Centre for Effective Governance of Indian States (CEGIS – pronounced See-Jis) aims to improve lives by helping Indian state governments deliver better development outcomes.
The four key characteristics of any high-performing organisation are (a) measuring outcomes through reliable, high quality data that enables goal setting and monitoring progress towards these goals; (b) strategic use of personnel – competency based hiring and training, skilling, and performance appraisals to determine job assignments, pay, and promotions – to achieve the goals above; (c) strategic budgeting where resource allocation is based on evidence and cost-effectiveness; (d) and creating efficient systems to leverage external actors (including for-profit and nonprofit organisations). The Indian State needs to perform better on all four fronts above, by enhancing its capacity. CEGIS partners with states to improve this capacity by focusing on these four pillars of the State.
Informed by cutting-edge research and evidence as well as a practical orientation toward implementable ideas, CEGIS works with State Governments in India to enable a transformative improvement in their functioning. This vision and Theory of Change (ToC) is an outcome of extensive research done by Prof. Karthik Muralidharan (CEGIS Co-Founder and Scientific Director) and strategic philanthropic support provided by Mr. Ashish Dhawan (CEGIS Co-Founder).
CEGIS’s 3x3 Framework drives systemic change through three key dimensions:
Institutional Strengthening by helping State governments in establishing Financial Analytics Units (FAUs), Data Analytics Units (DAUs), and Human Resource Units (HRUs) to enhance financial planning, data-driven governance, and workforce efficiency; Financial Analytics Units (FAUs)—help governments make data-driven decisions on revenue augmentation, macro-fiscal management, expenditure quality, and enhance fiscal efficiency. Data Analytics Units (DAUs) - analyze programmatic data to generate sharper insights for goal-setting and periodic reviews. These insights are further enhanced by triangulating administrative data with citizen-level inputs from independent surveys and outbound call centers. In Human Resources and administrative reforms, we help states build internal capabilities by setting up Human Resource Units (HRUs)- enabling competency-based Learning Management Systems (LMS) and Performance Management Systems (PMS).
Sectoral Engagement by collaborating with strong partner organizations in our three priority sectors (Education, Health & Nutrition ) to deepen reforms and build implementation capacity by improving administrative data quality, measuring outcomes and supervision mechanisms.
We engage across all three tiers of government to drive systemic change—advocating with the Government of India (GoI) for policy alignment, strengthening state capacity to implement and scale interventions, and partnering with local/municipal governments to embed and sustain reforms. This integrated model ensures systemic interventions in data and human resource management are effectively conceptualized, implemented, and sustained for long-term impact.
At CEGIS, we collaborate closely with state governments to enhance governance through deep, state-led partnerships. We follow an iterative cycle of “think-demonstrate-document-transfer,” ensuring that solutions are practical, scalable, and effective. We engage with all levels of government right from political and top bureaucratic leadership to the frontline workers.
Our solutions are continuously refined based on real-time feedback, designed for customization, and built to be replicated across different contexts—ensuring sustained impact and long-term governance transformation.
Since its incorporation in 2019, despite the enormous challenges posed by COVID, CEGIS has gained significant momentum in building strong collaborations with the government(s) as a trusted partner who can provide both thought leadership and implementation support on key governance reforms. CEGIS’ position as a non-profit that does not take any funding from the government (other than in-kind contributions of office space/staff) has been a key enabler in earning this trust.
From a small group of founding members, we have grown by leaps and bounds to become a team of 150+ members committed to nation building located across the country. Helmed by a former bureaucrat with invaluable governance experience, state and solution team leads with decades of domain expertise, and enabling functions led by professionals with considerable corporate careers, the team at CEGIS brings together knowledge and experience that spans various sectors - from developmental economics, research, and governance to management consulting and social entrepreneurship. We also explore synergies with other non-government organisations working with government on technical as well as implementation to accelerate impact.
CEGIS is a dynamic organisation that seeks to transform the way public policy is made and implemented in India. Our team comprises individuals who are passionate about making a difference. We believe in working collaboratively with our partners to achieve outcomes that have lasting impact. We place a high value on people skills, recognising that delivering results requires not just technical expertise, but also strong collaboration, communication, and leadership skills.
Our team is dedicated to finding innovative, research-based solutions to complex problems, and we nurture a work environment that inspires intellectual curiosity and encourages learning from the best minds, both internally and externally. Our policies promote a diverse and inclusive work environment. We believe in supporting our staff through professional development opportunities, flexible work arrangements, and other benefits.
![]() Opportunities for continuous learningAccess to MIT X DEDP Courses, STATA, R-Certification | ![]() Flexible downtimeLiberal vacation policy |
![]() Flexible working hoursHybrid work policy | ![]() Family friendly perksParental leave, Health insurance |
At CEGIS Foundation, we are committed to building an inclusive environment that practises equity and welcomes diversity in all its forms. We believe that when we embrace differentiated experiences and unique perspectives, we will create a culture of respect and decency where every individual feels valued and empowered. Together, we aspire to celebrate the visible and invisible qualities that make each of us who we are, and represent the diverse tapestry of humanity.
This statement of intent serves as a manifesto for our DEI journey. We are committed to ongoing action and measurable progress in building a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive organisation.
Current Openings
We are an action-oriented team motivated to bring about tangible change based on evidence. If our mission excites you, we would love for you to be a part of our team.
Overview:
CEGIS work under the theme of State and Market (SAM) focuses on improving state capacity for better management of State interfaces with the larger market, especially in service delivery functions. The focus of the SAM team is to identify points of interaction between the Government and the Private Sector and to support States in reducing the frictions in such transactions. We work with State Governments in three capacities:
- Procurement: Improving procurement policies, processes, and decisions to improve value for money in public procurement
- Policy: Development of sectoral policy to incentivize cost effective service delivery, through the most appropriate models
- Regulation: Assessment of market failures and design and execution of proportionate regulatory interventions to address these
Of the above, currently the Procurement area dominates the portfolio of the SAM team with strong traction from multiple States. While the above work will be focused on CEGIS core sectors (education, health, nutrition, local governance), some streams like procurement have a broader sectoral coverage. Our projects will involve elements of research and analytics, market efficiency assessment, regulatory capacity assessment, and active support to Finance and line departments in reforms adoption. This will involve both quantitative and qualitative skills. This will, among other things, entail:
- Conducting market assessments including identification of market failures (information asymmetry, market power, externalities, deadweight losses)
- Conducting assessment of State capacity on policy, provision and regulation, through benchmarking, assessment of rules, systems and procedures, and primary interactions with key stakeholders
- Quantitative assessments of cost effectiveness across different models of service delivery, including use of methods such as Value for Money assessments (VfM) and Public Sector Comparator (PSC) analysis
- Interactions with non-state actors (for Profits and Civil Society Organisations) to assess their offerings, constraints and operating ecosystem.
- Developing deep understanding of the Procurement Systems and practices across the States in which CEGIS has presence, as well as global/local best practices.
Position Summary:
The Senior Program Associate - SAM is required to play a vital role in executing the CEGIS vision across States. The role will involve working closely with the other team members and the relevant State teams, and collaborating with the other CEGIS teams.
Roles and Responsibilities:
- Supporting the State Governments in Implementing/Strengthening Digital Tools in Project Planning, Procurement systems, & Contract Management.
- Work on Projects in improving the Capital Expenditure process of the State Governments
- Develop understanding of Procurement Acts & Policies in the country
- Develop understanding on Policy & Regulatory aspects of CEGIS Core Sectors
- Coordinate with the relevant Government officials for smooth implementation of interventions on which CEGIS is supporting the State Government.
Project Management and Delivery:
- Understand project requirements, coordinate with internal teams and external partners for delivery excellence.
- Plan and prioritise work plans, ensuring accountability for set timelines.
- Assist in altering project goals and outcomes based on stakeholder feedback and project progress, flag project risks.
Data Analysis and Insight Generation:
- Engage with departments to collect relevant data, develop quantitative and qualitative tools/templates, administer these tools, and support in cleaning and organizing the data.
- Track and analyze data for accuracy and conduct qualitative and quantitative analysis.
- Extract important insights from complex datasets relevant to key stakeholders.
- Prioritize and address data issues promptly to support project progress and decision-making.
- Ensure compliance with internal data management and security protocols
Research & Documentation:
- Research on problem statements identified by the State Governments. Independently conduct research and root cause analysis, documenting and presenting insights.
- Produce comprehensive presentations and documentation to convey critical project insights.
- Support in development of Knowledge Outputs for SAM and the Company.
- Support in developing concept notes, policy briefs, and other documentation for stakeholder communication.
- Create Internal reports/documents for projects under execution for training and reporting purposes as well as to create institutional memory on projects.
Stakeholder Engagement and Communication:
- Prepare detailed presentations and documents for stakeholders.
- Assist the project team in collecting critical information and departmental updates by maintaining regular communication with government counterparts, partner organisations, and other relevant stakeholders.
- Coordinate stakeholder meetings and gather feedback for project progress and decision-making.
- Foster deep connections with stakeholders and suggest innovative ideas to nurture partnerships.
Collaboration and Partnerships:
- Build and maintain relationships internally and externally.
- Collaborate with academics and stakeholders for research adaptation.
- Work closely with senior academics and government stakeholders to tailor procurement/regulatory/policy design and implementation protocols to local contexts.
Education and Experience:
- Masters degree or equivalent in economics, statistics, public policy, management, engineering, social science, or related fields from a reputed institution
- Minimum 3 years of relevant work experience in Government Advisory, Social Impact Sector, including research, basic quantitative analysis, experience of working with Government stakeholders is preferable
- Experience in at least one of the areas of public procurement or service regulation is highly desirable
- Knowledge of STATA or R (strongly preferred) or any other data analysis software preferred.
- Sectoral exposure to one or more of the following - education and skills, healthcare, infrastructure, and local government is desirable.
Required Skills, Characteristics and Qualities:
- Knowledge of Procurement processes and experience in use of/ advising Public Sector entities in the use of e-procurement platform(s).
- Fluency in English and basic to intermediate proficiency in one of the South Indian regional languages is an added benefit.
- Excellent problem-solving and strategic thinking skills, strong research aptitude ability to analyse complex quantitative and qualitative data and formulate solutions.
- Excellent writing and communication skills (ability to communicate complex ideas in a meaningful way and across different audiences) within and outside the organisation
- Strong planning and organisational skills, and an ability to be able to set priorities, plan timelines and meet deadlines.
- Operating style suited to working independently and in a small-organisation setting, where teamwork and resourcefulness are highly valued.
- High ability to collaborate and actively listen to others, understanding and valuing others views.
