Job Opportunity for Assistant Lead, See to be Safe Program at Vision Spring in Pune

Description

Are you a change maker who wants to play a pivotal role in restoring vision for millions of people in low-income settings across India? Would you like to work for an organization that is a pioneer in social impact practices?

We are seeking a highly motivated, dynamic, and self-driven candidate who would like to have a challenging and meaningful career path in the social sector. See to be Safe Program is a key focus area at our organization and requires a proactive and dynamic approach. The candidate must be dedicated and sincere towards her/his work and should always be open to learning new things. The candidate must have in-depth subject matter knowledge, expertise, and experience. Timely and high-quality delivery of goals would be essential and will be a key performance measurement criterion. S/he will develop and grow our See to be Safe Program, the aim of which is to improve the accessibility of affordable eyeglasses to truckers and drivers. S/he will establish and roll out technical protocols, corporate partnerships with sponsors and oversee seamless execution of all field activities and build evidence of the program’s efficacy. S/he will be based out of Pune, Maharashtra, India. 

About You

· You are passionate about improving the accessibility of affordable eyeglasses to truckers and drivers.

· You are great at thinking on your feet. You recognize that programs in the field can sometimes deviate from plan, and are always able to quickly move to Plan B.

· You are a project manager. Nothing gives you more satisfaction than flawless execution and bringing in deliverables on time and on budget.

· “Prove it.” Ideas are nice. Evidence matters more. You love evaluating projects to find out what worked, what didn’t, and what you should be doing in the future. 

· You are a stellar communicator and can tailor messages to different stakeholder groups. You keep partners engaged at all phases of the project.

About Us

· We are creating access to eyeglasses for low-income people. Clear vision creates opportunities for increased learning, work, safety, civic participation, and quality of life.

· As a social organization, social change motivates us first. Our focus is on advancing our mission objectives – to increase functioning, productivity, and income earning potential for our low-income people by correcting impaired vision with eyeglasses.

· We are working to transform the systemic dysfunction which has failed to deliver eyeglasses – a 700-year-old technology – to approximately 55 Crore people in India in need of vision correction.

· We serve low-income people who are more than beneficiaries to us. The people we serve expect high-quality eye-screenings and eyeglasses.

· To efficiently scale, we must deliver each new unit with less cost.

· We run our operations on metrics and social impact measures. We leverage a range of processes and practices to get the work done.

· We believe in scaling our impact, not our organization. We are a lean team of doers.

What You’ll Do

Program Support:

· Assist the Lead Programs or Program Manager in planning, executing, and monitoring program activities.

· Help develop and maintain program plans, schedules, and documentation.

· Support the coordination of program resources and ensure they are allocated effectively.

Team Support:

· Provide support to program teams and project managers within the program.

· Assist in assigning tasks and responsibilities to team members.

· Foster a collaborative and productive team environment.

Stakeholder Communication:

· Assist in communication with internal and external stakeholders, including senior management, clients, and partners.

·  Help ensure that stakeholders are informed about program progress and any relevant updates.

Documentation and Reporting:

· Maintain program documentation, including project plans, status reports, and meeting minutes.

· Assist in preparing regular program status reports for senior management and stakeholders.

· Ensure that documentation is accurate and up to date.

Risk Management:

· Assist in identifying potential risks and issues related to program execution.

· Contribute to the development of risk mitigation strategies and contingency plans.

· Monitor and report on the status of risk mitigation efforts.

Quality Assurance:

· Assist in establishing and enforcing quality assurance processes to ensure program deliverables meet established standards.

· Support program teams in adhering to quality and compliance requirements.

Task Execution:

· Take on specific tasks or responsibilities as delegated by the Lead Programs or Program Manager.

· Ensure that assigned tasks are completed on time and within budget.

Program Governance and Compliance:

· Help ensure that the program adheres to organizational policies, industry regulations, and best practices.

· Assist in establishing and maintaining program governance structures as needed.

Continuous Improvement:

· Contribute to the identification of opportunities for process improvements within the program.

· Assist in implementing changes and enhancements to improve program efficiency and effectiveness.

Support for Program Closure:

· Assist in the closure process of programs, ensuring that all deliverables are met, and objectives are achieved.

· Participate in post-program evaluations to capture lessons learned and areas for improvement.

Conflict Resolution:

· Help identify and address conflicts or disputes within the program team or between stakeholders.

· Support conflict resolution efforts and maintain a positive team dynamic.

Program Integrity, Monitoring, and Reporting

· Provide technical input for the See to be Safe Program design, delivery, and reporting framework.

· Develop a process to monitor accuracy of diagnosis and glasses fulfillment against prescriptions.

· Oversee field data collection and data analysis.

· Identify program successes and areas for improvement, and tailor project design accordingly. Share learning across the team. Establish quality improvement processes.

· Prepare basic impact reports to disseminate among all project investors and school administrators.

· Manage the Profit and Loss statement and keep checks on program budgets. 

Program Management

· Lead stakeholder engagement and communications with all project stakeholders. These include: 1) Field representatives of project sponsors (corporations, NGOs, government agencies).

· Create program collateral (documents, presentations etc.) to support program delivery.

· Identify and share opportunities for strategic partnerships with state and district level government agencies and corporates in support of business development objectives.

Project Team Development & Implementation

· Execute projects on time and on budget. Develop project schedules. Identify risks and develop field execution contingency plans.

· Supervise the day-to-day operation of the See to be Safe unit. Manage project staffing and deployment to field posts.

· Hire and train team members who have both optometric and project coordination experience.

· Ensure all project staff are effective in creating a memorable and motivational experience for children and their adults.

Program Advocacy

· S/he is the customer (Corporates, Governments etc.) relationship owners, it makes sense to convert that relationship and value into real advocacy. It could come in the form of external reviews, panel discussions, a case study, or referrals etc. 

· Help clients share their impact with stakeholders, including their upstream buyers, boards of directors and employees. Coordinate with Marketing to support clients in sharing their results externally.

Requirements

· Master’s Degree.

· Preference for trained optometrists or ophthalmologists, or relevant experience in the eye care sector.

· At least 6 to 8 years of professional experience.

· Excellent communication skills in English, Hindi, and Marathi.

· Willingness to travel within India.

· Must meet the highest standards of ethics and personal integrity.

· Proficiency in MS Office (especially PowerPoint and Excel).

Compensation and Benefits

· Salary based on experience and education.

· Competitive benefits, including health insurance and generous vacation time.

To Apply

· We want to know more than just what you have done. We want to know who you are. What are the passions and talents that draw you to this role?· Please submit an application, including a thoughtful cover letter and your CV/resume, to: hr.india@visionspring.org. Please ensure there is a short description of each organization on your CV/resume. Include your last name and “Assistant Lead, See to be Safe Program” in the subject line.

· Please note that only candidates to be interviewed will be contacted.

· Evaluation of qualified candidates will include an assessment exercise, which will be followed by a competency-based interview.

· We are an Equal Opportunity Employer.