PROJECT MANAGER
Job Description: Project Manager
Organization: The Centre of Excellence in Alternative Care of Children, India (CEAC)
Location: Gurgaon, India
Reports to: Managing Director, CEAC
Salary : Negotiable
Duration: Twelve Month Contract with a three-month probationary period with the possibility of extension.
Organization:
The Centre of Excellence in Alternative Care of Children (CEAC)a registered nonprofit organization in New Delhi, India working towards providing family-based care to children who are without parental care.
Millions of children who are without parental care are growing up in Child Care Institutions. The Research evidence suggests that institutional care is harmful for their development and as a result, UN Guidelines on Alternative Care call for states to support and strengthen families and where placement of a child in care is necessary, family-based provision such as kinship care and foster care should be prioritized.
The main objectives of the CEAC are:
- To promote quality alternative care practice and a child’s right to family.
- To embed the principle of collaboration into national, state and local level child
- protection systems.
- To ensure alternative care policies are accessible to those tasked with their implementation.
- To consult with and assist the government in creating better policies in the field of alternative care.
- To provide a quality framework of procedures/ guidelines that drives continuous improvement and consistency care services with national, state and local relevance for alternative care practice.
- To develop data systems and channels of information that enable collection and analysis that informs alternative care planning and practice.
- To influence the knowledge base and professional capacity of child protection actors in the field of alternative care.
- To improve protection and welfare of children who grow up without parental care.
- To design, deliver, monitor, evaluate and document the Pilot Foster care project.
- To ensure the quality implementation of Foster Care.
Role and Responsibilities
The candidate will be required to perform a wide range of duties including some or all of the following:
- Plan the delivery of the project of CEAC on foster care and Search for Origin and its activities in accordance with the agreed terms between UNICEF, MJF and CEAC.
- Develop new initiatives to support the strategic direction of the project.
- To provide support to families and children.
- Ensure that project activities comply with all relevant legislation and professional standards in India.
- Information Gathering and reviewing confidential adoption case files, medical history, and legal documents retrieval from court and child care institutions/orphanages to find identifying information.
- Background Research and tracing biological parents, siblings, or extended family members through authorized agencies.
- Providing support counseling, preparation, and support to the adoptee before, during, and after the search process.
- Documentation Management for ensuring the safe storage and ethical retrieval of records, including personal items left by biological parents.
- Liaison Roles and acting as an intermediary between the adoptee, the birth family, and sometimes the adoptive parents.
- Legal Compliance and ensuring that all searches comply with local adoption regulations, privacy laws, and ethical standards.
- DNA testing of biological family/members if required.
- Report Development after investigation.
- Oversee the collection and maintenance of records of the project for statistical purposes according to the confidentiality/privacy policy of Indian govt and CEAC.
- Implement the human resources policies, procedures and practices of CEAC & UNICEF
- Liaise with other managers to ensure the effective and efficient project t delivery
- Coordinate the delivery of services among different project activities to increase effectiveness and efficiency.
- Write agreed reports on the project for CEAC, UNICEF, and MJF.
- Will be responsible for the development of a risk register, safeguarding policy, risk reporting policies
- Will be responsible for documentation of the project, including the provision of case studies and lessons learned.
- Ensure that the project operate within the approved budget
- Identify and evaluate the risks associated with project activities and take appropriate action to control the risks
- Monitor the project activities on a regular basis and conduct a final evaluation according to the project evaluation framework, which will include the views of the children placed in foster care.
- Report evaluation findings to the Managing Director, UNICEF and MJF and recommend changes to enhance the project, as appropriate
Qualifications
Education
- Master’s degree in Social Work , Sociology, or Psychology or law.
Knowledge, skills and abilities
- Previous experience and Knowledge of adoption, alternative care practice for children growing up without parental care, with specific Indian experience
- Knowledge of JJ Act 2015, JJ Rules 2016. Guidelines, Adoption Regulations and other related laws pertaining to adoption and foster care.
- Knowledge of project management.
- Knowledge of client groups and/or issues related to the foster care.
- Strong investigative, interviewing, and communication skills, with a high degree of empathy and emotional intelligence.
- Excellent documentation and report writing skills
- Excellent client-facing and internal communication skills
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Solid organizational skills including attention to detail and multi-tasking skills
- Strong working knowledge of Microsoft Office
Proficiency in the use of computers for:
- Word processing
- Simple accounting
- Databases
- Spreadsheets
- E-mail
- Internet
Personal characteristics
The Project Manager should demonstrate competence in some or all of the following:
- Commitment to social justice: Practice in an anti-discriminatory manner and empower the children and families involved in the project
- Build Relationships: Establish and maintain positive working relationships with others, both internally and externally, to achieve the goals of the organization.
- Communicate Effectively with Funding Agencies and other partner organizations.
- Creativity/Innovation: Develop new and unique ways to improve operations of the project and deliver results.
- Foster Teamwork: Work cooperatively and effectively with others to set goals, resolve problems, and make decisions that enhance organizational effectiveness.
- Plan: Determine strategies to move the organization forward, set goals, create and implement actions plans, and evaluate the process and results.
Experience
- 1-2 years of experience in adoption, foster care, child protection, especially with Child Welfare Committee, SAA and DCPU
Working Conditions
- Project Manager will be based in an office environment in Gurgaon, and the project may also be required to work in the community and non-standard workplaces across India.
- Project Manager work a standard work week but may be required to work some evenings and weekends to monitor project activities.
- Project Manager will undergo Orientation and Induction upon joining.
- The performance of the Project Manager will be reviewed every quarter.
Deadline for submission of application: 30 July, 2026