- Versatility to be comfortable taking on different projects and quickly dive into new sectors.
Location and Compensation
Location: The role will be based out of Chennai. Travel to other states may be required.
Remuneration will be competitive with Indian philanthropy and social sector pay scales and will depend on the candidates experience levels.
Interested candidates are requested to submit their applications by clicking the apply button below
Note: CEGIS has zero tolerance for sexual harassment. We therefore expect each applicant to self-declare related to the same. CEGIS could, if required, initiate a prevention of sexual harassment-based background verification. If an applicant is reported for misconduct, appropriate action that may include employment termination would be taken. Please complete the details for self-declaration on the application form.
Pre-reads for the application process
Please go through the following materials before sending in your application:
- Concept note on CEGIS
- A glimpse into life at CEGIS - CEGIS Retreat 2024
- CEGIS Snapshot 2023-24
- Podcast episodes with Prof. Karthik Muralidharan one each on education and healthcare in India.
- You are also encouraged to read more of Prof. Karthik Muralidharans work here and through his book Accelerating Indias Development: A State-Led Roadmap for Indias Development.
Apply Now Refer this job
About CEGIS
Centre for Effective Governance of Indian States (CEGIS – pronounced See-Jis) aims to improve lives by helping Indian state governments deliver better development outcomes. We believe that well-functioning governments share at least four features with high-performing organisations: (a) measuring outcomes through reliable, high quality data that enables goal setting and monitoring progress towards these goals; (b) strategic use of personnel – competency based hiring and training, skilling, and performance appraisals to determine job assignments, pay, and promotions – to achieve the goals above; (c) strategic budgeting where resource allocation is based on evidence and cost-effectiveness; (d) and creating efficient systems to leverage external actors (including for-profit and nonprofit organisations). At CEGIS, we support the state governments to build these foundations so that they can deliver development outcomes more effectively.
CEGIS works closely with the political and bureaucratic leadership in the states to achieve transformational change. We are currently present in 9 states - Assam, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh. We also partner with union agencies/ministries such as Capacity Building Commission, Ministry of Women & Child Development (MoWCD), Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation (MoSPI) to provide technical support for strengthening foundational systems and reflect insights from CEGISs work at the state-level into national level initiatives and guidelines. We also collaborate closely with academics and research institutions to ensure our work is grounded in rigorous research and evidence-based practices.
CEGIS Approach and Model of Functioning
Our solutions to enhance governance are co-created with state governments in a state-led way, where we focus on deep partnerships with states with an iterative cycle of think-demonstrate-document-transfer. We work closely with the top bureaucratic leadership, front-line workers and public officials in Finance, Planning, Human Resources and a few other priority line departments. Many of our solutions reflect ideas outlined in our founder Prof. Karthik Muralidharan's book (Accelerating India's Development), and these solutions are constantly being refined based on real-time feedback and are designed to both be customized to the contexts we are working in, and to create templates that can provide the starting point for replication across contexts.
To further explore the mission of CEGIS and the impact we hope to have, please take a look at this video of our CEO, Dr Vijay Pingale.
About the projects in Uttar Pradesh:
CEGIS has partnered with the Government of Uttar Pradesh to strengthen governance systems and enable data-driven decision-making in the states Finance and Planning departments. The partnership supports Uttar Pradeshs strategic vision through initiatives to establish a Financial Analytics Unit, strengthen data systems for improved planning and service delivery, and build institutional and personnel capacity aligned with Mission Karmayogi principles. This collaboration aims to embed evidence-based reforms and enhance outcomes across the states core development priorities.
Position Summary
The Senior Program Associate (SPA) will play an important role in contextualising and executing the CEGIS vision in the Government of Uttar Pradesh. This includes handling concept notes, department-level diagnostics, solution identification, pilot development, pilot implementation, and providing support for scale-up initiatives. Projects typically involve frontline service delivery. Reporting to the respective Program Manager(s), you will significantly contribute to the analytical aspects of the projects, ensuring effective governance and public expenditure reforms.
Roles and Responsibilities:
Data Analysis and Insight Generation:
- Track and analyze data for accuracy and conduct qualitative and quantitative analysis.
- Extract important insights from complex datasets relevant to key stakeholders.
- Prioritize and address data issues promptly to support project progress and decision-making.
Research and Documentation
- Independently conduct research and root cause analysis, documenting and presenting insights.
- Produce comprehensive presentations and documentation to convey critical project insights.
- Create concept notes, policy briefs, and other documentation for stakeholder communication.
- Co-creates project specific solutions by collaborating with vertical teams
- Suggests enhancements to project approach, frameworks and targeted solutions based on government context
Stakeholder Engagement and Communication:
- Evaluate project contingencies and engage with internal and external stakeholders.
- Anticipate client requirements through policy review
- Coordinate stakeholder meetings and gather feedback for project progress and decision-making.
- Foster deep connections with stakeholders including level 2 and level 3 stakeholders and suggest innovative ideas to nurture partnerships.
Project Management:
- Plan and prioritise work plans, ensuring accountability for set timelines.
- Evaluate project contingencies incl delays, roadblocks and assist in strategies to create buy-in
- Ensure transparent and effective communication channels are maintained throughout the project lifecycle.
- Develop high-quality outputs, including reports, notes, and analyses & Ensure these deliverables meet the standards for dissemination at various forums, contributing to the project's success and visibility.
- Support project team members and manage their time effectively.
- Assist in altering project goals and outcomes based on stakeholder feedback and project progress.
- Take increasing responsibility for project management
Documentation and Knowledge Creation & Facilitation:`
- Document and disseminate domain specific information that enables project success.
- Create original knowledge pieces like blogs, concept notes, work flows etc.
- Maintain Project based knowledge repository and contribute to other Knowledge management processes.
Required Qualifications, Skills and Abilities:
- 3-6 years of experience with minimum 3 years of experience with a Masters degree or equivalent in economics, public policy, social science, or related fields from a reputable institution. High calibre Graduates will be considered.
- Fluency in English and basic to intermediate proficiency in Hindi..
- Proficiency in data analysis, including strong analytical skills in tracking and analyzing data, expertise in statistical tools like STATA and Excel, and conducting independent research and root cause analysis.
- Strong problem-solving skills coupled with creative thinking aptitude, risk-taking willingness, and the ability to translate ideas into actionable plans, all complemented by adept project management abilities.
- Exceptional writing and communication abilities to create documentation and presentations to convey complex ideas to diverse audiences.
- Adaptability to excel in independent work environments and small organizational settings, demonstrating both self-motivation and the ability to work effectively with minimal supervision.
- Capacity to foster partnerships and nurture stakeholder relationships.
- Proficiency in prioritizing tasks, planning timelines, and consistently meeting deadlines.
- Knowledge management and organizational skills for maintaining project-related data and information.
- Commitment to CEGISs mission and values.
Location and Compensation
Location: The role will be based out of Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. Travel to other states may be required.
Remuneration will be competitive with Indian philanthropy and social sector pay scales and will depend on the candidate's experience levels.
Interested candidates are requested to submit their applications by clicking the apply button below
Note: CEGIS has zero tolerance for sexual harassment. We therefore expect each applicant to self-declare related to the same. CEGIS could, if required, initiate a prevention of sexual harassment-based background verification. If an applicant is reported for misconduct, appropriate action that may include employment termination would be taken. Please complete the details for self-declaration on the application form.
Pre-reads
- CEGIS Overview
- A glimpse into life at CEGIS - CEGIS Retreat 2024
- Podcast episodes with Prof. Karthik Muralidharan – on education , healthcare , federalism and state capacity, and bureaucracy in India.
- You are also highly encouraged to read Prof. Karthik Muralidharans book Accelerating Indias Development: A State-Led Roadmap for Indias Development that informs much of CEGISs work and theory of change (especially Chapters 1, 4-6, 10-12, and 15-16)
Apply Now Refer this job
About Personnel Management (PM) Vertical
We believe that empowered, equipped and future-ready public officials are crucial to achieving citizen-centric service delivery.
We work with central, state, and local governments to actualise their human capital by improving human resource (HR) management practices and organisational effectiveness using a competency-driven approach. We believe that supporting governments in undertaking these reforms will result in improved execution capacity and a fulfilling career journey for public officials.
The competency-driven approach focuses on the knowledge, skills, and attitude required for specific government roles. By undertaking this approach, CEGIS aims to bring clarity to the work done by officials and empower them to achieve better results. This translates to a shift in accountability from simply following processes to delivering tangible outcomes.
The Personnel Management team achieves this through three key workstreams.
- Competency-Based Recruitment: Ensuring the right people are selected for the job and bringing the necessary competencies (knowledge, skills, and attitude) on board from the outset.
- Competency-Based Learning & Development: Equipping public officials with the ongoing training and development they need to excel in their roles.
- Performance Management Systems: Evaluating and improving individual and team performance based on achieving defined goals, not just by adherence to procedures.
Through these efforts, the Personnel Management team strives to bring enhanced clarity and effectiveness to government work in India. By empowering officials with the right skills and holding them accountable for achieving desired outcomes, CEGIS is paving the way for a more efficient and impactful government service.
Project and Position Summary
We are seeking a SPA, Solution Delivery, Government of India (GoI) initiative to join our team in driving transformative, competency-based capacity building initiatives for public officials across India. The role involves providing analytical and operational support in piloting and implementing innovative solutions within the state/ MDO that help bridge competency gaps and strengthen HR practices.
The ideal candidate brings a strong understanding of competency frameworks and their applications in learning and development. You will be responsible for conducting diagnostics, analysing data, developing reports and co-creating scalable solutions with government stakeholders.
This role offers a unique opportunity to work at the intersection of policy and practice, collaborating closely with senior public officials, donors, and implementation partners to shape the future of HR and governance reform in India. Its an ideal opportunity for someone who thrives in dynamic environments and seeks to create measurable, lasting impact in public service delivery.
