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Senior Program Manager / Program Manager - Karnataka

Position Summary 

The Senior Program Manager / Program Manager (SPM/PM) will manage CEGIS’ engagement with multiple government departments (e.g., Finance, Women & Child Development Department and Health, among others) in Karnataka (ideally manage two projects at any given point of time). The SPM / PM would be part of the CEGIS’ Project Delivery Team (State Team) and would lead teams embedded in the assigned departments to implement CEGIS’s theory of change. These teams will be responsible for designing solutions for improved governance using research, stakeholder consultations, and analytical techniques. The SPM / PM would 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.

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Role and Responsibilities 

The key responsibilities of the Senior Program Manager include:

 

2.1 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

  • Drafting high-quality written documents and presentations

  • Providing management oversight on day-to-day activities in each project to ensure
    timely delivery of high-quality outputs

  • Identifying, obtaining, and collating relevant information and data, and performing
    quality control to ensure validity and accuracy of data

  • Overseeing field and desk research using qualitative and quantitative analysis, and
    relevant tools as necessary 

  • Ensuring application of organisation-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

 

2.2 Client and Partner Management

  • Creating systems for partnerships between government and other stakeholders and
    identify an external advisory group of individuals and organizations

  • Actively partnering with Government (Department heads and second line), and other stakeholders, to define project workstreams

 

2.3 Team Engagement

  • Managing teams of individuals from diverse backgrounds and supporting reporting colleagues to plan and prioritize activities on assigned workstreams, including timelines, content, and deliverables

  • Periodic goal setting for the reporting colleagues and mentoring / capacity building to help their targeted achievements

  • Technically back-stopping teams and managing project transitions

 

2.4 Organisational Development

  • Support CEGIS’ internal initiatives on Organisational Structure, Knowledge Management, Partnerships, Technology and Communications as required

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Required Qualifications, Skills and Abilities 

  • Master’s degree or equivalent in economics, statistics, mathematics, public policy, engineering, management, social science, or related fields from a reputed institution

  • Minimum 5 (for Program Manager) to 8 (Senior Program Managers) years of relevant work experience in one or more of the following areas: Management/strategy consulting or governance/development 

  • Public service with a government (preferably state governments) or quasi-government body as a project manager, young professional, or fellow 

  • Familiarity with governance interventions in education/ public health/nutrition/ local governance/ law and order/ livelihoods/ agriculture sectors would be a plus 

  • Project/ program management or implementation roles with governments, advisory entities, multilaterals, international development institutions or strategic philanthropy firms 

  • Experience of working on projects with the Government of Karnataka would be an advantage

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Personal Characteristics and Desired Qualities

  • Fluency in Kannada and basic to intermediate proficiency in English ∙

  • 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

  • Demonstrated relationship-building ability and management of high-level relationships with partner organisations, ideally based on experience of working with Indian state governments 

  • Strong planning and organizational skills, and an ability to be able to set priorities, plan timelines and meet deadlines 

  • Passion for improving the effectiveness of Indian States, and alignment with CEGIS’s theory of change/ impact 

  • 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 

  • 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 Bengaluru, Karnataka. 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.

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Interested candidates are requested to submit their application here. 

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Pre-reads for the application process

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:

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Concept note on CEGIS

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  • Podcast episodes with Prof. Karthik Muralidharan – one each on education and healthcare in India.

  • You are also encouraged to read more of Prof. Karthik Muralidharan’s work here.

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