The Nudge Institute
## Job Description: State Lead, Jharkhand – Economic Inclusion Program
**About The/Nudge Institute:**
The/Nudge is an action institute dedicated to building resilient livelihoods and alleviating poverty. We collaborate with women, farmers, tribal communities, and youth on initiatives focused on rural development, agriculture, skilling, and economic inclusion. We partner with over 15 central and state government agencies.
Our economic inclusion journey has impacted 25 million Indians across 10 states, leveraging $250M in government funding to reach 1.25M individuals. Our incubator, accelerator, and grand challenges have supported over 200 social entrepreneurs, including 17 Forbes 30U30 honorees, 3 EarthShot Prize winners, and a Time Magazine cover recipient.
Supported by over 90 eminent philanthropists, 40+ corporations, and 15+ foundations (including Gates, Mackenzie Scott, Vinod Khosla, Nandan Nilekani, Tata Trusts, Skoll, Meta, LinkedIn, HDFC, Mphasis, KPMG, and L’Oreal), we are actively contributing towards a “poverty-free India, within our lifetime.”
**What We’re Solving For:**
We address the needs of financially and socially vulnerable households living in poverty through a targeted, multi-faceted, and sequenced model called the graduation approach. This approach has proven effective in sustainably lifting households out of poverty.
At The/Nudge Institute, we have been piloting this program for the past 3 years and are actively working to expand its reach. Our mission is to empower the most excluded individuals to become contributing members of the economy by:
* Enabling government adoption through research, design, and implementation support.
* Continuously implementing the program to refine its design for large-scale impact.
* Providing technical and capacity-building support to empower more NGOs to adopt the approach.
* Generating data on poverty and evidence on the graduation approach to encourage government adoption at scale.
* Developing technology solutions for NGOs and governments to implement the program effectively and efficiently.
**Position Overview:**
The/Nudge is collaborating with the Jharkhand State Livelihoods Promotion Society (JSLPS), Government of Jharkhand, to increase the adoption of the graduation approach/economic inclusion program. Our focus is on targeting ultra-poor/poorest of the poor, and other marginalized/vulnerable communities like PVTGs and women engaged in producing and selling country liquor.
We are currently implementing three distinct programs in Jharkhand:
* A special project with the Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD), Government of India, targeting 4000 ultra-poor families.
* A program specifically focused on PVTGs.
* A program specifically designed for women engaged in the production and sale of country liquor.
To facilitate these programs, Project Management Units (SPMU) have been established at JSLPS, Ranchi. These units assist the Government of Jharkhand in designing and implementing the programs through the graduation approach, integrating it into the community institutions of JSLPS. Additionally, we have our own direct implementation in Jharkhand at a smaller scale (~1500 households).
This position is for the SPMU at Ranchi, JSLPS, and will report to the Head of Operations.
**Responsibilities:**
* Provide leadership to The/Nudge’s efforts in Jharkhand, establishing a strong presence for the organization in the state.
* Lead all operations and products related to the economic inclusion programs, working closely with all stakeholders, particularly the government, to scale up the programs.
* Collaborate with relevant departments to ensure timely budget allocation for smooth program operations.
* Ensure 100% adherence to all stationary compliances, reporting, and documentation requirements as outlined by the government and The/Nudge.
* Support JSLPS in developing a strategy and program design to target ultra-poor households through the ‘Graduation Approach’ / ‘Economic Inclusion Program’, building upon the existing community institutions enabled by JSLPS/DAY-NRLM.
* Assist JSLPS in planning activities, providing orientation on necessary activities, and ensuring their regular implementation with proper monitoring.
* Support JSLPS in conducting action research on the graduation approach through the project, based on the strategy and design developed in consultation with key stakeholders.
* Facilitate convergence of various state initiatives (social security, livelihood promotion, financial inclusion, social empowerment) to achieve the goal of graduating women and their households living in ultra-poverty.
* Take ownership of the implementation and outcomes of the projects.
* Support JSLPS and the DAY-NRLM in periodically reviewing the progress of the special project to enable iteration and scaling.
* Champion the use of data and technology to ensure a continuous flow of data from the field.
* Build strong relationships with key government stakeholders in JSLPS to ensure the success of the special project.
* Foster relationships with key government departments and provide support in successfully adopting strategies targeting the ultra-poor.
* Contribute to the learning and development of the team working on these projects/programs.
**Ideal Candidate Profile:**
* Possesses 12-15 years of experience and holds a postgraduate degree.
* Demonstrates a growth mindset, continuously learning and improving.
* Has a proven track record of successfully initiating and leading initiatives, working effectively under uncertainty, and articulating a vision to secure buy-in from stakeholders.
* Exhibits excellent interpersonal and communication skills, fluent in English and Hindi.
* Possesses strong analytical and critical thinking skills.
* Is adept at collaborating with diverse stakeholder groups in a fast-paced environment.
* Prioritizes the needs of the community, setting aside personal bias to make the right decisions.
* Has experience in designing/managing multi-stakeholder development sector programs that involve SHGs, Community Institutions, and JSLPS.
* Is willing to travel extensively and reside in designated districts/blocks/panchayats as required by the program’s goals.
* Is passionate about serving those in need with humility and sensitivity.
**Location:**
JSLPS, Government of Jharkhand, Ranchi
**We are committed to building an inclusive and diverse organization. We encourage qualified individuals from all backgrounds to apply, regardless of religion, caste, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, ethnicity, age, or any other dimension of identity.**
To apply for this job please visit thenudge.freshteam.com.