Roles and Responsibilities
Research and Solutioning
- Conducts independent research, literature reviews, and root-cause analyses to identify L&D gaps within an MDO
- Conducts primary research (interviews, FGDs, surveys) with public officials to map roles, responsibilities, activities, associated competencies and relevant learning opportunities
- Collaborates in the co-creation of project-specific solutions to drive the implementation of capacity-building processes (role-competency mapping, Competency Assessment instruments, assessment reports, trainings/ workshops/ courses) by offering technical support
- Supports the Program Manager in diagnosing gaps in broader HRM systems and recommending innovative reforms
Data Management and Analysis
- Tracks and validates datasets from multiple sources for accuracy and reliability
- Analyses complex qualitative and quantitative data (such as data from training needs and competency gap assessments, course engagement and competency growth patterns) to generate actionable insights to inform targeted capacity building efforts
- Prepares reports, dashboards, policy briefs, and presentations to support decision-making
- Maintains and updates the database of competencies, assessments, and courses deployed within an MDO
Project and Knowledge Management
- Develops and prioritises work plans, ensuring accountability for timelines with minimal supervision and tracks project progress
- Supports the design, prototyping, and implementation of competency-based solutions across projects and state engagements
- Develops knowledge tools, training materials, and process guides based on field learnings to facilitate implementation
- Documents and codifies learnings, contributing to continuous improvement and institutional knowledge within the team
Collaboration and Stakeholder Engagement
- Supports the team in identifying, engaging, and coordinating with key stakeholders across the MDO to enable effective solution delivery
- Facilitates communication and knowledge exchange by organising meetings, preparing and delivering presentations, briefs, and updates to internal and external stakeholders
- Builds and maintains productive working relationships with stakeholders, partner organisations and the team by ensuring regular interactions, capturing feedback, and identifying opportunities for deeper collaboration
Education and Experience
- Bachelors degree in economics, public policy, social sciences, or a related discipline from a reputable institution
- 3-6 years of relevant professional experience, particularly in HRM, capacity building, or project management
- Prior exposure to government ecosystems or multi-stakeholder initiatives is strongly preferred
Note
- The role will be based in New Delhi
- Proficiency in Hindi and English
- Remuneration will be competitive with Indian philanthropy and social sector pay scales, depending on the candidates experience levels
- CEGIS is an equal employment opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against based on race, colour, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, ancestry, or national or ethnic origin.
Pre-reads for the application process
Please review the following materials before submitting your application.
- CEGIS website
- CLOP Initiative website
- Karmayogi Bharat website
- Concept note on CEGIS
- Chapter 5 of Accelerating India's Development: A State-Led Roadmap for Effective Governance by Prof. Karthik Muralidharan
- You are also encouraged to read more of Prof. Karthik Muralidharans work here.
Apply Now Refer this job
About Personnel Management (PM) Vertical
We believe that empowered, equipped and future-ready public officials are crucial to achieving citizen-centric service delivery.
We work with central, state, and local governments to actualise their human capital by improving human resource management (HRM) practices and organisational effectiveness using a competency-driven approach. We believe that supporting governments in undertaking these reforms will result in improved execution capacity and a fulfilling career journey for public officials.
The competency-driven approach focuses on the knowledge, skills, and attitude required for specific government roles. By undertaking this approach, CEGIS aims to bring clarity to the work done by officials and empower them to achieve better results. This translates to a shift in accountability from simply following processes to delivering tangible outcomes.
The Personnel Management team achieves this through three key workstreams.
- Competency-Based Recruitment: Ensuring the right people are selected for the job and bringing the necessary competencies (knowledge, skills, and attitude) on board from the outset.
- Competency-Based Learning & Development: Equipping public officials with the ongoing training and development they need to excel in their roles.
- Performance Management Systems: Evaluating and improving individual and team performance based on achieving defined goals, not just by adherence to procedures.
Through these efforts, the Personnel Management team strives to bring enhanced clarity and effectiveness to government work in India. By empowering officials with the right skills and holding them accountable for achieving desired outcomes, CEGIS is paving the way for a more efficient and impactful government service.
Project and Position Summary
We are seeking a Senior Program Associate, Solution Development, to join our team in designing initiatives towards strengthening competency-based human resource practices for public officials. The role involves providing analytical and operational support in solution design, contextualisation, implementation and codification, by building frameworks, tools, and knowledge products that enable systemic reform in public sector recruitment, L&D and performance management systems.
The ideal candidate brings a strong ability to synthesise research and analyse datasets by reviewing policies and global best practices to translate evidence and insights into actionable models that can be piloted, refined, and institutionalised with MDOs.
This role offers a unique opportunity to work at the intersection of policy and design thinking, collaborating closely with domain experts, public officials and partner institutions, to convert concepts into usable, scalable, and contextually relevant solutions that drive systemic improvement in public service delivery and strengthen institutional capacity over time. It is ideal for individuals who thrive on intellectual rigour, creative problem-solving, and the pursuit of long-term institutional reform.
Roles and Responsibilities
Research and Solutioning (Competency-based HRM)
- Conducts literature reviews, policy analysis, benchmarking exercises, and diagnostic studies, drawing on national frameworks (such as Mission Karmayogi), policies and global standards to formulate problem statements in the existing human resource practices (recruitment, learning and development and PMS)
- Synthesises findings from research, data, and field insights to create evidence-based recommendations and concept notes.
- Assists in the development of recruitment-related tools, competency framework, training needs assessments, and the design of targeted learning and development interventions, and their implications on MDOs performance
- Supports the conceptualisation and prototyping of frameworks, workflows, tools, and models to facilitate the pilots, iterations and large-scale implementation of HR practices within an MDO
- Monitors policy updates, regulatory changes, and trends in HR, to ensure solutions are scalable, contextually appropriate, and aligned with evolving government priorities
Data Management and Analysis
- Tracks and validates datasets from multiple sources for accuracy and reliability
- Analyses complex qualitative and quantitative data to generate actionable insights
- Prepares reports, dashboards, policy briefs, and presentations to support decision-making
- Maintains and updates the database of competencies, assessments, and courses, and assists with the onboarding of partners as needed
Project and Knowledge Management
- Develops work plans, ensuring accountability for timelines with minimal supervision and tracks completion of project milestones
- Develops knowledge tools, templates, training materials, and process guides to facilitate effective dissemination and implementation of the solution
- Supports the state delivery teams in the planning, implementation and monitoring of competency-based solutions across projects and state engagements
- Documents and codifies learnings from pilot initiatives and internal reviews, contributing to solution testing, refinement and institutional knowledge creation
Collaboration and Team Engagement
- Supports the team in coordinating with internal verticals, delivery teams and partner organisations to align solution design objectives with implementation needs
- Facilitates communication and knowledge exchange by organising meetings, workshops, and presentations to share progress, feedback, and insights on solution development and maturity
- Builds and maintains productive working relationships with internal and external subject matter experts, assessment and content providers, by ensuring regular interactions, capturing inputs, and identifying opportunities for co-creation and refinement of solutions
Education and Experience
- Bachelors degree in economics, public policy, social sciences, or a related discipline from a reputable institution
- 3-6 years of relevant professional experience, particularly in HRM, capacity building, or project management
- Prior exposure to government ecosystems or multi-stakeholder initiatives is strongly preferred
Note
- The role will be based in New Delhi
- Proficiency in Hindi and English
- Remuneration will be competitive with Indian philanthropy and social sector pay scales, depending on the candidates experience levels.
- CEGIS is an equal employment opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against based on race, colour, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, ancestry, or national or ethnic origin.
Pre-reads for the application process
Please review the following materials before submitting your application.
- CEGIS website
- Go-HRM: Goal-oriented approach to human resource management (GO-HRM)
- CLOP Initiative website
- Karmayogi Bharat website
- Concept note on CEGIS
- Chapter 5 of Accelerating India's Development: A State-Led Roadmap for Effective Governance by Prof. Karthik Muralidharan
- You are also encouraged to read more of Prof. Karthik Muralidharans work here.
Apply Now Refer this job
About CEGIS
Centre for Effective Governance of Indian States (CEGIS – pronounced See-Jis) aims to improve lives by helping Indian state governments deliver better development outcomes. We believe that well-functioning governments share at least four features with high-performing organisations: (a) measuring outcomes through reliable, high quality data that enables goal setting and monitoring progress towards these goals; (b) strategic use of personnel – competency based hiring and training, skilling, and performance appraisals to determine job assignments, pay, and promotions – to achieve the goals above; (c) strategic budgeting where resource allocation is based on evidence and cost-effectiveness; (d) and creating efficient systems to leverage external actors (including for-profit and nonprofit organisations). At CEGIS, we support the state governments to build these foundations so that they can deliver development outcomes more effectively.
CEGIS works closely with the political and bureaucratic leadership in the states to achieve transformational change. We are currently present in 9 states - Assam, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh. We also partner with union agencies/ministries such as Capacity Building Commission, Ministry of Women & Child Development (MoWCD), Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation (MoSPI) to provide technical support for strengthening foundational systems and reflect insights from CEGISs work at the state-level into national level initiatives and guidelines. We also collaborate closely with academics and research institutions to ensure our work is grounded in rigorous research and evidence-based practices.
CEGIS Approach and Model of Functioning
Our solutions to enhance governance are co-created with state governments in a state-led way, where we focus on deep partnerships with states with an iterative cycle of think-demonstrate-document-transfer. We work closely with the top bureaucratic leadership, front-line workers and public officials in Finance, Planning, Human Resources and a few other priority line departments. Many of our solutions reflect ideas outlined in our founder Prof. Karthik Muralidharan's book (Accelerating India's Development), and these solutions are constantly being refined based on real-time feedback and are designed to both be customized to the contexts we are working in, and to create templates that can provide the starting point for replication across contexts.
To further explore the mission of CEGIS and the impact we hope to have, please take a look at this video of our CEO, Dr Vijay Pingale.
About the projects in Uttar Pradesh:
CEGIS has partnered with the Government of Uttar Pradesh to strengthen governance systems and enable data-driven decision-making in the states Finance and Planning departments. The partnership supports Uttar Pradeshs strategic vision through initiatives to establish a Financial Analytics Unit, strengthen data systems for improved planning and service delivery, and build institutional and personnel capacity aligned with Mission Karmayogi principles. This collaboration aims to embed evidence-based reforms and enhance outcomes across the states core development priorities.
Position Summary
The Senior Program Associate (SPA) will play an important role in contextualising and executing the CEGIS vision in Government of Uttar Pradesh. The role will collaborate with other CEGIS teams (Outcome Measurement, Public Finance; Personnel Management; Sectoral teams). The Senior Program Associate will be directly reporting to the respective Program Manager in the State.
Role and Responsibilities:
Data Analysis and Insight Generation:
- Engage with departments to collect relevant data, develop quantitative and qualitative tools/templates, administer these tools, and support in cleaning and organizing the data.
- Track and analyze data for accuracy and conduct qualitative and quantitative analysis.
- Extract important insights from complex datasets relevant to key stakeholders.
- Prioritize and address data issues promptly to support project progress and decision-making.
- Ensure compliance with internal data management and security protocols
Research and Documentation
- Independently conduct research and root cause analysis, documenting and presenting insights.
- Produce comprehensive presentations and documentation to convey critical project insights.
