The/Nudge Institute - Program Head - Insight/Livelihood Program

About The/Nudge:

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.

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

What will you do:

We are seeking a Program Head to lead the growth and scale of the program, driving impact across the country in collaboration with government and ecosystem partners. This role is ideal for a dynamic leader with experience in large-scale program implementation, government engagement, and operational excellence. The Program Head will play a key role in expanding our community-led model, ensuring seamless execution, and strengthening partnerships to make India presbyopia-free.

The key responsibilities include:

- Owning overall strategy and execution of large scale programs, with annual strategy refresh based on experience and learning from the ground.

- Leading large-scale implementation in partnership with governments and ecosystem players to ensure widespread access to reading glasses.

- Establishing and managing an operations team across multiple states to drive program delivery through government collaboration.

- Forging and managing relationships with state governments to support implementation at scale and strengthen long-term engagement.

- Delivering results while advancing partnerships for scale-up, ensuring quality execution through capacity building, technology integration, and process optimization.

- Providing guidance to Product teams to design scalable models and internal teams to maintain high-quality implementation.

- Engaging with key stakeholders to identify and execute scalable pathways for nationwide impact.

- Work closely with the fundraising team for donor delight and fundraising proposals.

Who are we looking for in this role:

Experience & Qualifications:

- 15+ years of experience in operations management, with a track record of scaling programs.

- Proven experience in managing operations at scale and building operations for scale.

- Strong background in leading and coaching high-performance teams.

- Expertise in building and driving partnerships within larger government and market ecosystems.

Must haves:

- Willingness to travel to remote rural locations in India to set up and oversee operations.

- Growth mindset with a commitment to continuous learning and improvement.

- Openness to feedback and a proactive approach to personal and professional development.

- High self-awareness, recognizing strengths and areas for growth.

- Ability to navigate uncertainty, articulate a clear vision, and secure buy-in from stakeholders.

- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills to build strong relationships across teams and partners.