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