- Collaborate with other teams to jointly develop and implement technical solutions tailored to specific project requirements as is suitable for the states context.
- Create concept notes, policy briefs, and other documentation for stakeholder communication.
Stakeholder Engagement and Communication:
- Evaluate project contingencies and engage with internal and external stakeholders.
- Assist the project team in collecting critical information and departmental updates by maintaining regular communication with government counterparts, partner organisations, and other relevant stakeholders.
- Coordinate stakeholder meetings and gather feedback for project progress and decision-making.
- Foster deep connections with stakeholders and suggest innovative ideas to nurture partnerships.
Project Management & Delivery:
- Understand project requirements, coordinate with internal teams and external partners for delivery excellence.
- Support comparison and assessment of different strategies, frameworks, and solutions for effective decision-making.
- Plan and prioritise work plans, ensuring accountability for set timelines.
- Assist in altering project goals and outcomes based on stakeholder feedback and project progress, flag project risks.
- Support knowledge management processes to help achieve project and organisational objectives (for example, assisting in maintaining a project-based knowledge repository).
Required Qualifications, Skills and Abilities:
- A Masters degree or equivalent preferred in economics, public policy, social science or related fields from a reputed institution, bright graduate applicants may be considered.
- 3-6 years of experience. Minimum 3 years of work experience in India with organisations working in related fields of work i.e., research agencies, policy think-tanks, government or private sector organisations working on government advisory or consulting
- Proven experience in project management and analytical contributions.
- Strong communication, collaboration, and leadership skills.
- Experience with data cleaning and analysis of large and complex data sets and econometric analysis
- Knowledge of STATA or R (strongly preferred) or any other data analysis software is preferred
- Experience in client servicing/government projects would be preferred
- Report writing and presentations with proficiency in MS Office and other tools
Personal Characteristics and Desired Qualities
- Fluency in English and Hindi proficiency
- Excellent problem-solving skills, with an aptitude for research to formulate solutions
- Excellent writing and communication skills (ability to communicate complex ideas in a meaningful way and across different audiences)
- Ability to set priorities, plan timelines and meet deadlines
- Ability to think creatively, willing to take risks, to experiment with new ideas and to turn ideas into action
- High ability to collaborate and actively listen to others, understanding and valuing others views
- Operating style suited to working independently and in a small organization setting, where teamwork and resourcefulness are highly valued
Location and Compensation
Location: The role will be based out of Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. Travel to other states may be required.
Remuneration will be competitive with Indian philanthropy and social sector pay scales and will depend on the candidate's experience levels.
Interested candidates are requested to submit their applications by clicking the apply button below
Note: CEGIS has zero tolerance for sexual harassment. We therefore expect each applicant to self-declare related to the same. CEGIS could, if required, initiate a prevention of sexual harassment-based background verification. If an applicant is reported for misconduct, appropriate action that may include employment termination would be taken. Please complete the details for self-declaration on the application form.
Pre-reads
- CEGIS Overview
- A glimpse into life at CEGIS - CEGIS Retreat 2024
- Podcast episodes with Prof. Karthik Muralidharan – on education , healthcare , federalism and state capacity, and bureaucracy in India.
- You are also highly encouraged to read Prof. Karthik Muralidharans book Accelerating Indias Development: A State-Led Roadmap for Indias Development that informs much of CEGISs work and theory of change (especially Chapters 1, 4-6, 10-12, and 15-16)
Apply Now Refer this job
Overview:
Within CEGIS, the Outcome Measurement (OM) teams role is to support the institutionalisation of data-driven decision-making by setting up the required infrastructure and technical capacity with the Planning department and relevant line departments in the state. The Program Managers (OM) will play a crucial role in executing this vision in the state, working closely with both the OM technical team and the State team.
Position Summary:
As a Senior Program Manager (SPM) in OM, you will lead and manage complex digital data collection operations, collaborating closely with senior academics and government stakeholders to customize research design and protocols to local contexts. Your role will encompass ensuring adherence to stringent data quality protocols and overseeing the development of high-quality outputs summarizing project progress, data analyses, and research findings for dissemination at various forums.
Roles and Responsibilities:
Data Analysis Oversight:
- Evaluate and review pre-analysis plans to ensure comprehensive and precise data analysis procedures.
- Regularly check progress on data analysis and provide necessary inputs for improvement.
Research and Data Management:
- Oversee accuracy and validity of data collected to inform decision making
- Enhance accuracy, validity, and completeness of collected research and data.
- Develop protocols and guidelines for managing data quality, access, verification, and validation.
Solution Design and Technical Expertise:
- Contribute technical and operational insights to solution design.
- Ensure adherence to best practices and established protocols.
- Provide expertise for new or pilot projects during the diagnosis and solution design process.
- Guides interpretation and meaning making
Project Management:
- Align project activities with Objectives and Key Results (OKRs).
- Oversees comprehensive project management, spanning from conceptualization and resource allocation to briefing and execution.
- Manage project outputs and ensure successful completion.
- Support budgeting process for interventions.
- Ensure quality and technical integrity of project outputs.
- Oversee technical evaluations and quality control processes to align to ToC
- Prepare and pitch proposals to donors and stakeholders.
Communication and Stakeholder Engagement:
- Identify and cultivate strategic partnerships with external stakeholders.
- Synthesize stakeholders' feedback to develop strategic communication strategies.
- Shapes stakeholder perceptions through engagement and relationship building
- Fosters internal alignment to meet project priorities and Organisational goals
Knowledge Product Development:
- Collaborates with team members to develop impactful knowledge products, such as policy notes, analysis reports, and frameworks and contributes to knowledge sharing.
- Transform insights and findings into actionable knowledge products.
- Facilitate knowledge sharing and collaboration
Qualifications and Attributes:
- 8 to 12 years of progressive work experience, including field research, managing evaluations, and quantitative analysis and team.
- Masters or advanced degree in economics, statistics, public policy, engineering, or related fields from a prestigious institution.
- Proficiency in quantitative data management and analysis using STATA, R, or Python programming.
- Strong research aptitude to analyze complex data and formulate innovative solutions.
- Strong planning and organizational skills, adept at setting priorities and meeting deadlines.
- Deep passion for enhancing the effectiveness of Indian States, with an operating style conducive to autonomy and adaptability.
- Proven ability to manage competing priorities and deliver high-quality outputs consistently.
- A creative mindset and willingness to experiment with new ideas.
- Exceptional collaboration and active listening skills, fostering an inclusive environment.
- Adaptability to transition between projects and sectors, demonstrating versatility and agility.
- Superior problem-solving, strategic thinking, and research acumen for analyzing complex data.
- Excellent proficiency in English, with exceptional writing and communication skills tailored to diverse audiences.
- Advanced planning and organizational skills, including effective team management and collaboration with stakeholders.
- Unwavering dedication to improving Indian states, in line with organizational goals.
- Operating style characterized by autonomy, adaptability, and resourcefulness under pressure.
- Proven ability to consistently deliver high-quality results and innovate new initiatives.
- Adaptability to embrace diverse projects and rapidly integrate into new sectors.
Location and Compensation
Location: The role can be based out Hyderabad. Travel to other states may be required.
Remuneration will be competitive with Indian philanthropy and social sector pay scales and will depend on the candidates experience levels.
Interested candidates are requested to submit their applications by clicking the apply button below
Note: CEGIS has zero tolerance for sexual harassment. We therefore expect each applicant to self-declare related to the same. CEGIS could, if required, initiate a prevention of sexual harassment-based background verification. If an applicant is reported for misconduct, appropriate action that may include employment termination would be taken. Please complete the details for self-declaration on the application form.
Pre-reads for the application process:
Please go through the following materials before sending in your application:
- Concept note on CEGIS
- A glimpse into life at CEGIS - CEGIS Retreat 2024
- CEGIS Snapshot 2023-24
- Podcast episodes with Prof. Karthik Muralidharan one each on education and healthcare in India.
- You are also encouraged to read more of Prof. Karthik Muralidharans work here and through his book Accelerating Indias Development: A State-Led Roadmap for Indias Development.
Apply Now Refer this job
About the Role
We are looking for a Senior Program Manager for Communications. This role is responsible for all of CEGIS content produced for governments, donors, potential employees, current employees, partners and alumni. The role is responsible for both content refinement (with the core content and messages coming from the solutions teams ) and deployment using owned and earned media channels. Currently reporting to the Head of External Engagements , the role is part of the larger Central Leadership team which looks to shape the brands positioning and provide the crucial fuel to the state delivery teams, solutions teams as well as donor management and fundraising teams. The role serves as a strategic partner to People and Culture and the Senior Leadership Team including the CEO.
Key Responsibilities
Owning the narrative and key messaging strategy
- Develop strategic narratives that communicate our value proposition clearly to governments (at multiple levels) , donors, partners, and other key external/ internal audiences.
- Create relatable messaging that links to CEGIS goals and drives necessary action from key audience groups - government, donors (international and domestic) , partners , current and potential employees
- Building and maintaining communications centric relationships with key advocates - donors, partners, board members and others who can serve as powerful voices for CEGIS and its narrative and goals
Management of earned and owned media
- Lead a team that manages current social media channels (Linkedin, Instagram, X ) and website
- Work with the solutions, states and other internal teams to finetune and develop all content - text, visual and video based in a cohesive and cost effective manner, with adherence to brand guidelines and which further the org goals.
- Owner of the annual report and all other standard and existing publications including newsletters targeted at specific audiences (Existing employees, alumni and the the overall ecosystem)
Using communications as a key driver to build the governance ecosystem
- Drive existing properties like Governance Dialogues- the ecosystem building webinars around key themes that CEGIS works on in accordance with the organisation strategy. Understand topical contexts and relevance , identify communications opportunities and work with the solutions and state teams to deliver basis these opportunities.
- Showcase stories of excellent work done by the bureaucracy and the governance machinery in driving systematic impact ( CEGIS womens day videos, CEGIS in conversation with Dr Saurabh Garg, Secretary, MOSPI)
Partner -Centric Engagement
- Leverage CEGIS network of partners to explore joint communications - from publishing to events to social media campaigns
- Drive cohesive communications based partnerships with other TCF (Convergence Foundation ) organisations that amplify the message of state capacity enhancement
- Own editorial relationships with mainline and specialist publications as well as key institutions and organisations for ecosystem events and convenings
Design process excellence and visual storytelling
- Select,maintain and continually evaluate the work of external vendors and agencies to deliver content for CEGIS
- Supervise (along with the team), deliver QC and look at better visual ways of telling our story
- Evolve and adapt brand guidelines basis ecosystem trends , ensure broadbased adoption of these guidelines across all touchpoints
Team development
- Recruit , train and manage a team of communications resources basis evolving requirements
- Allocate projects, evaluate and manage career development for the team
Key Working Relationships
Internal
- Chief Executive Officer (CEO): Collaborate closely for strategic direction, key decision-making, and alignment of communications priorities with the organizations overall mission and vision.
