Job Description:
Position: Program Manager (Recruitment Solutions)
Reporting to: Senior Program Manager - Personnel Management Vertical
Location: New Delhi
Experience: 7-10 Years
About CEGIS Foundation
Centre for Effective Governance of Indian States (CEGIS pronounced See-Jis) aims to improve lives by helping Indian state governments deliver better development outcomes.
We work with the State Governments of India to enable a transformative improvement in the functioning of the Indian state in the coming decade. Informed by cutting-edge research and evidence as well as a practical orientation toward implementable ideas, CEGIS aims to provide Indian states with both an analytical roadmap for governance and expenditure reforms as well as strategic implementation support to deliver on this vision.
The organisation has a sharp focus on improving the quality of public expenditure, personnel, and data and, through it, develops templates for achieving a step-function improvement in development outcomes across India. We strive to produce high-quality economic analysis to inform state-level policy-making and work closely with top bureaucratic leadership in states. CEGIS possesses world-leading technical expertise across teams and a deep understanding of service delivery in India. Today, CEGIS works across 6 Indian states and 15+ projects across 6 sectors - Education, Nutrition, and Local Governance, among others. Some of the central government agencies we work with are NITI Aayog, Capacity Building Commission, Karmayogi Bharat, and Intellectual Property Office, among others.
About Personnel Management Vertical
To enhance the effectiveness of government work in India, CEGIS' Personnel Management team is pioneering a competency-driven approach to Capacity Building. This shift addresses a significant challenge wherein the existing system prioritises strict adherence to rules linked to specific offices rather than attaining the desired outcomes. While this can limit the autonomy of frontline staff and managers, potentially hindering accountability for results, the innovative approach actively seeks to empower individuals and cultivate a results-oriented culture. This approach ensures the establishment of a more impactful and accountable government framework.
The purpose statement of PM Vertical: We believe that empowered, equipped and future-ready government officials are crucial to achieving citizen-centric service delivery.
We work with central, state, and local governments to actualise their human capital by improving human resource management practices and organisational effectiveness. We believe that supporting governments in undertaking these reforms will result in improved execution capacity and a fulfilling career journey for government officials.
The competency-driven approach focuses on the skills, knowledge, and attitudes required for specific government roles. By prioritising these competencies, CEGIS aims to bring clarity to the work done by officials and empower them to achieve better results. This translates to a shift in accountability from simply following processes to delivering tangible outcomes.
The Personnel Management team achieves this through three key workstreams.
- Competency-Based Recruitment: Ensures that the right people are selected for the job, bringing the necessary skills on board from the outset.
- Competency-Based Capacity Building (Learning & Development): Equipping government officials with the ongoing training and development they need to excel in their roles.
- Revamped Performance Management System: Evaluating and improving individual and team performance based on achieving defined goals, not just by adherence to procedures.
Through these efforts, the Personnel Management team strives to bring a new level of clarity and effectiveness to government work in India. By empowering staff with the right skills and holding them accountable for achieving desired outcomes, CEGIS is paving the way for a more efficient and impactful government service.
Program Manager (Recruitment Solution) at CEGIS
The Program Manager (Recruitment Solutions) role at CEGIS offers an exciting opportunity to lead large-scale capacity-building initiatives for government officials, focusing on designing and institutionalising competency-based recruitment solutions to enhance efficiency, accountability, and transparency in the government ecosystem.
The ideal candidate will have a strong understanding of competency frameworks and their application across workforce planning, recruitment, onboarding, and their implications for on-the-job learning and performance management. They should also bring expertise in leveraging technology to streamline recruitment processes within government systems. With a proven track record in systemic thinking, and creating knowledge resources to advocate for innovative frameworks, the candidate will be pivotal in driving strategic initiatives.
Additionally, the Program Manager will be expected to support cross-functional workstreams by engaging with team members and stakeholders to achieve shared objectives. This position is tailored for a results-oriented professional with exceptional communication, research, and stakeholder management skills, driven by a passion for creating meaningful impact in state capacity development.
Roles and Responsibilities
- Competency-Based Recruitment Research and Solutions:
- Develop conceptual frameworks and workflows for competency-based recruitment processes in the government ecosystem, from prototyping to implementation.
- Research emerging recruitment trends, leveraging private sector insights, global best practices, and expert opinions.
- Co-create knowledge products to assess recruitment practices, focusing on workforce planning, talent acquisition, and employee engagement.
- Experiment with AI and emerging technologies to enhance applicant tracking systems and strengthen recruitment processes.
- Project and Stakeholder Management:
- Collaborate with ministries, departments, and organisations to understand staffing needs, define job requirements, and implement recruitment frameworks.
- Formulate problem statements, hypotheses, and project plans for effective tracking, resource allocation, and risk management.
- Facilitate workshops and meetings with stakeholders to contextualise solutions and ensure alignment with organisational objectives.
- Document and share project updates, insights, and recommendations through presentations and reports.
- Data Management and Analysis:
- Systematically and efficiently collect, manage, and organise personnel-related data from various sources, including government departments; address data issues promptly to support ongoing project progress and decision-making.
- Maintain accurate records of recruitment activities and candidate interactions in the Applicant Tracking System (ATS) during pilots.
- Analyse information to identify patterns, build insights, and propose scalable solutions.
- Team and Organisational Development:
- Strengthen team capabilities through coaching, mentoring, and fostering a collaborative work environment.
- Advocate for the organisations mission at external events, establishing partnerships and sharing insights on competency-based recruitment.
- Create and maintain knowledge repositories to drive efficiencies and improve project delivery outcomes.
Education and Experience
- Masters degree or equivalent in Human Resources, Business Administration, Management, Public Policy, Social Work or a related field.
- 7 to 10 years of experience in a high-performing environment, focusing on human resource management or project management, with at least 1 year of hands-on experience in recruitment processes.
Prior experience in managing teams and working with the development sector or government ecosystem is preferred.
Required Competencies
The competencies required to perform the above-mentioned roles and responsibilities are as follows:
Functional Competencies
- Talent Management and Acquisition: Understands talent acquisition processes, including workforce planning and hiring; proficiency in using ATS and other recruitment tools
- Research and Data Analytics: Proficient in conducting research and generating actionable insights, skilled in intermediate-level Microsoft Excel functions and basic statistical techniques for data review
- Solution Design and Innovation: Applies user-centric approaches to problem-solving, leveraging insights for prototyping and scalable solution design
- Project Management: Skilled in planning, resource allocation, risk management, documentation and delivering results aligned with organisational objectives
Professional and Leadership Competencies
- Collaborative Problem Solving: Demonstrates the ability to engage with diverse perspectives, seek input from stakeholders, and contribute meaningfully by taking a solution-oriented approach
- Ownership: Exhibits self-motivation and proactivity in managing multiple tasks, timelines, and responsibilities, ensuring accountability for high-quality results.
- Learning Orientation: Recognises the importance of continuous learning and improvement, practices self-reflection, and seeks opportunities to enhance actions and outcomes
- Leading Others: Creates a supportive and inclusive environment for the team, inspires individuals and actively nurtures their growth
Note
Remuneration will be competitive with Indian philanthropy and social sector pay scales, depending on the candidates experience levels.
CEGIS is an equal employment opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, ancestry, or national or ethnic origin.
Pre-reads for the application process
Please go through the following materials before sending in your application.
- CEGIS website
- CLOP Initiative website
- Karmayogi Bharat website
- Concept note on CEGIS
- Chapter 5 of Accelerating India's Development: A State-Led Roadmap for Effective Governance by Prof. Karthik Muralidharan
- You are also encouraged to read more of Prof. Karthik Muralidharans work here.