Job Description

Department

- Program Team

Reports To -

Chief Executive Officer

Role Overview

The

Practice Lead - Community Development

integrates and coordinates across the Raintree Foundation's community-based thematic programs, as well as collaborates closely with the Environment-based thematic programs. This role will ensure strategic alignment, cross-thematic collaboration, and coherence across all initiatives related to Community Development as well as aligning with the environment-related thematic programs. The role aligns with Raintree's mission of securing dignity and wellbeing of people and the planet. These Community Development thematics include (but are not limited to):

Livelihoods & Entrepreneurship Community mental health Gender & social inclusion Climate education through our ClimateShaala initiative Institutional strengthening, Government relations, and Entitlement conversions Grassroots communications, and General trust-building activities
Acting as a thematics integrator, the Practice Lead will strengthen program impact by fostering shared learning, building synergies, driving data-informed decision-making, representing the Foundation in technical forums, and ensuring that community participation is embedded across all initiatives. They will be responsible for further developing excellence in the craft of community development by encouraging sharing of knowledge, tools, methods and best practices within the thematic specialists. They will drive the integration of community development with environmental sustainability, ensuring alignment across all thematic perspectives. They will also support performance evaluation and hiring decisions for people in the above and related thematics across distributed teams, as well as mentor and coach them.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Program Integration & Strategic Alignment

Coordinate across all thematic programs to ensure a unified approach to community development. Facilitate cross-thematic program planning, implementation and review. Work with Program Managers to align program objectives with community needs and organisational mission. Ensure program integration in design, planning, delivery and monitoring

2. Community Systems Strengthening

Promote inclusive and participatory approaches that empower communities to drive and co-own interventions. Guide Program Teams on strengthening community institutions and local governance structures through systematic capacity-building and trust-building activities.

3. Thematic Coordination and Technical Support

Provide technical guidance to program teams to ensure coherent designing and implementation of multiple thematics based programs within the community. Identify opportunities for synergy between thematics promoting holistic planet and community well-being. Support the integration of innovative practices and cross-learning across thematic areas. Facilitate development and dissemination of technical resources, tools, and guidelines to strengthen thematic knowledge and practice across teams.

4. Stakeholder Engagement, Government Relations and Donor Interface

Build and sustain relationships with government departments, local bodies, civil society personnel, and community-based organisations. Ensure government interface is embedded in community action plans and that program teams are enabled to engage meaningfully. Support donor engagement for community-led programs, including progress reporting, presentations, and field visits.

5. Community Voice and Communication

Work closely with the Grassroots Communications team to amplify community voices, stories, and feedback.Ensure consistent, culturally relevant messaging across community-level initiatives. Integrate community feedback mechanisms into all programs to guide ongoing adaptation.

6. Learning, Monitoring & Documentation

Support documentation of case studies and knowledge products showcasing impact across thematic areas. Strengthen and implement intersectional Monitoring & Evaluation frameworks that cut across all thematic areas. Ensure adoption of data-related strategies across all levels of the organization. Be accountable for the consistency, accuracy, and quality of program data. Integrate community indicators and cross-thematic outcomes into M&E processes. Facilitate knowledge management, lessons learned, and dissemination of best practices.

7. Team Collaboration and Leadership

Provide leadership, mentorship, and performance management for program teams Promote a culture of shared responsibility, inclusion, and continuous learning across the program team. Oversee project timelines, deliverables, and budgets, ensuring effective project management practices are followed. Collaborate with internal teams (e.g. MEL, MarComm, Fundraising) to deliver aligned outcomes. Contribute to the organization's visibility and influence by authoring articles, case studies, and technical pieces in relevant sectoral and thematic publications.

8. Impact Partnerships for Funding and Proposal Development

Collaborate with the fundraising team to develop grant, CSR, and funding proposals for community-based initiatives. Provide programmatic insights to strengthen funding pitches and concept notes.

9. Representing Raintree in Various Forums

Represent Raintree in external forums, networks, and sectoral platforms, sharing insights and learnings to enhance organizational visibility and thought leadership in the environment and community development space.

Qualifications and Experience

Master's degree in Social Work or Development Studies or Rural Development, or related fields. Minimum 12-18 years of experience in community-based programs with demonstrated success in integrating multiple thematics. Proven experience in community systems strengthening, participatory development, and government engagement. Experience in developing intersectional M&E frameworks and leading data strategy adoption. Demonstrated success in donor engagement, reporting, and proposal development (CSR, grants, institutional funding). Strong experience in managing diverse teams, and fostering interdepartmental collaboration are highly desired. Strong project management skills, particularly in handling multi-thematic programs, are highly desirable Excellent facilitation, communication, and analytical skills. Proficiency in English (must have) and Marathi (good to have); strong documentation and presentation skills. This role will involve frequent travel to program locations and field sites. The position demands flexibility, team collaboration, and strong field engagement.
Job Type: Full-time

Pay: From ?1.00 per year

Benefits:

Flexible schedule Health insurance Leave encashment Paid sick time Paid time off Provident Fund
Work Location: In person