- Co-founder and Scientific Director: Partner to ensure that the organizations communication outputs reflect research accuracy, integrity, and scientific rigor.
- Senior Management Team: Work in coordination with the Chief of Solutions, Head of State Engagements, and other senior leaders to develop and disseminate impactful narratives around institutional initiatives and outcomes.
- State and Vertical Leads: Liaise regularly to capture on-ground insights, success stories, and implementation progress for amplification across platforms.
- Knowledge Creation and Management (KCM) Team: Collaborate to translate technical and analytical outputs into accessible knowledge products for diverse audiences.
- Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) Team: Engage to communicate evidence-based outcomes and demonstrate the organizations impact through data-driven storytelling.
External
- TCF Communications Teams (and partner organizations): Coordinate messaging, branding, and outreach to ensure alignment and coherence across all communication channels.
- Vendors and Agencies: Manage relationships with creative, media, and PR partners for the design, production, and dissemination of high-quality communication materials.
- Key Publications and Media Outlets: Build and sustain relationships with sectoral and mainstream media to drive visibility and coverage of CEGISs work.
- Sectoral and Policy Organisations: Engage with organizations and platforms that influence public discourse and policy to enhance CEGISs salience and thought leadership.
- Partners and Collaborators: Work with institutional partners, funders, and other stakeholders to ensure consistent representation of CEGISs vision, impact, and strategic priorities.
What We're Looking For
- At least 10 years of experience in the social impact space in a comms / partnerships role out of which at least 4 years in a think tank / org working with the government
- Must have handled some degree of donor comms and communications related partnerships
- Being a designer is an advantage but not a mandate, however an eye for design and ability to deliver top quality content is a must
- Proven ability to work on narrative development and contextualised story telling , recognising the importance of carefully curated and tailored stories.
- Dynamic self starter who can juggle multiple responsibilities and often shifting priorities.
- Excellent communicator and team player
Location and Compensation
Location: The role can be based out of Delhi/ Hyderabad/ Bangalore/ Chennai. Travel to other states may be required.
Remuneration will be competitive with Indian philanthropy and social sector pay scales and will depend on the candidates experience levels.
Interested candidates are requested to submit their applications by clicking the apply button below
Note: CEGIS has zero tolerance for sexual harassment. We therefore expect each applicant to self-declare related to the same. CEGIS could, if required, initiate a prevention of sexual harassment-based background verification. If an applicant is reported for misconduct, appropriate action that may include employment termination would be taken. Please complete the details for self-declaration on the application form.
Pre-reads for the application process
Please go through the following materials before sending in your application:
- Concept note on CEGIS
- A glimpse into life at CEGIS - CEGIS Retreat 2024
- CEGIS Snapshot 2023-24
- Podcast episodes with Prof. Karthik Muralidharan one each on education and healthcare in India.
- You are also encouraged to read more of Prof. Karthik Muralidharans work here and through his book Accelerating Indias Development: A State-Led Roadmap for Indias Development.
Apply Now Refer this job
Overview:
Within CEGIS, the Outcome Measurement (OM) teams role is to support the institutionalisation of data-driven decision-making by setting up the required infrastructure and technical capacity with the Planning department and relevant line departments in the state. The Program Managers (OM) will play a crucial role in executing this vision in the state, working closely with both the OM technical team and the State team.
Position Summary:
As a Senior Program Manager (SPM) in OM, you will lead and manage complex digital data collection operations, collaborating closely with senior academics and government stakeholders to customize research design and protocols to local contexts. Your role will encompass ensuring adherence to stringent data quality protocols and overseeing the development of high-quality outputs summarizing project progress, data analyses, and research findings for dissemination at various forums.
Roles and Responsibilities:
Data Analysis Oversight:
- Evaluate and review pre-analysis plans to ensure comprehensive and precise data analysis procedures.
- Regularly check progress on data analysis and provide necessary inputs for improvement.
Research and Data Management:
- Oversee accuracy and validity of data collected to inform decision making
- Enhance accuracy, validity, and completeness of collected research and data.
- Develop protocols and guidelines for managing data quality, access, verification, and validation.
Solution Design and Technical Expertise:
- Contribute technical and operational insights to solution design.
- Ensure adherence to best practices and established protocols.
- Provide expertise for new or pilot projects during the diagnosis and solution design process.
- Guides interpretation and meaning making
Project Management:
- Align project activities with Objectives and Key Results (OKRs).
- Oversees comprehensive project management, spanning from conceptualization and resource allocation to briefing and execution.
- Manage project outputs and ensure successful completion.
- Support budgeting process for interventions.
- Ensure quality and technical integrity of project outputs.
- Oversee technical evaluations and quality control processes to align to ToC
- Prepare and pitch proposals to donors and stakeholders.
Communication and Stakeholder Engagement:
- Identify and cultivate strategic partnerships with external stakeholders.
- Synthesize stakeholders' feedback to develop strategic communication strategies.
- Shapes stakeholder perceptions through engagement and relationship building
- Fosters internal alignment to meet project priorities and Organisational goals
Knowledge Product Development:
- Collaborates with team members to develop impactful knowledge products, such as policy notes, analysis reports, and frameworks and contributes to knowledge sharing.
- Transform insights and findings into actionable knowledge products.
- Facilitate knowledge sharing and collaboration
Qualifications and Attributes:
- 8 to 12 years of progressive work experience, including field research, managing evaluations, and quantitative analysis and team.
- Masters or advanced degree in economics, statistics, public policy, engineering, or related fields from a prestigious institution.
- Proficiency in quantitative data management and analysis using STATA, R, or Python programming.
- Strong research aptitude to analyze complex data and formulate innovative solutions.
- Strong planning and organizational skills, adept at setting priorities and meeting deadlines.
- Deep passion for enhancing the effectiveness of Indian States, with an operating style conducive to autonomy and adaptability.
- Proven ability to manage competing priorities and deliver high-quality outputs consistently.
- A creative mindset and willingness to experiment with new ideas.
- Exceptional collaboration and active listening skills, fostering an inclusive environment.
- Adaptability to transition between projects and sectors, demonstrating versatility and agility.
- Superior problem-solving, strategic thinking, and research acumen for analyzing complex data.
- Excellent proficiency in English, with exceptional writing and communication skills tailored to diverse audiences.
- Advanced planning and organizational skills, including effective team management and collaboration with stakeholders.
- Unwavering dedication to improving Indian states, in line with organizational goals.
- Operating style characterized by autonomy, adaptability, and resourcefulness under pressure.
- Proven ability to consistently deliver high-quality results and innovate new initiatives.
- Adaptability to embrace diverse projects and rapidly integrate into new sectors.
Location and Compensation
Location: The role can be based out of Delhi/ Hyderabad/ Bangalore/ Chennai. Travel to other states may be required.
Remuneration will be competitive with Indian philanthropy and social sector pay scales and will depend on the candidates experience levels.
Interested candidates are requested to submit their applications by clicking the apply button below
Note: CEGIS has zero tolerance for sexual harassment. We therefore expect each applicant to self-declare related to the same. CEGIS could, if required, initiate a prevention of sexual harassment-based background verification. If an applicant is reported for misconduct, appropriate action that may include employment termination would be taken. Please complete the details for self-declaration on the application form.
Pre-reads for the application process:
Please go through the following materials before sending in your application:
- Concept note on CEGIS
- A glimpse into life at CEGIS - CEGIS Retreat 2024
- CEGIS Snapshot 2023-24
- Podcast episodes with Prof. Karthik Muralidharan one each on education and healthcare in India.
- You are also encouraged to read more of Prof. Karthik Muralidharans work here and through his book Accelerating Indias Development: A State-Led Roadmap for Indias Development.
Apply Now Refer this job
Overview:
Within CEGIS, the Public Revenue/Taxation/Public Finance teams role is to support institutionalisation of data driven decision making by setting up the required infrastructure and technical capacity with the relevant line departments. High quality data and insights generated are expected to aid the State in goal setting, progress monitoring and strategic decision making. In addition, as a sectoral workstream, specific objectives are furthered by testing and institutionalising interventions in the form of Micro RCTs with the larger goal of improving tax compliance and augmenting revenues.
Our projects can be of a wide variety and involve elements of research and analytics, advocacy, policy implementation and evaluation, and active support to line departments in reforms adoption. A large part of the work is by its very nature quantitative.
Specifically, this will, among other things, entail:
- Conducting detailed budgetary analysis at different levels of government
- Conducting situational analysis on a variety of economic sectors and subjects
- Conducting forensic analysis to identify anomalous patterns in taxpayer behaviour
- Mapping government budgeting and administrative processes and identify efficiency enhancing solutions
- Conduct financial impact assessment in terms of cost-effectiveness and rates of returns.
- Design and implement micro RCTs on live policy interventions
Position Summary:
The Senior Manager oversees data management, analysis, project management, stakeholder engagement, team leadership, and knowledge sharing within Strategic Public Finance projects. They ensure meticulous data handling, drive insightful analysis, engage with stakeholders, mentor team members, and foster a culture of collaboration and knowledge sharing. The Senior Manager plays a central role in driving project success and advancing organizational objectives.
Roles and Responsibilities:
Data Management and Analysis:
- Facilitates access to administrative data from relevant government line departments, reviews them using a prescribed template, and conducts analysis as required.
- Ensures strict compliance with data quality protocols, including auditing enumerators, supervising data collection, and performing data quality audits.
- Manages all primary, secondary, and administrative data by strictly following data management and security protocols and creating standardization of protocols for projects.
Analysis and Interpretation:
- Conducts independent analysis and interpretation of information, translating data into actionable insights.
- Oversees detailed budgetary analysis at different levels of government and situational analysis on a variety of economic sectors and subjects.
- Oversees forensic analysis to identify anomalous patterns in taxpayer behavior and assesses financial impacts, emphasizing cost-effectiveness and return rates.
- Designs & executes micro RCTs to facilitate real-time policy interventions.
- Monitors global best practices and research, aiding the team in adapting these methodologies.
Project Management:
- Directs the launch and conceptualization of projects aligning with SPF primary objectives.
- Oversees comprehensive project management, spanning from conceptualization and resource allocation to briefing and execution.
- Manages the team's research efforts by delegating tasks, reviewing outputs, and ensuring the quality and rigor of outputs.
