Job Opportunity for Program Director – LAMP at American India Foundation in Gurgaon

Position: Program Director
Program: Learning and Migration Program (LAMP)
Reporting to: Country Director
Location: Gurgaon

Background:

The American India Foundation (AIF) is committed to improving the lives of India’s underprivileged, with a special focus on women, children, and youth. AIF does this through high impact interventions in education, health, and livelihoods, because poverty is multidimensional. AIF’s unique value proposition is its broad engagement between communities, civil society, and expertise thereby building a lasting bridge between the United States and India.

Working closely with local communities, AIF develops and tests innovative solutions in partnership with NGOs and Governments to create and scale sustainable impact. Founded in 2001, at the initiative of President Bill Clinton following a suggestion from Indian Prime Minister Vajpayee, AIF has impacted the lives of 12.9 million of India’s poor since then. With offices in New York, California and Delhi NCR, twelve chapters across the U.S., AIF is transforming lives across 35 States and Union Territories of India while addressing issues in the field of education, health, livelihoods, and nurturing the next generation of leaders committed to impactful change. Learn more at www.aif.org

Brief about LAMP Program:

The Learning and Migration Program (LAMP) provides access to quality education opportunities to children in areas of seasonal migration, while also advocating to communities and governments the universal right to education. LAMP operates in highly underserved, remote districts, where school dropout often occurs due to distress seasonal migration undertaken by the family. This has a multiplicative effect on children, as they are forced to drop out of schools in order to accompany their parents to migration sites and are also engaged in manual labour in hazardous industries such as brick kilns and salt pans. LAMP works with allstakeholders, including community and Government, through a synthesis of basic interventions to improve access, quality and governance. This ensures that children remain in the school net and develop strong foundational skills. AIF engages with various levels of Government and its focus on systemic change has resulted in an effective track record of influencing education policy in India. Initiated in 2004, AIF’s LAMP has impacted the lives of over 5,14,000 children. In 2018-19, LAMP worked across 7 states covering more than 1,200 schools, 1,200 villages and 46,000 children.

Key Responsibilities:

People management:

• Set and monitor achievement of performance and personal development objectives for all direct reports, so that a culture of continuous improvement and learning is embedded within the LAMP team.

• Determine the human resources requirements to execute its work in an efficient and costeffective manner.

• Recruit, motivate and retain high quality LAMP staff across multiple states in line with the AIF India’s policies and procedures.

• Work collaboratively with other programs and functions to contribute to organization success; review outputs and share learnings.

• Provide inspiring and motivational leadership that role models AIF’s values and behaviours and empowers and enables staff to deliver excellence.

Strategic Program Direction:

• Lead the development and implementation of the Annual Plan, to ensure the effective inyear prioritization of resources and activities – in alignment with the overall organization’s plan and strategy.

• Demonstrate good governance within program delivery and financial management, ensuring that all systems and controls are in place and followed to allow accurate reporting, cost effectiveness.

• Identify opportunities to integrate LAMP with other AIF programs in the sectors of education, livelihood and possibly public health.

• Develop guidelines, processes and procedures to be followed internally by the LAMP team that ensures that it meets the annual plan targets.

• Designing an impact measurement and monitoring system for the LAMP programme by working closely with the MEL team.

• Responsible for corrective actions where needed as a result of the monitoring and evaluation process of the LAMP program and ensure appropriate and timely communication to various stakeholders in India and the US.

Program and Budget Management :

• Develop and implement long-term goals and objectives to achieve the successful outcome of various programs

• Develop an annual budget and operating plan to support different programs

• Write reports on the program for management and for donors

• Communicate with donors as outlined in funding agreements

• Lead role Program Execution

o Design and development of systems and processes

o Project monitoring and reporting

o Review partner performance and take action to improve the same

o Ensure partners adhere to project objectives, timelines, deliverables and financing agreements

o Ensure relevant grant approval and tranche release documentation; timely disbursal of tranches; updating of partner files

• For new projects being considered, active role in

o Initial assessment of NGO / project idea

o Development of proposal, preparation of MOU, and finalization of grant

• Oversee the development of successful proposals and implementation of high impact programmes, ensuring the quality, timeliness and strategic alignment of work to AIF’s priorities and objectives.

• Conduct regular reviews of programmes delivery, monitor compliance with agreed due diligence and risk management protocols, ensuring the interests and reputation of AIF are appropriately and proportionately protected. Intervene to take corrective action where necessary.

• Ensure all proposals and programmes are underpinned by appropriate monitoring and evaluation processes and procedures, in accordance with the frameworks and guidance of the LEI team, to enable the development of rigorous evidence and analysis that supports AIF’s advocacy, scaling-up and mainstreaming efforts.

• Effective management to ensure that the activities are managed within the projected budget

• Responsible to ensure and put in place effective systems for grant monitoring

• Ensure timely spending and effective utilization of monies

Strategic Alliances and Partnerships :

• Collaborate with government stakeholders and partners to co-design appropriate approaches and methodologies to support learning, in line with the LAMP approach and best practice.

• Regularly update internal and external stakeholders of the progress and changes on performance milestones, risks and issues as required.

• Managing relationship with existing and potential donors

• Responsible for quality and timely donor reporting

• High level of internal and external networking especially which will support fundraising activites / campaigning

• Preparing advocacy notes, concept notes and project proposals and other necessary documentation

• Responsible for quality and timely donor compliances and reporting

• Participate in planning and organizing meetings / workshops / seminars

• Manage communications internally and with US offices

Knowledge Management and Thought Leadership :

• Contribute to the development and promotion of high-quality thought leadership, to raise awareness about educational challenges faced by children from migrant communities.

• In line with the agreed AIF’s policy position, support the production of research papers, policy-briefs, briefing notes, and reports that will enable LAMP to reach target audiences with evidence-based messages.

• Using data, evidence and insights from the programme, create and disseminate knowledge and learning internally as well as externally

• Represent AIF in thematic conferences, seminars and other events on education for programme visibility, thought leadership and networking

• Publish articles on AIF Blogs and other external forums based on learning of the DE programme

Key Skills and Competencies:

• Post Graduate Degree in Social Sciences, International Development or Business Administration.

• Minimum 10 years of experience; with the demonstrated ability to foster partnerships and work with multiple stakeholders. Experience of working with both private and social sector strongly preferred with an understanding of both business management practices and passion for social sector issues.

• Experience in financial management/proposal writing/fund raising

• Understanding and experience of Education and its diverse branches of specialty around learning, pedagogy, environment etc.

• Ability to work effectively with others influencing, supporting, following as required in order to achieve fundraising targets

• Proven analytical skills and Strategic thinker, with a vision for institutional capacity building and sustainability

• Entrepreneurial and innovative in approach to the management of objectives. High level of energy & commitment to excel.

• In-depth understanding of national/international developmental issues; with belief in ‘principles of partnership’ for development with the ability to do high level representation on behalf of AIFT

• Exhibits self-awareness and personal management skills.

• High level of team management skills with an analytical and problem solving approach

• Sound financial knowledge and understanding.

• Excellent written & verbal communication skills; sound representational abilities.

• High personal & professional integrity.

• Willingness to travel.

Other: Salary shall commensurate with experience.

Position Availability: Immediately

Application Process: To apply for this position, send your CV and covering letter describing how you meet the specifications for this role and what you bring to it along with your current and expected salary to indiarecruitments@aif.org with subject line “Program Director – LAMP”

Only applications of shortlisted candidates will be acknowledged.