Program Leader

Job Description – Program Leader

Band: Band 1

Reporting To: Program Manager

Location: Maharashtra

Team: 2–4 Gandhi Fellows

Role Purpose

The Program Leader will play a key role in driving systemic improvements in the state scholarship ecosystem (Pre-Matric and Post-Matric) for adolescent girls by supporting on-ground implementation of mission initiatives. The role involves working closely with government stakeholders, enabling change adoption, and translating program strategies into actionable outcomes at the district and grassroots level.

The Program Leader will act as a bridge between policy intent and on-ground execution, ensuring that interventions lead to measurable improvements in access, efficiency, and delivery of scholarship programs.

Key Responsibilities

1. Program Execution & Implementation

• Drive execution of change initiatives at district and state levels
• Translate program plans into on-ground actions and measurable outputs
• Ensure timely implementation of activities aligned with project milestones
• Operationalize selection, on boarding and performance management processes to enable career development of District officials/ Master Facilitators and Master coaches in Districts Align stakeholder’s expectations for strategic change initiatives and identify best suited cadre to source the best leadership talent (District magistrate, CEO, DLOs, SDM, BDO, BLOs, Pradhan, PRI Members). Understand and implement strategy for the facilitating the change and enabling Govt stakeholders for its adoption. Campaigns rollout, alignment, launch, baseline, Intervention and Endline, Impact.

2. Data Analysis & Insight Generation

• Analyse key indicators such as dropout rate, transition rate, out-of-school children re-enrollment and PGI (Performance Grading Index) to identify systemic gaps
• Understand and address various challenges that girls face in accessing secondary education
• Use data to support decision-making and prioritization of interventions
• Track progress through structured data collection and reporting

3. Field Engagement & Ground Insights

• Conduct regular field visits to understand ground realities and implementation challenges
• Collect qualitative and quantitative insights to inform program improvements
• Build contextual understanding of the scholarship ecosystem

4. Stakeholder Engagement

• Engage with district and state government stakeholders (education officials, nodal officers, etc.)
• Build and maintain effective working relationships to drive program adoption
• Facilitate discussions, meetings, and coordination for smooth implementation

5. Process & Tool Adoption

• Support stakeholders and fellows in adopting program tools, processes, and reporting formats
• Ensure consistency and quality in implementation across locations

6. Team Support & Coordination

• Guide and support 2–4 Gandhi Fellows in executing program activities
• Provide direction, feedback, and problem-solving support on ground

7. Monitoring, Reporting & Documentation

• Track progress against defined goals and report regularly to the Program Manager
• Maintain accurate documentation of activities, learnings, and outcomes
• Capture best practices and case studies for program improvement

8. Coaching and Facilitation-

• Demonstrate effective coaching practices and role model them for District Level Officials (DLOs) and Block Level Officials (BLOs), Elected representatives, Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRI) for conducting selection/ on-boarding and performance management processes. Demonstrate effective facilitation skills and role model them for skill development of Gandhi fellows/ Karuna fellows.

9. Working in Ambiguity with rapidly changing needs-

• Be open to work towards identifying key constraints in the Government department and its complexity. Adapt to the uncertainties and unpredictable pace of work in Govt systems. Identify scope of liaison and working partnerships with other organizations

10. Knowledge Creation-

• Identify and implement best practices by drawing insights to help overcome future challenges. Research focused work that will add to organizational knowledge about the program. Analyze short-comings and failures as opportunities to learn and build own team competencies

Skills Required

• Strong communication skills (English & Hindi)
• Proficiency in MS Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint)
• Basic data analysis and interpretation skills
• Strong documentation and reporting abilities
• Proficiency in AI tools
• Ability to manage multiple tasks in dynamic environments

Core Capabilities

• Systems thinking and ability to understand complex ecosystems
• Stakeholder management, especially with government systems
• Execution excellence and ownership
• Ability to work in ambiguous and evolving environments
• Problem-solving and adaptability

Eligibility Criteria

• Bachelor’s degree in any relevant field
• 2–5 years of experience in the development sector or related domains
• Prior field experience or exposure to government programs is preferred

Travel Requirement

• Willingness to travel 100% for field visits, stakeholder meetings, and program implementation

Ideal Candidate Profile

• Self-driven and proactive with a strong sense of ownership
• High-energy learner with a willingness to work on ground
• Adaptable and comfortable working in challenging and dynamic environments
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to build trust with stakeholders
• Passion for education, equity, and social impact
• Additional Preferred Competencies Candidates should demonstrate strong communication and stakeholder management skills, particularly with district/block education officials and school leadership teams.
• Basic documentation, reporting, and digital coordination skills are expected for effective program monitoring and implementation.
• Candidates with problem-solving ability, ownership mindset, and adaptability to challenging field conditions will be prioritized.
• Since both programs require strong grassroots implementation experience rather than only academic credentials.
• Diversity in regional representation across Maharashtra may also help strengthen local engagement and program effectiveness

Send CV to: pslrecruitment@gandhifellowship.org

Subject Line: PL_Samridhi_MH

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