Job Description

Evidence Action is looking for someone to join our India Safe Water Expansion team as Senior Manager Safe Water Operations (SMSWO). Reporting to the Program Director, Safe Water, the SMSWO will be responsible for overseeing the overall operations and implementation of the program at the national level. S/he will work closely with the program team, partners, and stakeholders to ensure the smooth and effective operation of the program. Evidence Action is looking for a diversified program manager who can operate and coordinate at scale and in time sensitive environments. The Senior Manager Safe Water Operations will be required to travel to state-based programs for about 40% of the time. Travel is primarily during business days, while occasional weekend engagements may be expected. Responsibilities Lead statewide deployment and scale-up of water treatment devices across all intervention states, ensuring smooth functioning of day-to-day program operations. Oversee state program teams, directly supervising State Program Managers to ensure timely and effective execution. Coordinate with our program strategy team to effectively transition planning and tasks from the strategy portfolio to the operations portfolio. Collaborate with Program Director, Deputy Program Director and teams to develop strategic plans, goals, and objectives for the SW program. Ensure that the program is aligned with the organizations mission and vision. Oversee procurement, supply chain management, installation and maintenance of water treatment devices across the select program states. Lead in developing and managing program work-plans and timelines with team/individual responsibilities assigned to ensure timely and high-quality deliverables for internal and external purposes. Lead the development of guidelines, trackers and tools to be used by state teams for program implementation and monitoring. Ensure that the Program Director and other internal stakeholders are kept up to date on progress against the program work plan and timelines. Support the development and review of program activities and reports with state offices on a monthly/quarterly basis and identify and correct performance issues Work closely with the finance team to develop program budgets and monitor expenses. Ensure that program activities are financially viable and cost-effective. Carry out field visits to state offices to provide program and technical support as needed. Conduct scoping exercises to identify and assess areas of expansion, evaluate various program benefits and risks associated with providing technical assistance to state governments on safe water, and develop mitigation strategies to overcome any such risks. Coordinate with state-based teams and work with stakeholders (including departments of water, Jal Jeevan Mission) to ensure that the design and implementation of Evidence Action programs follow standard protocols and are aligned with Government efforts to improve program quality and effectiveness. Support the design of M&E processes and developing data collection tools, in support of and coordination with the MLE team. Identify Human Resource needs at national and state level and work with the HR team for recruitments as necessary. Provide inputs/support other teams in the design and development of program communication and training materials for uses as per the guidelines issued by the government. Develop and maintain strategic partnerships and networks with multi-sectoral and multi-stakeholder platforms to engage a diverse set of actors (e.g. social activists, NGOs. technical agencies, and media, academia, and civil society, members of the medical community, Social Service Organizations) and identify opportunities for strategic engagement to advance Evidence Action s priorities in India Attend meetings with governments, other technical agencies and partners related to promoting - Evidence Action programs integration and expansion, as well as disseminating results and lessons learned. Report to and support the Program Director on stakeholder alignment, replication, mainstreaming and scaling up of best practices and evidence. Engage with national Jal Jeevan Mission representatives, state Jal Jeevan Mission representatives, state departments of water, NGO partners, suppliers, manufacturers, and others; Requirements : Post graduate degree in development, social sciences, public health or related disciplines. Minimum 8+ years of experience working with national / international organizations, particularly on program delivery. Demonstrated successful experience in leading, building and managing high performing teams through a culture transformation towards empowerment, transparency and accountability. Strong knowledge of public sector (preferably Water) systems, structures and programs. Experience successfully implementing and rapidly scaling large-scale programs. Experience overseeing complex program operations. Highly motivated to achieve exceptional quality of results, and the ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously. Strong analytical, communication, presentation and documentation skills in English are essential for reports and brief writing. Ability to synthesize information clearly and produce good quality documents keeping to tight deadlines. Exceptional ability to work with minimal supervision, while also proactively and regularly communicating upward relevant progress updates and bottlenecks requiring attention or support from leadership. Willing to travel at least 40% of the time. Experience of technical and advisory services to Governments or working with Governments on development sector (preferably Water/WASH sector) at any level will be a bonus. Action-oriented, flexible approach and entrepreneurial problem-solving, with an ability to manage multiple competing deadlines. Ability to communicate effectively with people at all levels of the organization. Strong interest in the development sector and desire to be a part of a young and diverse team.

foundit