Job Description: Associate Manager – Market Linkages

Organization: BharatCares

Designation: Associate Manager – Market Linkages

Location: Bhubaneswar, Odisha

Salary: ₹50,000–₹70,000 per month

Employment Type: Full-time

Experience: 5–8 years

Qualification: Bachelor's or Master's degree in Marketing, Business Administration, or a related field

About BharatCares

BharatCares is the social impact and programme implementation arm of CSRBOX, working with organisations and communities to deliver sustainable development initiatives and strengthen livelihood opportunities.

About the Role

BharatCares is looking for a dynamic and strategic Associate Manager – Market Linkages to develop market opportunities for silk-based consumer products and strengthen employer partnerships, placement opportunities, and marketing initiatives under its skill development and livelihood programmes.

The role will focus on market research, sales channel development, branding, digital outreach, employer engagement, placement linkages, and industry partnerships. The candidate will work closely with the Project Manager, Cluster Coordinators, Centre Managers, production teams, and external stakeholders to drive measurable business and livelihood outcomes.

Key Responsibilities

1. Market Research & Business Development

• Conduct market research to identify domestic and international opportunities for silk-based consumer products.
• Analyse consumer preferences, market trends, competitor offerings, pricing, and potential sales channels.
• Identify prospective buyers, distributors, retailers, e-commerce platforms, exporters, and institutional customers.
• Develop marketing strategies and actionable plans to achieve sales and market expansion targets.
• Explore partnerships with private companies, SMEs, start-ups, industry associations, and relevant trade bodies.
• Track market demand and recommend new product categories, market segments, and business opportunities.

2. Sales Channel Development & Market Linkages

• Identify, engage, and onboard marketing partners and buyers for silk-based products.
• Build and maintain a strong pipeline of business leads, prospective customers, and distribution partners.
• Develop buyer relationships to support product sales, repeat orders, and long-term commercial partnerships.
• Negotiate commercial terms, partnership agreements, and MoUs in coordination with the project leadership.
• Support product positioning, pricing strategies, packaging, and sales presentations.
• Monitor sales performance, buyer feedback, conversion rates, and market expansion outcomes.

3. Production Value Chain & Quality Coordination

• Coordinate with production teams and relevant stakeholders to establish product quality parameters.
• Ensure alignment between buyer requirements, production capacity, product specifications, and delivery timelines.
• Gather customer feedback and recommend improvements in product quality, design, packaging, and presentation.
• Support the development of market-ready products that meet domestic and international buyer expectations.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen the silk value chain and improve market access for producers and beneficiaries.

4. Branding, Marketing & Digital Outreach

• Develop and implement the project's brand identity, marketing strategy, and communication plan.
• Create and coordinate brochures, product catalogues, presentations, digital creatives, videos, and other outreach materials.
• Plan and execute multi-channel campaigns through digital platforms, print, radio, community events, and local outreach activities.
• Strengthen the project's digital presence through appropriate digital marketing and online sales channels.
• Ensure consistency in branding, messaging, and co-branding compliance across all communication materials.
• Track campaign performance and recommend improvements based on engagement and conversion data.

5. Community Mobilisation & Training Enrolment

• Collaborate with Cluster Coordinators and Centre Managers to plan local mobilisation campaigns.
• Develop communication materials that explain training opportunities, eligibility, benefits, and career prospects.
• Coordinate digital, community-based, and institutional outreach to improve awareness and enrolment.
• Track campaign effectiveness and support strategies to improve candidate mobilisation and participation.
• Align outreach messaging with programme objectives and the needs of local communities.

6. Employer Engagement & Placement Linkages

• Build and sustain relationships with employers, industry associations, recruitment partners, and placement agencies.
• Identify employment opportunities aligned with the trades and sectors offered under the programme.
• Maintain a pipeline of prospective employers, vacancies, interviews, and placement opportunities.
• Negotiate MoUs and partnership arrangements with employers in coordination with project leadership.
• Coordinate placement drives, employer interactions, interviews, and candidate onboarding.
• Work with training teams to align candidate skills with employer expectations.
• Track placement conversion, joining status, employer feedback, and post-placement retention.

7. Donor Communication & Impact Reporting

• Develop high-quality marketing collateral, including brochures, impact stories, case studies, reports, and videos.
• Support the Project Manager in preparing CSR partner presentations and programme updates.
• Document market linkage achievements, buyer partnerships, placement outcomes, and beneficiary success stories.
• Coordinate with internal teams to collect accurate data, photographs, testimonials, and supporting evidence.
• Ensure all donor-facing communication follows approved branding, quality, and reporting requirements.

8. Industry Intelligence & Strategic Advisory

• Track labour market trends, employer demand, emerging sectors, and industry growth areas.
• Benchmark competing skill development programmes and market linkage models.
• Recommend new training trades, course offerings, and industry partnerships based on market intelligence.
• Provide insights to project leadership on sales potential, employment demand, and partnership opportunities.
• Identify scalable and sustainable approaches to improve market access and livelihood outcomes.

Required Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Marketing, Business Administration, Sales, Communications, or a related discipline.
• 5–8 years of experience in marketing, business development, branding, sales, or employer partnerships.
• Experience in skill development, vocational training, education, livelihoods, textiles, handicrafts, or the development sector is preferred.
• Prior experience in buyer acquisition, market linkages, employer engagement, or placement partnerships will be an advantage.
• Experience working with NSDC/SSC-aligned trades or CSR-funded skilling programmes is desirable.

Required Skills & Competencies

• Fluency in English and Hindi, along with the relevant local language.
• Strong business development, negotiation, and relationship management skills.
• Excellent writing, storytelling, presentation, and visual communication abilities.
• Knowledge of digital marketing, CRM platforms, campaign analytics, and online sales channels.
• Strong market research, data analysis, and strategic planning skills.
• Ability to build and maintain employer, buyer, and industry networks.
• Results-oriented approach with the ability to achieve sales and placement targets.
• Willingness to undertake field travel and attend employer-facing meetings.

Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)

• Number and quality of buyer, industry, and employer partnerships developed.
• Sales leads generated, buyer conversions, revenue generated, and repeat orders.
• Placement opportunities identified and candidates successfully placed.
• Effectiveness of marketing and community mobilisation campaigns.
• Quality and timeliness of marketing collateral and donor-facing reports.
• Strength of market intelligence and recommendations for new training trades.
• Employer satisfaction, placement retention, and sustainability of market linkages.