- Provides technical inputs and guidance to project/state teams, ensuring high-quality outputs that contribute to project progress and the organisation's knowledge base.
- Oversees project resourcing and allocates resources effectively to maximize project outcomes.
- Collaborates with team members to develop impactful knowledge products, such as policy notes, analysis reports, and frameworks and contributes to knowledge sharing.
Communication and Stakeholder Engagement:
- Oversees the interpreting and presenting of data effectively, helping to convey meaningful insights to internal and external stakeholders.
- Leads the preparation and pitching of proposals and decks to donors and new states/departments.
- Synthesizes stakeholders' feedback to develop strategic communication strategies.
- Creates presentations, reports, and dashboards for diverse stakeholders.
- Engages with state teams and government stakeholders to pitch ideas, present concepts, and advocate for impactful initiatives.
- Develops and nurtures relationships with public officials, government departments, and other stakeholders to facilitate collaboration and support for SPF projects.
Knowledge Management
- Identifies internal and external knowledge sources and shares best practices.
- Plans and executes initiatives related to knowledge sharing and partnerships.
Education and Experience:
- Masters or advanced degree, such as a PhD or equivalent, in economics, statistics, public policy, engineering, social science, or related fields from a prestigious institution.
- 8 to 12 years of progressive work experience, including extensive research, advanced quantitative analysis, client management (especially with government entities), and substantial managerial experience.
- Demonstrated expertise in quantitative data management and analysis, utilizing advanced tools such as STATA, R, or Python programming extensively.
Required Skills and Abilities:
- Exceptional problem-solving and strategic thinking abilities, with a track record of formulating innovative solutions to complex challenges.
- Proficiency in English with outstanding writing and communication skills, capable of effectively conveying intricate concepts to diverse audiences both within and outside the organization. Knowledge of the local language(s) is highly desirable.
- Proven capacity to cultivate and manage high-level relationships with partner organizations, particularly with extensive experience collaborating with Indian state governments.
- Strong organizational and planning skills, adept at setting priorities, establishing timelines, and consistently meeting deadlines in dynamic environments.
- Deep commitment to enhancing the effectiveness of Indian states, coupled with a firm alignment with the organization's theory of change and impact.
- Operating style conducive to autonomy and adaptability within a small-organization context, where teamwork and resourcefulness are paramount.
- Ability to thrive under pressure, managing competing priorities while upholding meticulous attention to detail and delivering exceptional outcomes consistently.
- Willingness to innovate and take calculated risks, translating ideas into actionable strategies to drive organizational objectives forward.
- Exceptional collaboration and active listening skills, demonstrating an ability to understand and respect diverse perspectives.
- Flexibility to seamlessly transition between various projects and swiftly immerse oneself in new sectors.
- Proficiency in at least one of the following areas: taxation, public finance management systems, or budgeting. Familiarity with experimental and non-experimental research methods is highly advantageous.
Personal Characteristics and Desired Qualities:
- Superior problem-solving and strategic thinking capabilities, coupled with a robust research acumen for analyzing intricate quantitative and qualitative data.
- Excellent proficiency in English, complemented by exceptional writing and communication skills tailored to diverse audiences.
- Advanced planning and organizational skills, combined with the ability to effectively manage teams from diverse backgrounds, including close collaboration with government stakeholders to ensure seamless project execution.
- Unwavering dedication to improving the efficacy of Indian states, aligned closely with the organization's theory of change.
- Operating style characterized by autonomy, adaptability, and a strong sense of resourcefulness.
- Proven ability to thrive under pressure, maintaining meticulous attention to detail while consistently delivering high-quality results.
- A penchant for innovation and a willingness to explore new ideas, translating them into actionable initiatives.
- Exceptional collaborative skills, with a keen emphasis on active listening and valuing diverse perspectives.
- Adaptability to embrace diverse projects and rapidly integrate into new sectors.
Location and Compensation
Location: The role will be based out of Bhubaneswar. Travel to other states may be required.
Remuneration will be competitive with Indian philanthropy and social sector pay scales and will depend on the candidates experience levels.
Interested candidates are requested to submit their applications by clicking the apply button below
Note: CEGIS has zero tolerance for sexual harassment. We therefore expect each applicant to self-declare related to the same. CEGIS could, if required, initiate a prevention of sexual harassment-based background verification. If an applicant is reported for misconduct, appropriate action that may include employment termination would be taken. Please complete the details for self-declaration on the application form.
Pre-reads for the application process
Please go through the following materials before sending in your application:
- Concept note on CEGIS
- A glimpse into life at CEGIS - CEGIS Retreat 2024
- CEGIS Snapshot 2023-24
- Podcast episodes with Prof. Karthik Muralidharan one each on education and healthcare in India.
- You are also encouraged to read more of Prof. Karthik Muralidharans work here and through his book Accelerating Indias Development: A State-Led Roadmap for Indias Development.
Apply Now Refer this job
About Human Resource Unit (HRU)
CEGIS intends to collaborate with the Government of Odisha in establishing a Human Resource Unit (HRU).
The HRU shall function as a dedicated think tank to enhance and strengthen HR practices across the state government. Its primary mandate shall be to drive comprehensive and integrated HR management within the state, focusing on recruitment, learning and development, and performance management systems. The HRU shall provide strategic direction and support to HR teams or Capacity Building Units (CBUs) across various line departments and ensure their alignment with state and national priorities, fostering a well-rounded HR ecosystem within the state government.
HRU will be responsible for institutionalising the strategic work done by CEGIS in pioneering a competency-driven approach to Capacity Building. By prioritising competencies, CEGIS aims to bring clarity to the work done by officials and empower them to achieve better results. This translates to a shift in accountability from simply following processes to delivering tangible outcomes.
Position Summary
We are seeking an experienced and dynamic Senior Program Manager (SPM) who can anchor the design, rollout, and institutionalisation of Learning & Development (L&D) and Performance Management System (PMS) solutions within the HRU. This role is critical in translating the HRUs strategic intent into operational programs, piloting and scaling solutions across departments, and supporting their alignment with Mission Karmayogi and the mandates of the Capacity Building Commission (CBC).
In addition to leading technical interventions in L&D and PMS, the SPM will support the HRUs broader mandate by playing a key advocacy and coordination role with department heads, CBUs, and training institutes, fostering buy-in and driving implementation on the ground.
The ideal candidate will understand competency as a concept and its wide application in the Human Resource Ecosystem. The candidate must also possess deep knowledge and understanding of how technology can be used in strengthening government systems. The candidate is expected to have a proven track record of using principles of systems thinking, stakeholder management and change management and is driven by a passion for creating meaningful impact in the capacity building of the state.
Roles and Responsibilities
Institutionalisation of competency-based HR Management (L&D and PMS)
- Oversee the design and rollout of competency-based frameworks for learning & development, and performance management across departments in alignment with Mission Karmayogi
- Identify and address gaps in personnel capability, performance culture, digital infrastructure, and resource utilisation across departments.
- Drive the integration of PMS with learning and career progression to reinforce a culture of accountability and development
- Develop and operationalise tools such as Annual Capacity Building Plans (ACBPs), performance frameworks, Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), and digital dashboards that integrate with platforms like the Integrated Government Online Training (iGOT)-Karmayogi platform and electronic Human Resource Management System (eHRMS)
- Liaison and management of relationships with Technology partners, administrative and state training institutes, learning content developers, etc, to deliver high-quality, scalable solutions.
Enabling CBU Functioning
- Support the formation and operationalisation of CBUs in line departments in line with CBC mandates and Mission Karmayogi guidelines.
- Build CBUs capacity to carry out competency-based HR functions, such as creating job descriptions, issuing work allocation orders, building ACBPs and integrating performance management systems
- Leverage data from personnel diagnostics and HR analytics platforms to enable CBUs to design tailored HR interventions and track progress.
- Facilitate knowledge sharing and cross-learning between CBUs through workshops, learning sessions, and collaborative forums.
Project and Stakeholder Management
- Act as the key liaison between the HRU, line departments, central institutions such as CBC and SPV: Karmayogi Bharat, and external partners.
- Contribute to strategic planning on the implementation of L&D and PMS solutions with HRU leadership and CEGIS to maintain program coherence and drive long-term impact.
- Drives project planning, efficient resource allocation, goal tracking, risk identification and mitigation for seamless project execution
- Manage and mentor a team of managers (s) and associates (s) to deliver time-bound, defined outputs and outcomes in alignment with the projects goals
- Lead advocacy efforts with senior bureaucratic and political leadership to build consensus and institutionalise customised HR reforms in the state context
- Build internal consensus and ownership through regular presentations, briefs, and review meetings with departments.
Knowledge and Change Management
- Lead the documentation of implementation journeys, challenges, and good practices across departments.
- Translate data insights and implementation experiences into compelling narratives to develop knowledge products (e.g., playbooks, policy briefs) and support scale-up
- Identify context-relevant, high-impact use cases in HR reform, learning, and performance management and inform the strengthening of solutions
- Think ahead with the leadership team to plan and prioritise the various activities and constantly link them to the broader goals of the program and organisation.
Education and Experience
- Degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Management, Public Policy, Social Work or a related field.
- 8 to 12 years of experience in a high-performing environment, focusing on human resource management, performance management or project management, preferably within the Indian government ecosystem
- Prior Experience of working on complex multi-stakeholder projects, especially with governments, donors, and research organisations
Note
- The role will be based in Bhubaneswar.
- Remuneration will be competitive with Indian philanthropy and social sector pay scales, depending on the candidates experience levels.
CEGIS is an equal employment opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, ancestry, or national or ethnic origin.
Pre-reads for the application process
Please go through the following materials before sending in your application.
- CEGIS website
- CLOP Initiative website
- Karmayogi Bharat website
- Concept note on CEGIS
- Chapter 5 of Accelerating India's Development: A State-Led Roadmap for Effective Governance by Prof. Karthik Muralidharan
- You are also encouraged to read more of Prof. Karthik Muralidharans work here.
Apply Now Refer this job
Position Summary
The Senior Program Manager (SPM) will manage CEGIS engagement with multiple government departments (e.g., Finance, Health, etc) in a state (ideally manage two main projects at any given point of time). The SPM will lead teams embedded in the assigned departments to implement CEGISs theory of change. These teams will be responsible for designing solutions for improved governance using research, stakeholder consultations, and analytical techniques. The SPM will oversee the design and implementation of these solutions and must work closely with the respective government stakeholders during each phase of a project. S/he shall be primarily responsible for delivering high quality outputs within stipulated timelines.
