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Job Description
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Job Title:
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Lead Manager- Programme quality, MEAL and Partnerships
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Reporting to (Job Title):
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Head of Programmes
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Contract type:
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Full-time renewable two-year contract, including six months’ probation.
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Salary:
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Commensurate with qualifications and experience and will be at par with the sector and similar organisations. Other benefits as per existing policies will be applicable.
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Location
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Ahmedabad with frequent travel to field locations
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About Sense International India
Sense International India, also known as Sense India, was established in 1997 as the first and only non-governmental organisation to support the development of comprehensive services for people with deafblindness and multiple disabilities throughout India. Sense India works in partnership with persons with deafblindness, their families, carers and professionals to ensure that everyone facing challenges because of deafblindness has access to advice, opportunities and support, we’ve been making an impact for last 29 years. We work with local, national and international partners, including governments to provide innovative and practical solutions.
Sense International India works to ensure that children and adults with deafblindness and multiple disabilities have access to education, healthcare, livelihoods, rehabilitation, communication, and community inclusion through partnerships, capacity building, systems strengthening, research, and policy advocacy across India.
Sense India is an equal opportunity employer and qualified persons with disabilities, women candidates and transgender are encouraged to apply. Our policies and procedures reflect our commitment to child rights and child protection. For more information, please visit our website www.senseintindia.org
Sense India is expanding its scope and activities and is setting up a team of highly motivated and qualified professionals to lead its growth.
Position Summary
The Lead Manager – Programme quality, MEAL and Partnerships will provide strategic and technical leadership to strengthen programme quality across Sense International India's portfolio. The position will lead Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL), support programme design and development, strengthen donor compliance and reporting, build organisational learning systems, and ensure evidence-based programme management.
The role will work closely, under the guidance of Head of Programmes, with programme teams, capacity building, finance, partner organisations, government stakeholders, and donors, to ensure that programmes achieve measurable outcomes for persons with deafblindness and multiple disabilities. The role may evolve over time, and the responsibilities outlined here may increase or be updated based on the developing requirements of the position and the organisation.
Key Responsibilities
1. Programme Quality and Technical Leadership
- Provide technical leadership to ensure high-quality programme implementation across projects.
- Establish systems to monitor programme performance against organisational objectives.
- Ensure programmes adhere to Sense International India’s quality standards and donor requirements.
- Lead periodic programme reviews and recommend corrective actions.
- Promote evidence-based decision making across programme teams.
- Support integration of innovation and best practices into programme conceptualisation and delivery.
2. Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL)
- Lead the development and implementation of organisational MEAL systems.
- Design project-specific MEAL frameworks, logical frameworks, theories of change and results frameworks.
- Develop indicators, data collection tools and monitoring plans.
- Ensure quality assurance of programme data.
- Lead baseline, midline, endline studies and impact evaluations.
- Develop dashboards and performance monitoring systems.
- Ensure data quality through routine verification and field monitoring.
- Promote utilisation of data for adaptive programme management.
- Build organisational learning mechanisms and document lessons learned.
- Document good practices, innovations, success stories and case studies.
- Promote cross-learning among partner organisations
3. Programme Development and Proposal Writing
- Lead development of high-quality concept notes and project proposals.
- Design logical frameworks, work plans, budgets and results frameworks.
- Conduct needs assessments and situational analyses.
- Support development of multi-state programme strategies.
- Collaborate with technical teams to develop innovative programme models.
4. Donor Management and Reporting
- Coordinate programme reporting for institutional, corporate and individual donors.
- Ensure timely submission of narrative reports with high-quality data and analysis.
- Maintain compliance with donor agreements and reporting requirements.
- Respond to donor queries and information requests.
- Participate in donor review meetings and monitoring visits.
- Build and maintain positive donor relationships.
5. Financial Monitoring
- Monitor programme expenditure against approved budgets.
- Review financial utilisation with programme and finance teams.
- Analyse budget variances and recommend corrective actions.
- Ensure value for money in programme implementation.
- Support budget revisions where required.
- Track programme burn rates and financial progress.
6. Partnership Management
- Provide technical support to implementing partner organisations.
- Monitor partner performance against agreed indicators.
- Strengthen partner capacities in programme management and MEAL.
- Facilitate partner review meetings and technical workshops.
- Ensure compliance with partnership agreements.
7. Team Leadership
Provide leadership, and supervision to programme staff.
Develop individual performance objectives.
Conduct performance reviews.
Promote collaboration across programme, finance, capacity building, advocacy, and public engagement.
Foster a culture of accountability, learning and innovation.
Qualifications
Essential
- Master's degree in Social Work, Development Studies, Disability Studies, Rural Development, or related discipline.
Desirable
- Additional certification in Monitoring & Evaluation, Project Management or Data Analytics.
Experience
- 8 – 10 years of progressively responsible experience in programme management within the development sector.
- At least 5 years leading MEAL systems.
- Experience managing multi-state programmes.
- Experience working with institutional donors and CSR-funded projects.
- Experience managing NGO partnerships.
- Experience leading proposal development.
- Experience supervising multidisciplinary teams.
Experience in disability inclusion, rehabilitation, inclusive education, community-based rehabilitation (CBR), or rights-based programming is highly desirable.
Note: This is not intended to be an exhaustive list. Your job description may be subject to change.
HOW TO APPLY
Please send us your updated resume mentioning “Lead Manager – Programme quality, MEAL and Partnership” in the subject line, along with suitability note in one file (Strictly one single file only) on or before 10th September 2026 at career@senseintindia.org
Considering the volume of applications, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.