Job Description: Associate Lead - Programmes
Reporting to: Executive Director
No. of direct reports: 1 +
Location :New Delhi
Duration: 2 years
Job Function :Program Leadership and Management
Purpose:
Deliver the strategic programme objectives of Population Foundation of India focusing on efficiency, quality and integration of our work
RESPONSIBILITIES
State and National Programme Management
• Provide technical oversight to programme teams across states and national initiatives, ensuring alignment with organizational priorities, programme objectives, and donor commitments.
• Work closely with state teams to strengthen programme planning, implementation, stakeholder engagement, and achievement of outcomes.
• Undertake periodic field visits to review progress, engage with government stakeholders, implementing partners, and communities, and identify opportunities for strengthening, innovation, and scale.
• Ensure programme strategies are informed by implementation evidence, field realities, community perspectives, and emerging sectoral priorities.
• Foster cross-programme learning and collaboration to facilitate exchange of best practices, innovations, and lessons learned.
• Guide teams in identifying and addressing implementation challenges, operational bottlenecks, and emerging risks, proactively flagging critical issues and strategic opportunities to the Executive Director.
Technical guidance and Knowledge Management
• Track and analyse developments in policy, research, and practice across family planning, reproductive health, adolescent health, gender, and population issues, and facilitate their integration into programme strategies.
• Support programme teams in applying evidence, implementation learning, and best practices to strengthen programme quality and effectiveness.
• Lead documentation, synthesis, and dissemination of programme learning, insights, innovations, and best practices across the organization.
• Oversee development and technical review of reports, knowledge products, policy briefs, case studies, and other programmatic resources.
• Strengthen PFI's organizational learning agenda and knowledge management systems.
Government, Donor and Stakeholder Engagement
• Build and maintain strong working relationships with government stakeholders at national and state levels, development partners, technical agencies, academic institutions, and civil society organizations.
• Support strategic engagement with key public health platforms and government programmes, including the National Health Mission and other relevant health and development initiatives.
• Leverage knowledge of India's family planning and SRHR landscape to identify opportunities for collaboration, programme strengthening, and policy engagement.
• Oversee donor-funded programme implementation, ensuring timely submission of high-quality reports and deliverables.
• Contribute technical and programmatic inputs to concept notes, proposals, and resource mobilization efforts.
• Represent PFI in technical consultations, programme reviews, working groups, and stakeholder forums, as appropriate.
• Provide regular updates to the Executive Director on key policy developments, stakeholder dynamics, programme risks, and emerging opportunities.
KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS
• Develop and manage plans to deliver Population Foundation of India's strategies, ensuring programmes are implemented to high-quality standards and within agreed timelines.
• Embed timely monitoring and feedback mechanisms into plans and priorities, ensuring course corrections are made proactively.
• Work collaboratively across teams and functions to demonstrate organizational synergy and contribute to integrated programme delivery.
• Contribute critical inputs and actions to organizational leadership, growth, and strategic decision-making.
• Ensure efficient and effective use of resources to meet both strategic and project-specific objectives.
• Work closely with the Knowledge Management team to identify, document, and disseminate lessons learned and best practices.
• Build and maintain a documented track record of PFI's performance on strategic and technical issues related to youth and adolescent reproductive health.
• Contribute to enhancing PFI's ability to fulfill its mission of achieving sustainable, locally owned, and evidence-driven results in family planning, reproductive health, adolescent sexual and reproductive health, gender equality, climate resilience, and gender-based violence.
SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES
• Entrepreneurial Leadership: Provides strategic direction and operational support to build and sustain PFI's programmatic approaches, with demonstrated experience in designing and delivering gender-sensitive programmes and campaigns.
• Communication and Influence: Exceptional communication and representational skills, with the ability to engage and network effectively with diverse stakeholders at senior levels; strong political awareness and sensitivity.
• People Management: Proven ability to develop, lead, and motivate high-performing teams, ensuring effective and efficient delivery in a fast-paced environment.
• Financial Diligence: Demonstrated ability to develop, manage, and monitor budgets, leveraging financial insights to inform programme decisions and ensure accountability.
• Responsiveness and Adaptability: Quickly understands and responds to organizational priorities and urgent demands, adapts to evolving contexts, and proactively embraces new challenges.
• Problem Solving and Initiative: Ability to multi-task, develop practical solutions, and connect grassroots realities to the broader strategic picture.
• Quality Reporting: Skilled in developing evidence-based, compelling reports and narratives that communicate programme impact and learning.
• Delivering Results: Effectively leads complex, multi-stakeholder initiatives, fostering a goal-oriented and problem-solving team culture to consistently deliver high-quality outcomes.