Role and Responsibilities
The key responsibilities of the Senior Program Manager include
Project Delivery / Management:
- Identifying and structuring problems, synthesizing hypotheses and, developing and applying appropriate analytical frameworks and approaches
- Working closely with sector leads and CEGIS technical teams (outcome measurement, strategic public finance, personnel management and state & market(s), government stakeholders and senior academics (wherever required), to tailor data-driven solutions to local context, and translate technical rigour to on-ground implementation
- Guides the team on high-quality written documents and presentations
- Provides management oversight on day-to-day activities in each project to ensure timely delivery of high-quality outputs
- Overseeing field and desk research using qualitative and quantitative analysis, and relevant tools as necessary
- Ensuring application of organization-wide protocols designed for data protection, data management and project management on the assigned projects
- Proactively identifying risks and issues affecting tasks or workstream delivery, and promptly communicating upward with proposed solutions
- Ensure overall project documentation to aid tracking changes in project scope, delivery including key learning, best practices etc. and sharing with other teams
Client and Partner Management
- Develops a sound understanding of ecosystem organisations, research institutions, potential collaborators and professionals within the State.
- Creates systems for partnerships between government and other stakeholders and identifies an external advisory group of individuals and organizations
- Actively partners with Government (Department heads and second line), and other stakeholders, to define project workstreams
Stakeholder Management
- Oversees the interpreting and presenting of data effectively, helping to convey meaningful insights to internal and external stakeholders.
- Creates presentations, reports, and dashboards for diverse stakeholders. Leads the preparation and pitching of proposals and decks to donors and new states/departments.
- Synthesizes stakeholders' feedback to develop strategic communication strategies.
- Engages with vertical teams and government stakeholders to pitch ideas, present concepts, and advocate for impactful initiatives.
- Develops and nurtures relationships with public officials, government departments, and other stakeholders to facilitate collaboration and support for projects.
Knowledge Management
- Identifies internal and external knowledge sources and shares best practices.
- Plans and executes initiatives related to knowledge sharing and partnerships.
Required Qualifications, Skills, and Abilities
- Masters degree or equivalent in economics, statistics, mathematics, public policy, engineering, management, social science, or related fields from a reputed institution
- 8-12 years of relevant work experience in one or more of the following areas: Governance/Development or Management/Strategy Consulting
- Public service with a government (preferably state governments) or quasi-government body
- Familiarity with governance interventions in education/ public health/nutrition/ local governance/ law and order/ livelihoods/ agriculture sectors would be a plus
- Exposure to Education sector or HR processes would be useful (not mandatory)
- Project/ program management or implementation roles with governments, advisory entities, multilaterals, international development institutions or strategic philanthropy firms
Personal Characteristics and Desired Qualities
- Fluency in English and Tamil language skills Spoken, Written would be an added advantage
- Excellent problem-solving and strategic thinking skills, strong research aptitude ability to analyse complex quantitative and qualitative data and formulate solutions
- Excellent writing and communication skills (ability to communicate complex ideas in a meaningful way and across different audiences) within and outside the organisation
- Passion for improving the effectiveness of Indian States, and alignment with CEGISs theory of change/ impact
- Be proactive and self-motivated, with the ability to independently manage multiple tasks and prioritise effectively with an ability to adapt to a fast-paced and dynamic work environment.
- High ability to collaborate and actively listen to others, understanding and valuing others views and work closely with multiple teams at horizontal and vertical levels in a result-oriented manner.
- Operating style suited to working independently and in a small organisation setting, where teamwork and resourcefulness are highly valued
- Ability to work under pressure by handling competing priorities, strong planning and organizational skills, and an ability to be able to set priorities, plan timelines and meet deadlines, maintaining attention to detail and delivering high-quality outputs
- Ability to think creatively, willing to take risks to experiment with new ideas and the ability to turn ideas into action
- Versatility to be comfortable taking on different projects and quickly dive into new sectors
Location and Compensation
Location: The role will be based out of Chennai. Travel to other states may be required.
Remuneration will be competitive with Indian philanthropy and social sector pay scales and will depend on the candidates experience levels.
Interested candidates are requested to submit their applications by clicking the apply button below
Note: CEGIS has zero tolerance for sexual harassment. We therefore expect each applicant to self-declare related to the same. CEGIS could, if required, initiate a prevention of sexual harassment-based background verification. If an applicant is reported for misconduct, appropriate action that may include employment termination would be taken. Please complete the details for self-declaration on the application form.
Pre-reads for the application process:
Please go through the following materials before sending in your application:
- Concept note on CEGIS
- A glimpse into life at CEGIS - CEGIS Retreat 2024
- CEGIS Snapshot 2023-24
- Podcast episodes with Prof. Karthik Muralidharan one each on education and healthcare in India.
- You are also encouraged to read more of Prof. Karthik Muralidharans work here and through his book Accelerating Indias Development: A State-Led Roadmap for Indias Development.
Apply Now Refer this job
Position Summary
As the State Lead for Telangana, you will lead and drive the CEGIS engagement in the state. This will involve directly or indirectly managing all ongoing projects in the state while working with senior Government officials to develop a pipeline of future projects. In doing this, you will interact regularly with senior government officials, researchers and other organizations working in the space. You will be required to build an in-depth understanding of the states major policy developments and priorities.
This role directly reports to the Head of State engagements (South), who comes with substantial experience in government and a proven ability to deliver systemic reform/ programs at scale. You will also be expected to work closely with the founder and Scientific Director (Prof. Karthik Muralidharan) to understand the intellectual vision behind proposed reforms and drive the implementation of the reforms across sectors in Telangana. Finally, you will be expected to work closely with the Vertical Heads and Chief executive officer to support capacity building and organizational development.
Role and Responsibilities
- Drive CEGISs reform initiatives in Telangana with a strong execution focus. This will involve collaborating with CEGISs functional and sectoral teams (i.e. Outcome Measurement and Nutrition etc.) and drawing on your own knowledge to shape outcomes and create impact at scale.
- Develop relationships with key officials in Telangana and establish mechanisms for review and institutionalisation of reforms.
- Source, embed and provide oversight to other key strategic partners for the State. While CEGIS has a small team in Telangana, the extended network team includes government resources in the form of seconded personnel, Fellows available via a GoTS sponsored fellowship program and external partners. As State Lead, you would work with senior state officials to select, embed and ensure alignment and delivery from all the partners under this reform umbrella.
- Create a culture of impact and enable team building through collaboration and transparency. CEGIS is a young organization. As a startup with a unique goal, managing talent that is energized by contributing to demonstrable impact requires building a culture that is collaborative, inclusive and prioritizes rigour. As State Lead, you will help shape our choices about what we do and how we do it.
Required Qualifications, Skills and Abilities
- Masters degree or equivalent in relevant fields, including management, economics or public policy from a top global program
- 10 to 15 years of work experience with managerial responsibilities, demonstrating entrepreneurship, superb project delivery and team leadership
- Prior exposure to working very closely with senior bureaucrats and designing/implementing large-scale projects is highly desirable
- Strong interest in improving the functioning of the government combined with interest/experience in using research and evidence to improve policy
- Excellent problem-solving and strategic thinking skills, ability to analyse complex quantitative and qualitative data, craft possible solutions and recommend actions
- Excellent writing and communication skills (ability to communicate complex ideas in a meaningful way and across different audiences) in both English and Telugu Ability to build and maintain positive and collaborative relationships both within and outside the organization
- Ability to set goals and metrics for a team, and manage the team towards delivering those goals
- Strong planning and organizationalskills, and an ability to be able to set priorities, plan timelines and meet deadlines.
Personal Characteristics and Desired Qualities
- Ability to align multiple stakeholders and build platforms for collaboration and coordination
- Passion for working with governments and making Indian states work better Public-spirited and generous temperament
- Ability to think creatively, willing to take risks to experiment with new ideas and the ability to turn ideas into action
- Excellent people management skills, with the ability to develop and motivate teams working out of different locations in India towards a common goal
- High ability to collaborate and actively listen to others, understanding and valuing others views
- Intellectual curiosity and ability/willingness to constantly learn
- Operating style suited to working independently and in a small-organization setting, where teamwork and resourcefulness are highly valued
Location and Compensation
Location: The role will be based out of Hyderabad. Travel to other states may be required.
Remuneration will be competitive with Indian philanthropy and social sector pay scales and will depend on the candidates experience levels.
Interested candidates are requested to submit their applications by clicking the apply button below
Note: CEGIS has zero tolerance for sexual harassment. We therefore expect each applicant to self-declare related to the same. CEGIS could, if required, initiate a prevention of sexual harassment-based background verification. If an applicant is reported for misconduct, appropriate action that may include employment termination would be taken. Please complete the details for self-declaration on the application form.
Pre-reads for the application process
Please go through the following materials before sending in your application:
- Concept note on CEGIS
- A glimpse into life at CEGIS - CEGIS Retreat 2024
- CEGIS Snapshot 2023-24
- Podcast episodes with Prof. Karthik Muralidharan one each on education and healthcare in India.
- You are also encouraged to read more of Prof. Karthik Muralidharans work here and through his book Accelerating Indias Development: A State-Led Roadmap for Indias Development.
Apply Now Refer this job
About CEGIS
Centre for Effective Governance of Indian States (CEGIS – pronounced See-Jis) aims to improve lives by helping Indian state governments deliver better development outcomes. We believe that well-functioning governments share at least four features with high-performing organisations: (a) measuring outcomes through reliable, high quality data that enables goal setting and monitoring progress towards these goals; (b) strategic use of personnel – competency based hiring and training, skilling, and performance appraisals to determine job assignments, pay, and promotions – to achieve the goals above; (c) strategic budgeting where resource allocation is based on evidence and cost-effectiveness; (d) and creating efficient systems to leverage external actors (including for-profit and nonprofit organisations). At CEGIS, we support the state governments to build these foundations so that they can deliver development outcomes more effectively.
CEGIS works closely with the political and bureaucratic leadership in the states to achieve transformational change. We are currently present in 9 states - Assam, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh. We also partner with union agencies/ministries such as Capacity Building Commission, Ministry of Women & Child Development (MoWCD), Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation (MoSPI) to provide technical support for strengthening foundational systems and reflect insights from CEGISs work at the state-level into national level initiatives and guidelines. We also collaborate closely with academics and research institutions to ensure our work is grounded in rigorous research and evidence-based practices.
CEGIS Approach and Model of Functioning
Our solutions to enhance governance are co-created with state governments in a state-led way, where we focus on deep partnerships with states with an iterative cycle of think-demonstrate-document-transfer. We work closely with the top bureaucratic leadership, front-line workers and public officials in Finance, Planning, Human Resources and a few other priority line departments. Many of our solutions reflect ideas outlined in our founder Prof. Karthik Muralidharan's book (Accelerating India's Development), and these solutions are constantly being refined based on real-time feedback and are designed to both be customized to the contexts we are working in, and to create templates that can provide the starting point for replication across contexts.
