Program Lead - Swayamshree, Mumbai

Program Lead - Swayamshree, Mumbai
Experience: 12+ years
Salary: Up to 40 LPA
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Project Overview:

Org is launching a project to empower aspiring women entrepreneurs, including individuals and members of Self-Help Groups (SHGs) and SHG Federations, by fostering an environment conducive to their proactive participation in local economic development. This initiative aligns with the Government of India's Ministry of Rural Development (MoRD) goal of enabling rural SHG women to earn at least Rs. 1 lakh in annual income. The project will focus on driving women-led enterprise development in identified districts, with support from State Rural Livelihood Missions and field implementation agencies across three states over three years.

Role Summary:

The Program Lead will head the Project Management Unit (PMU) and will be responsible for the comprehensive implementation of the project according to the project operating plan. This includes overseeing execution across the three states, leveraging the strengths of partner organizations, managing field implementation agencies, the monitoring and evaluation agency, and State Rural Livelihood Missions (SRLMs), managing budget flows, and providing regular updates to the Project Steering Committee. The Program Lead will be the primary point of contact for the project's principal partners and will be responsible for the development and delivery of the project implementation plan, and stakeholder management.

Roles & Responsibilities 

• Develop the Project Implementation Plan and ensure its delivery.
  • Timely development and approval of the Project Implementation Plan.
  • Adherence to project timelines and budget as per the plan.

• Manage project work streams and own key deliverables: 
  • Provide technical assistance in project implementation and support the design and evaluation of project interventions. 
  • Support the development of approaches, tools, and materials for monitoring and evaluating the Empowering Women Entrepreneurs Project. 
  • Manage key project work streams, including analytics and on-ground execution. 
  • Manage Thematic Leads, State Execution Units, Field Implementation Agencies, and District Level Teams for execution. 
  • Manage the budget and execute contracts/grants/MoUs with field implementation agencies, the monitoring & evaluation agency, and other partners.

• Successful design and implementation of project interventions, measured by achievement of project objectives. 
  • Development and effective utilization of monitoring and evaluation tools and materials. 
  • Effective management of project work streams, demonstrated by the timely and quality delivery of key deliverables. 
  • Efficient and effective management of Field Implementation Agencies and District Level Teams, measured by their performance against agreed targets. 
  • Sound fiscal management, with adherence to budgetary guidelines and timely execution of contracts/grants/MoUs.

• Manage key management dashboards, including data collection (with support from the M&E agency and implementation agency) and interpretation to derive insights for management discussion.
  • Timely and accurate data collection and reporting. 
  • Development and maintenance of effective management dashboards. 
  • Provision of actionable insights derived from data analysis to inform project decision-making.

• Engage with senior stakeholders in the State Government to ensure smooth project implementation.
  • Effective engagement with state government stakeholders, demonstrated by their active support and collaboration. 
  • Resolution of issues in a timely manner.

• Identify critical issues through daily engagement with Field Implementation Agencies and collaboratively problem-solve with stakeholders (including state government stakeholders) to resolve them.
  • Proactive identification and resolution of project issues, minimizing disruptions to implementation. 
  • Positive feedback from Field Implementation Agencies and other stakeholders on problem-solving effectiveness.

• Manage and ensure retention of reporting team members, and ensure the team is motivated and delivers quality outputs on time.
  • High team morale and retention rates. 
  • Consistent delivery of high-quality outputs by the team, meeting deadlines and quality standards.

Key Stakeholders/Collaborators:

• Partner Organizations
• Government Authorities
• Senior Leadership
• State Teams

Experience & Educational Requirements:

• Educational Qualifications:
  • Necessary: Postgraduate Degree in Rural Development, Social Work, Agriculture, Business Administration, Management, allied disciplines, or Development Studies from a reputed university/institute.
• Experience:
  • 12-20 years of work experience, with a minimum of five years in a leadership position, and a proven track record of complex program management and building and maintaining external relationships.
  • Excellent track record of building and nurturing relationships with development organizations at multiple levels.
  • Extensive program experience in one or more of the following portfolios is preferred: livelihoods, women empowerment, government collaborations.
• Other Requirements:
  • Proven track record of working on large-scale rural development programs and with women's Self-Help Groups (SHGs) under NRLM.
  • Understanding of the development sector and critical cross-cutting themes.
  • Deep understanding of the impact on large populations.
  • Experience in managing and leading bilateral and multilateral projects.
  • Leadership skills, including strategic thinking, decisiveness, action orientation, and adaptability.
  • Strong ability to nurture and empower staff at every level.
  • Critical thinking skills (ability to think clearly and rationally and select the best method as appropriate).
  • Program design and development experience (including conceptual clarity).
  • Experience in the deployment of digital and technology solutions in the livelihood sector.

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Hiring Note: Applications will be reviewed on rolling basis. This job is first posted on March 21 2025 on GroundZeroJobs.org

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