Project Manager NETI (New Enabling Technology for Independence)

About APD

The Association of People with Disability
(APD) is one of India's oldest and most respected disability-focused
organizations, working since 1959 to create an inclusive society where persons
with disabilities can access education, healthcare, livelihoods,
rehabilitation, and equal opportunities.

NETI is a pioneering initiative that aims
to transform the delivery of prosthetic and orthotic services through
smartphone-enabled 3D scanning, digital design, 3D printing, community-led
service delivery, and lifecycle management systems. The initiative seeks to
bridge the last-mile gap in assistive technology access for persons with
disabilities living in rural and underserved communities.

Position Summary

The Project Manager – NETI will provide
strategic, operational, technical, and partnership leadership for the design,
piloting, implementation, scale-up, and sustainability of the NETI initiative.

The role requires a highly entrepreneurial
leader capable of managing multi-disciplinary teams spanning rehabilitation
professionals, technology partners, community organizations, government
stakeholders, disability networks, and donors. Innovative use of technology
underpins this project, so the candidate must be comfortable with managing the
development and deployment of technology assisted solutions, ideally in the
healthcare sector.

The Project Manager will drive the
successful establishment of the NETI Hub-and-Spoke model and ensure the project
achieves its objectives related to accessibility, affordability, quality,
innovation, and scale.

The Project Manager will be in charge of a
substantial budget and must have demonstrated capacity for budgeting and
financial management of the project.

Key Responsibilities

1. Strategic Leadership

●        Provide
strategic leadership and clarity of mission to all stakeholders

●        Lead
end-to-end implementation of the NETI programme.

2. Programme Management

●        Lead
project execution across Discovery, Prototype, Pilot, Validation, and Scale
phases.

●        Develop
detailed work plans, implementation schedules, budgets, and monitoring systems.

●        Ensure
achievement of project milestones and deliverables.

●        Coordinate
cross-functional teams and external partners.

3. Technology & Innovation Management

●        Oversee
development and deployment of digital scanning, CAD workflow, 3D printing,
beneficiary management, and lifecycle tracking systems.

●        Coordinate
with technology and product design partners.

●        Ensure
quality assurance and continuous improvement of digital workflows.

4. Community Systems Development

●        Design
and operationalize the Hub-and-Spoke delivery model.

●        Lead
onboarding and capacity building of community facilitators including: DPO
members, SHG members, ASHA workers, Community rehabilitation workers

●        Develop
scalable community engagement and service delivery systems.

5. Clinical Governance & Quality
Assurance

●        Work
closely with Prosthetists, Orthotists, Rehabilitation Professionals, and
Medical Advisors.

●        Establish
quality standards and clinical protocols.

●        Monitor
device fitment outcomes, user satisfaction, and safety compliance.

●        Ensure
adherence to WHO Assistive Technology guidelines.

6. Partnership & Stakeholder Engagement

●        Build
strategic partnerships with: Government departments, CSR partners, Foundations,
Academic institutions, Technology companies, Disability organizations

●        Represent
APD in national and international forums.

●        Develop
consortiums and collaborative models for scaling.

7. Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning

●        Establish
robust M&E frameworks.

●        Lead
data-driven decision making.

●        Generate
evidence, case studies, impact reports, and learning documentation.

●        Support
research, publications, and knowledge dissemination.

8. Resource Mobilisation &
Sustainability

●        Support
donor engagement and fundraising efforts.

●        Develop
sustainability and social enterprise models.

●        Explore
government and institutional partnerships for scale-up.

9. Team Leadership

●        Recruit,
mentor, and supervise project staff.

●        Build
a high-performance and innovation-driven culture.

●        Promote
disability-inclusive and participatory leadership practices.

Qualifications - Education

Undergraduate or Postgraduate Degree in any
field from a reputed institution.

Experience and Competencies

●        10+
years of progressively responsible programme leadership experience.

●        Minimum
5 years managing multi-stakeholder projects. Prior experience in large-scale
development sector or healthcare projects will be an advantage

●        Prior
exposure to the social sector, digital health, social ventures, information
technology, assistive technology  or
government would be ideal - however we are prepared to consider candidates who
are mission driven to develop and implement a transformative social project but
may not meet  these exact requirements

●        Experience
managing multi-stakeholder partnerships.

●        Proven
track record in project planning, budgeting, and team leadership.

●        Strong
written and oral communications and ability to converse in Kannada or Hindi
will be a strong advantage

●        Persons
with disability will receive additional consideration