Associate Director – Program Implementation & Operations
Location :Ahmedabad, Gujarat
Organisation :Mahila Housing Trust (MHT)
Employment Type :Preferably full-time, given the scope of team oversight and operational authority in this role; a consultant/contract arrangement may be considered only for an exceptional candidate
Reports To: Director- Programs
Experience :Minimum 7 years managing complex programme operations, ideally in the development or non-profit sector
Travel :Approximately 30% travel expected across MHT's operational geographies
About MHT
Mahila Housing Trust (MHT) is a women-led, grassroots non-profit that has spent over three decades building the bridge between informal urban communities and the public and private institutions that can change their lives. Working through community-based women's collectives-Community Action Groups (CAGs) and Vikasinis ,MHT strengthens women's leadership at the ward level and helps them negotiate directly with municipal and state governments on housing, water and sanitation, and climate resilience. This community-to-institution model has earned MHT national and international recognition, and now underpins its expansion into public health, building on the same grassroots trust and government relationships that have driven its work in habitat and climate resilience.
Role Summary
MHT is seeking a seasoned Associate Director to lead the day-to-day implementation and operations of its programme portfolio across housing, habitat, climate resilience, and public health. Public health is a new flagship pillar within MHT's strategy, anchored in climate-and-health work — MHT's role is preventive and community-facing rather than clinical, supporting government systems such as Heat Health Wards, ASHAs, and Urban Primary Health Centres rather than diagnosing or treating patients directly. This is a senior leadership role responsible for translating strategy into disciplined, well-governed execution across multiple states, teams, and delivery entities, ensuring programmes are delivered on time, on budget, and to a high standard of quality. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
Key Responsibilities
• Oversee end-to-end implementation of MHT's programme portfolio, ensuring consistent quality, timelines, and budget discipline across all active workstreams.
• Provide operational leadership across multiple state and city teams, ensuring effective coordination between field teams, technical leads, and central functions.
• Translate organisational strategy — including the expansion into public health and climate-and-health programming — into clear implementation plans, work plans, and delivery structures.
• Establish and strengthen systems for programme governance, budgeting, risk management, and internal controls across MHT and its associated delivery entities.
• Coordinate closely with MEL, fundraising, and finance functions to ensure programme delivery is evidence-based, on-budget, and reportable to funders.
• Exercise line authority over programme teams as assigned by the Director, given that MHT runs multiple concurrent projects; the specific teams and projects under this role's authority will be defined by the Director based on organisational need.
• Manage and mentor senior programme staff and cadre leads (e.g. community mobilisers, technical coordinators), building organisational capacity and succession depth.
• Represent MHT in engagements with government departments, partner organisations, and other external stakeholders on operational and implementation matters.
• Identify operational risks and bottlenecks early, and drive timely, practical resolution in collaboration with the Director and senior leadership.
• Support the preparation of internal and donor-facing reporting on programme progress, ensuring figures and claims are accurate and verified before external use.
Qualifications & Experience
• Minimum of 10 years of experience managing complex, multi-site operations, with substantial experience in a senior operational or programme leadership role.
• Demonstrated experience running large, multi-stakeholder programmes — non-profit, development sector, or public sector experience strongly preferred.
• Strong track record of building and managing high-performing teams across multiple locations.
• Sound understanding of programme budgeting, financial management, and donor compliance requirements.
• Excellent problem-solving, decision-making, and stakeholder management skills.
• Experience working with or alongside government departments and community-based institutions is an advantage.
• Postgraduate degree in a relevant field (management, development studies, public policy, or similar) preferred but not mandatory given sufficient equivalent experience.
• Willingness to travel approximately 30% of the time across MHT's operational geographies, with additional travel as required.
Reporting Line
This position reports directly to the Director- Programs but works closely with the Organisational leadership.
How to Apply
Interested candidates should send a CV and a brief cover letter outlining relevant experience to careers@mahilahsg.org, with the job title in the subject line.
Application Deadline: Open until filled
Selection Process
The selection process typically includes an initial screening call, a short written task or case exercise relevant to the role, a panel interview, and reference checks. Candidates will be kept informed of timelines at each stage.
Equal Opportunity
MHT is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applications from all qualified candidates regardless of gender, caste, religion, disability, or background. Women candidates and candidates from the communities MHT serves are strongly encouraged to apply.