Senior Program Manager – Creche

Senior Program Manager – Creche

 Location: Gumla District of Jharkhand

Reports to: Team Lead

Supports and Supervises: Program Manager, Training Coordinator, Cluster Coordinators, Capacity Building Officers, Safety & Security Officer

About Organization:

Ekjut is a non-profit voluntary organization of India. It’s partnering communities are the indigenous people, people living in the underserved districts and the urban deprived communities. Ekjut works on the theme of Survive, Thrive and Transform. For more details about the organisation, please visit the website http://www.ekjutindia.org/.

Purpose of the Role/Why this job role:

The Senior Program Manager will provide strategic and managerial leadership to ensure the smooth functioning of the crèche initiative for children aged 6 months to 3 years. This role will focus on supportive supervision, assure program quality, timely documentation and reporting, seamless supply chain management, identify the gaps for capacity building, provide critical inputs and take initiative for continuous improvement of the initiative.

About the Project:

The Rural Creche Initiative project in Ekjut supports creches or day care centers in rural areas of Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Odisha. These creches or day care centers open 6 days a week for children in the 6–36 months age group where they stay for 7-8 hours a day. In the creche, children get 1 cooked meal and 2 cooked snacks with 1boiled egg daily, age-appropriate early childhood development activities, they are in a safe secured and hygienic environment managed by 2 trained creche workers from the same village. Currently, Ekjut manages more than 300 creches under this initiative in the 3 states.    

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide overall leadership, coordination, support and guidance to all creche-related staff and functions across all the states that Ekjut manages creches under this initiative.
• Ensure smooth operations across all crèches with a focus on quality child care, safety, and early childhood development outcomes and reporting of the same.
• Strengthen systems for supervision, quality standards, and handholding support to teams engaged in the initiative.
• Strengthen data collection, monitoring system, and use evidence for decision-making and continuous program improvement.
• Facilitate cross-learning, knowledge sharing, and capacity building of team members.
• Provide critical inputs in programme designing bringing innovation, and ensuring smooth and consistent flow of supplies.
• Build and maintain effective partnerships with local communities, donor representatives, and other stakeholders.
• Review programme progress regularly and ensure timely reporting to senior management and donors.
• Identify gaps, risks, challenges through regular field visit and observations and support the team in problem-solving and course correction as required to meet program objectives.
• Ensure child safety, protection, and compliance standards across all crèches and the teams.
• Overseeing, managing and implementing rural crèche policies and procedures.

Qualifications & Experience:

• Postgraduate in Social Work, Rural Management, Child Development, Public Health, or related field.
• Minimum 7-8 years of relevant experience in program management, preferably in child development, health, nutrition or community-based initiatives.
• Strong leadership, people management, and supportive supervision skills.
• Experience in large-scale field operations or multi-site program management.
• Experience in capacity building of FLF.
• Demonstrated ability to engage with tribal communities and work in rural/remote areas.
• Excellent communication, coordination, and problem-solving skills.
• Skill in nurturing collaboration with multiple stakeholders (community leaders, local govt, donors.

Competencies:

• Strategic thinking with operational efficiency.
• Team building and mentorship.
• Commitment to child rights, safety, and holistic development.
• Flexibility, patience, and ability to navigate complex situations.
• Willing to travel extensively. This work involves field travel of 2-3 weeks per month.

Remuneration: CTC Rs. 9-12 Lakhs per annum (CTC includes EPF, Gratuity, Taxes)

Note:

• Applicants especially women and those from marginalized communities are encouraged to apply.
• Ability to link with the community and community-based organizations.
• Applications are received on rolling basis until fulfilled. Only shortlisted applicants will receive a response from Ekjut HR (Human Resources) or authorized officer.

Interested candidates can submit their Updated CV, mentioning the position she/he is applying for the position in the subject line on email: ekjuthr@gmail.com till 30^th September, 2025.

Tags Jobs in Jharkhand. Jobs in Program Management Jobs in NonProfit