSCs), and other relevant industry bodies to align employer engagement with the State Action Plan.

Build and manage partnerships with state and sector-specific industry bodies to onboard employers and drive gender-inclusive practices.

Roll out the state diversity pledges, track company progress, and support the creation of state-level recognition mechanisms for gender-inclusive employers.

Capture field insights, document best practices, and support state-level monitoring and reporting mechanisms for adaptive programme learning.

Promote gender-friendly certifications and diversity indices among private employers to drive widespread recognition and compliance.

Facilitate state-level industry roundtables and district/cluster policy dialogueswith State Labour Department, SSDM, and state industry associationsto drive sector-wide adoption of gender-inclusive practices across the state.

Design a state-level recognition mechanism, in partnership with the State Labour Department and state industry bodies, to acknowledge companies that achieve or exceed their diversity pledge commitments.

Document state-specific case studies of companies and clusters that successfully adopt gender-inclusive hiring and workplace practices, and share them through state review meetings and industry platforms.

As job descriptions cannot be exhaustive, the Expert may be required to undertake other duties that are broadly in line with the above key responsibilities as determined by the senior leadership.

Qualification and Experience:

Educational Background

Masters degree or higher in Business Administration, Gender/ Development Studies, Human Resource Management, Economics or a related field.

Work Experience:

At least 8 years of professional work experience in engaging with corporates, government departments, and donor agencies on economic empowerment or infrastructure delivery.

Track record of engaging with senior industry leaders and influencing organizational change.

Strong understanding of gender and labor market dynamics in India.

Technical Expertise:

Deep knowledge of gender-responsive approaches to private sector development and employment.

Familiarity with government schemes, ESG principles, and inclusive value chains.

Key Skills and Competencies

Strategic Thinking & Innovation: Ability to design and drive complex partnership models for social impact.

Negotiation & Influence: Skilled in building high-level alliances with government and private players.

Gender and Inclusion Lens: Experience integrating gender-transformative approaches into public-private programs.