To further explore the mission of CEGIS and the impact we hope to have, please take a look at this video of our CEO, Dr Vijay Pingale.
About the projects in Maharashtra
CEGIS works closely with the Government of Maharashtra to support improvements in governance and service delivery across priority social-sector outcomes. The State Lead will anchor this partnership, working with senior government stakeholders to strengthen data-informed decision-making and execution across key departments. CEGIS supports the state across core social-sector priorities—including health, nutrition, education, and gender—by identifying underperforming geographies, diagnosing root causes through administrative data and field insights, and co-developing actionable, department-ready solutions.
Position Summary
As the State Lead, you will lead and drive the CEGIS engagement in the state of Maharashtra. This will be through a combination of directly leading some projects, and providing support strategic oversight to others, while having an overall picture of the portfolio of projects in the State. You will be ultimately responsible for the success of CEGIS-driven reforms and must ensure seamless team management and coordination with government and external partners. You will interact with senior government officials, researchers, agencies and have a macro-overview of the entire State and will be required to build an in-depth understanding of the states major policy developments and priorities. Over time, you will be expected to achieve a high level of trust and efficacy, and be able to function as an effective advisor to the State Government.
This role directly reports to the Chief Executive Officer, and also works closely with other State / function-heads on solution design, organization building, collaboration with external partners, donor stewardship, etc. You would also work time-to-time with the Chief of Solutions and with the Co-founder and Scientific Director (Prof. Karthik Muralidharan) to understand the intellectual vision behind the proposed reforms and drive the implementation of the reforms across sectors, as well as vertical leads and external partners.
Roles & Responsibilities
Drive the governance reform initiatives with a strong execution focusSolution Leadership and Design
- Provide overall leadership to execute the strategy for the state, collaborate with the vertical and support teams to embed and scale impactful solutions and provide thought leadership to shape the outcomes where you have sectoral expertise.
- Be a force multiplier across CEGIS: Partner with other CEGIS verticals and embed State inputs into solution design (ex-ante), implementation (in-flight), and institutionalization (ex-post), aligning with state capacity building and government processes.
Develop relationships with the key officials of the State and set-up mechanisms for review and institutionalization of reforms
- Pitch CEGIS offerings to State level Stakeholders and influence decision making
- Identify and devise strategies to capitalize on new opportunities within the state.
- Build and maintain relationships with local organizations and stakeholders
- Create opportunities for Project Managers and team members to interact with the principal external stakeholders to create ongoing engagement
- As a State Lead, work with senior State officials to select, embed, and ensure alignment and delivery from extended network team including Fellows, seconded staff from government and all relevant partners under this reform umbrella.
Manage Partnerships and Relations
- Institutionalize Partnerships, funding and other advisory support possible in the region in support of program objectives
- Identify and influence operational partnerships and be the point of contact to maintain the relationships in the region, be it funding partnerships or operational agreements
- Cultivate relationships and networks with prospective donors and industry experts, sectoral influencers, HNIs, other non-profits & eco-system players through engaging and meaningful communication.
- Participate in external events, workshops, and conferences to advocate for CEGIS mission and establish new partnership, thereby advocating CEGIS work internally and externally.
Ensure Oversight to Project Portfolio and management
- Lead in presenting to CEGIS' Investment Committee (Apex Committee) to commence projects, drawing from client interactions and insights, collaboration and effective communication among teams within the office.
- Provide feedback to ensure that the project portfolio aligns with CEGIS' Theory of Change, ensuring effective delivery that fulfills both client and CEGIS requirements
- Participate, as required, and help the teams scope and build the solution proposal, ensuring a balance of rigor, feasibility, and cost-effectiveness, aligned to CEGIS ToC.
- Provide strategic direction to apply technical solutions in innovative ways to address complex departmental / state level requirements.
- Provide strategic insights into project structure, approach, methodologies, deliverables, and timelines, leveraging support from subject matter experts when necessary.
- Address and resolve project-related issues, including delays, data requirements, scope changes, administrative and logistical matters, staffing, and more, with both external and internal stakeholders.
- Review Project OKRs with the Project Leads and presentation of progress to the Management and donors.
- Create a culture of impact and enable team building through collaboration and transparency
Risk Management & Compliance
- Ensure compliance with relevant regulatory requirements and internal policies.
- Mitigate risks associated with client engagements and internal operations.
- Act decisively in response to crises or unforeseen challenges affecting the office's operations.
- Local Vendor agreements and payments
Required Qualifications, Skills, and Abilities
Educational Qualification
- Masters degree or equivalent in relevant fields, including management, economics or public policy – from a top global program. A PhD in a relevant discipline is an advantage but not mandatory.
Professional Experience
- 13–15 years of work experience with managerial responsibilities, demonstrating entrepreneurship, superb project delivery and team leadership
- Prior exposure to working very closely with senior bureaucrats and designing/implementing large-scale projects is highly desirable
- Strong interest in improving the functioning of the government combined with interest/experience in using research and evidence to improve policy
- Excellent problem-solving and strategic thinking skills, ability to analyse complex quantitative and qualitative data, craft possible solutions and recommend actions
- Excellent writing and communication skills (ability to communicate complex ideas in a meaningful way and across different audiences) in both English and local language(pref)
- Ability to build and maintain positive and collaborative relationships both within and outside the organization
- Ability to set goals and metrics for a team, and manage the team towards delivering those goals
- Strong planning and organizational skills, and an ability to be able to set priorities, plan timelines and meet deadlines.
Personal characteristics & Interpersonal abilities
- Ability to align multiple stakeholders and build platforms for collaboration and coordination
- Passion for working with governments and making Indian states work better
- Ability to think creatively, willing to take risks to experiment with new ideas and the ability to turn ideas into action
- Excellent people management skills, with the ability to develop and motivate teams
- High ability to collaborate and actively listen to others, understanding and valuing others views
- Intellectual curiosity and ability/willingness to constantly learn
- Operating style suited to working independently and in a small-organization setting, where teamwork and resourcefulness are highly valued
- Demonstrated relationship-building ability and management of high-level relationships with partner organizations, ideally based on experience of working with Indian state governments
Location and Compensation
Location: The role will be based out of Mumbai. Travel to other states will be required.
Remuneration will be competitive with Indian philanthropy and social sector pay scales and will depend on the candidate's experience levels.
Interested candidates are requested to submit their applications by clicking the apply button below
Note: CEGIS has zero tolerance for sexual harassment. We therefore expect each applicant to self-declare related to the same. CEGIS could, if required, initiate a prevention of sexual harassment-based background verification. If an applicant is reported for misconduct, appropriate action that may include employment termination would be taken. Please complete the details for self-declaration on the application form.
Pre-reads
- CEGIS Overview
- A glimpse into life at CEGIS - CEGIS Retreat 2024
- Podcast episodes with Prof. Karthik Muralidharan – on education , healthcare , federalism and state capacity, and bureaucracy in India.
- You are also highly encouraged to read Prof. Karthik Muralidharans book Accelerating Indias Development: A State-Led Roadmap for Indias Development that informs much of CEGISs work and theory of change (especially Chapters 1, 4-6, 10-12, and 15-16)
Apply Now Refer this job
Pagination
General interest applications: If you are excited about our mission, but don’t see any open roles that are a match for your skills, you can always fill out our General Application Form. We review submissions on a rolling basis and will reach out if we think you might be a good fit. Please note that we cannot respond to all applications. You will hear from us if you are shortlisted for the first level in the screening process.
We are an Equal Opportunity Employer and do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of caste, creed, race, colour, sex, age, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, and basis of disability.
FAQ
If your profile matches the current openings, the Talent Acquisition team from CEGIS will connect with you within a week or so. If you do not receive a response to your application, it is likely that there is no obvious fit between your experience and skills and the role for which you applied.
- Step 1: (After application short-listing) A member of our Talent Acquisition team will schedule an introductory audio or video call to understand your experience, skills, and motivation to work with CEGIS.
- Step 2: Depending on the role(s) you are interested in, and the open positions we plan to hire for, the talent advisor will take your candidature to the next steps, which include
- Step 3: Completing a written assignment to assess aptitude for the role and writing skills, as well as an online assessment.
- Step 4: If you pass the assignment, there will be 1 or 2 rounds of technical interviews with the hiring managers. For senior positions, there may be more than two rounds of interviews.
- Step 5: The final HR interview helps assess the culture fit and also answer any questions you may have for CEGIS.
- Step 6: The Talent Acquisition (TA) team informs the selected candidate of the outcome of his/her application. As a next step, the HR team will discuss the compensation for the position, and based on your acceptance, three professional references will be sought.
We usually aim to complete the interview process within a timeframe of 3 to 4 weeks.
You may apply for multiple roles. Your profile will be assessed, and we will take it forward with the role that most closely aligns with your qualifications and the job description.
Yes, when reapplying, be sure to mention the specific role you applied for in the past and the name of the person you spoke with. Also, highlight the additional experiences you've gained since then, and explain how they have shaped you, making you better positioned to apply for the role(s) today.
It depends on the role for which you have applied. In most cases, the technical skills required for a particular role are clearly mentioned in the job descriptions (JDs).
Yes, you can apply if knowledge of statistical/data analysis tools is not a mandatory requirement. However, you must possess excellent data analysis skills and have at least a working knowledge of advanced MS-Excel functionalities.
Some roles, especially in Outcome Measurement, require mandatory knowledge of statistical tools such as STATA and/or R. For generalist roles, such as those in project delivery, you are required to possess analytical skills and have at least a working knowledge of advanced MS-Excel functionalities.
As the titles suggest, a Senior Programme Associate typically has more years of both overall and relevant work experience compared to a Programme Associate. The positioning of the candidate may also depend on the specific skill sets that candidates possess for the particular role.
CEGIS offers competitive salaries as per industry standards. Salary ranges are specific to individual positions and will be discussed during the recruitment process.
In cases where there are multiple locations open, we will assess your profile and try to evaluate you for your desired location.
We offer internship opportunities based on project needs and availability of mentors who can offer guidance during the internship.
To learn more about the type of reforms CEGIS is seeking to implement in states, please go through the following materials before sending in your application:
- Concept note on CEGIS
- Podcast episodes with Prof. Karthik Muralidharan – one each on education and healthcare in India.
- Collection of Prof. Karthik Muralidharan’s work here.




