Position Summary

The Senior Program Manager (SPM) will manage CEGIS’s engagement with multiple government departments (e.g., Finance, Women Development & Child Welfare, Rural Development, Health, Agriculture, Municipal Administration / Urban Development) in Tamil Nadu (ideally manage two projects at any given point of time). The SPM 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 would oversee the design and implementation of these solutions and must work closely with the respective government stakeholders during each phase of a project.

Role and Responsibilities

The key responsibilities of the Senior Program Manager include:

Identifying and structuring problems, synthesizing hypotheses and, developing and applying appropriate analytical frameworks and approaches
Actively partnering with Government (Department heads and second line), and other stakeholders, to define project workstreams
Creating systems for partnerships between government and other stakeholders and identify an external advisory group of individuals and organizations
Working closely with senior academics, CEGIS technical functions and government stakeholders to tailor data-driven solutions to local context, and translate technical rigour to on-ground implementation
Providing management oversight on day-to-day activities in each project to ensure timely delivery of high-quality outputs
Ensuring application of organization-wide protocols designed for data protection, data management and project management on the assigned projects
Managing teams of individuals from diverse backgrounds and supporting reportees to plan and prioritize activities on assigned workstreams, including timelines, content, and deliverables
Proactively identifying risks and issues affecting tasks or workstream delivery, and promptly communicating upward with proposed solutions
Drafting high-quality written documents and presentations
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

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
6 to 8 years 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 in Tamil Nadu would be preferred

Personal Characteristics and Desired Qualities

Fluency in Tamil 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 organization
Demonstrated relationship-building ability and management of high-level relationships with partner organizations, 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-organization 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