Designation :Program Director – Operations (School of Gender)
Location :Patna (Bihar)
No. of Vacancies : 1
About School of Gender (SoG)
SoG, part of Piramal School of Leadership, collaborates with JEEViKA (Bihar State Rural Livelihood Mission) to strengthen Cluster Level Federations (CLFs). Key focus areas include capacity enhancement, non-farm livelihood development for women, PRI-CBO convergence, and digital transformation.
Position Summary
The Program Director, Operations will design, operationalize, and scale a structured integrated model for CLF strengthening, covering capacity enhancement, livelihoods, PRI-women leader convergence, and digital transformation, initially across 10 blocks in five districts of Bihar.
Key Objectives of the Role
• Strengthen CLFs as engines for women's economic resilience - build self-sustaining CLFs capable of driving nonfarm livelihoods.
• Enhance household incomes of SHG women to targeted levels through effective implementation of our livelihood strategies and programs.
• Enable PRI-CLF convergence for GPDP integration and scheme convergence (e.g., MGNREGA, PMAY).
• Digitize 70%+ CLF operations via JEEViKA's digital ecosystem for real-time monitoring.
• Foster strategic partnerships with JEEViKA, PRIs, and district administrations for scalable impact.
• Establish robust monitoring systems to track program outcomes and enable data-driven scaling.
Key Responsibilities
• Lead operational rollout of CLF strengthening interventions tailored to Bihar’s context, including livelihood pilots, capacity enhancement of government officials at state/district/block level, promotion of PRI-CBO convergence and digital tools deployment.
• Roll out of livelihood programs independently or jointly with partners.
• Oversee field teams including Program Manages, Program Leaders, Gandhi Fellows, Karuna Fellows in 10 blocks, ensuring timely execution and adaptive management based on ground realities.
• Conduct regular district-level reviews and troubleshooting to mitigate operational risks.
• Build a strong collaborative team of inspired motivated self-driven leaders and fellows
• Donor reporting and management.
A. Implementation and Field Support
• Lead operational rollout of CLF strengthening interventions, including livelihood pilots and digital tools deployment.
• Oversee field teams in 5 to 10 districts, ensuring timely execution and adaptive management based on ground realities.
• Conduct regular district-level reviews and troubleshooting to mitigate operational risks.
B. Stakeholder Coordination
• Build and maintain alliances with JEEViKA, PRIs, block/district officials, and community leaders.
• Facilitate convergence platforms (e.g., Gram Sabhas, GPDP integration) to align CLF priorities with government schemes.
• Represent SoG in state-level forums and negotiate resource support for program scaling.
C. Capacity Building and Leadership Development
• Facilitate rolling out of training modules for District & Block Level Managers, CLF leaders, CLF/Block level cadres, PRI members, and women entrepreneurs on governance, livelihoods, and digital skills.
• Mentor District Program Managers to build internal leadership pipelines.
• Promote gender-sensitive practices in all capacity-building initiatives.
D. Monitoring, Learning, and Documentation
• Liaison with the internal RMLE team to develop and implement M&E frameworks tracking key indicators (e.g., CLF revenue growth, digital adoption rates, convergence events).
• Lead learning reviews, document best practices, and produce quarterly reports for stakeholders.
• Use data insights to contribute to refinement of models and support evidence-based Influencing.
Key Deliverables
• CLF model operational in 10 blocks (Year 1), with 80% JEEViKA compliance and 5,000+ women benefiting.
• 50+ convergence events facilitated annually, linking CLFs to PRI plans and schemes worth ?5 crore+.
• Digital transformation toolkit adopted by 70% of target CLFs, with training completion reports.
• Annual impact report with M&E dashboard, demonstrating livelihood outcomes for 5,000+ women.
• Scaled model ready for 20+ additional blocks by Year 2, backed by stakeholder endorsements.
Desirable Qualification & Experience:
• Postgraduate degree in Rural Development, Social Work/Humanities, Gender & Development, Public Policy, or related fields
• 12-15 years in rural development/system change, with proven work in livelihoods/ NRLM/SRLM, SHGs, federations, or community institutions, PRIs.
• Strong understanding of NRLM institutional architecture (SHG-VO-CLF), women’s empowerment initiatives, Panchayati Raj systems, GPDP/Gram Sabha processes.
Skills & Competencies:
• Exceptional stakeholder management and government engagement skills.
• Ability to manage diverse, geographically dispersed (multi-district) teams.
• Data proficiency in MIS tools preferably JEEViKA tools and bilingual reporting.
• Extensive Bihar travel readiness
Desirable Attributes
• Prior experience in Bihar or similar socio-political contexts.
• Track record in women’s leadership, rural/non-farm livelihoods, social inclusion, and system change.
• Familiarity with state/district government operations and JEEViKA frameworks.
Values and Work Ethos
• Deep commitment to gender equity, social inclusion, and participatory processes.
• High integrity, accountability, and Seva Bhav.
• Respect for community institutions and adaptive, collaborative leadership.
Travel: Travel up to 50-70% across districts/state.
Application process: Candidates interested in the role may apply with their updated resumes by filling out the application form here:
https://forms.gle/Uq2MBUPJNtoJcq2W8