QUALIFICATION AND EXPERIENCE
• Master's degree in Public Health, Social Sciences, Development Studies, Public Policy, Population Studies, Gender Studies or related field.
• 12–15 years of progressively responsible experience in programme leadership.
• Demonstrated experience in family planning, reproductive health, gender, youth or public health.
• Experience managing large, multi-state programmes and donor-funded projects.
• Experience engaging with government at national and state levels.
• Excellent knowledge of government policy around health systems, including sexual and reproductive health and rights and gender
• Proven track record of networking and building relationships
• Computer and IT proficiency
• Fluency in written and spoken English and Hindi
HOW TO APPLY
Please send your updated CV with a covering letter describing your suitability for the position to hrpfi@populationfoundation.in latest by June 30, 2026. Please include the following in the cover letter:
Current CTC:
Expected CTC:
Notice/ Availability to join:
Please mention the position “Associate Lead - Programmes” in the subject line of your e-mail. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted
About Population Foundation of India
Population Foundation of India (PFI) is a national non-government organisation at the forefront of policy advocacy and research on population, health and development issues in the country. PFI leads advocacy efforts and works as a think-tank dedicated to promoting and advocating effective formulation and implementation of gender sensitive population, health and development policies, strategies, and programs in the country. Policy advocacy, social and behavior change communication, community action and knowledge management are some of the key strategies that PFI works on to achieve the organisation’s goals.
Over the years, PFI has played a catalytic role to address issues relating to gender equality, women empowerment and other social determinants. PFI is committed to serving the economically weak and marginalized sections of society in the high priority districts (HPDs) with poor socio-health-demographic indicators.
OUR STRATEGY
Reproductive health and family planning can positively influence and advance the newly laid out Sustainable Development Goals by addressing multiple targets and ushering in an era of development. Access to voluntary family planning has the potential to save lives and help break the cycle of poverty, stabilize population growth and ease the pressure on the environment. It is the most cost-effective development investment.
We believe that health, education and wellbeing of the population is crucial for sustaining just, equitable economic growth and development. For that to happen, change has to happen at three levels – individual, social and systemic or policy levels, ensuring that the country offers a conducive and enabling policy environment for girls and women to claim their rights, agencies of youth to be involved in demanding and supporting efficient and accountable governance and informed policy makers to inspire a vibrant future. PFI will act as a catalyst, a facilitator to offer compelling evidence-based scholarship, thought leadership and convention inform, inspire and initiate actions that will contribute to and strengthen our national plans and priorities. We will realize our mission by building leadership and public accountability, influencing social norms, reframing public discourse and collaborating with national and global initiatives in population studies and family planning. We believe that our mission will significantly contribute to India’s commitment to achieving Sustainable Development Goals and FP2020 targets.
OUR VALUES
TEAM WORK MUTUAL RESPECT
COLLABORATION INNOVATION
DIVERSITY GENDOR SENSITIVITY
CONTEXTUAL RELVANCE ACCOUNTABILITY
EXCELLENCE GROWTH OUR MISSION
We advance gender-sensitive policies and programmes focused on the health and well-being of India’s population, especially women and young people.
STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 1
To advance family planning and reproductive health as drivers of individual rights
• Girls and women are able to take informed choices for exercising their bodily rights without fear or inhibition
• Young people and women are able to access to high quality and affordable family planning services and reproductive health care
STRATETIC OBJECTIVE 2
To position family planning and population measures as critical drivers of sustainable growth and development in India
• Family Planning and women’s rights are national priorities that help realize higher growth and sustainable development.
• Strong rights-based policies, adequate budgets and efficient public institutions help build and sustain quality of life and wellbeing.
STRATEGIC OBJECTIVE 3
To ensure family planning and reproductive health becomes drivers of youth leadership for social transformation at scale
• Gender sensitive family planning and reproductive health rights and services form the fulcrum of all social development plans and actions
• Young people, particularly among women, are leading grassroots transformation towards a just and equitable social system
OUR APPROACH
ADVOCACY:
Global thought leadership, high quality evidence-based narratives to inform and inspire law makers for comprehensive family planning and reproductive health policies; shaping family planning discourses within sustainable
BEHAVIOR CHANGE:
Utilize power of technology and new-age media platforms targeted intervention on reproductive health education and gender sensitive behavior, attitudes and practices of the society, particularly young people
ACCOUNTABILITY:
Promote agency of youth, particularly girls and women, within community led participatory governance initiatives to enhance efficiency and accountability of public systems and delivery services