Position Summary

The Senior Programme Manager / Programme Manager (SPM/PM) will manage CEGIS’ engagement with multiple government departments (e.g., Finance, Health, etc) 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.

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
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

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

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

Organisational Development

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

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 Programme Manager) to 8 (Senior Programme 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

Personal Characteristics and Desired Qualities

Fluency in Kannada and 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