Job Description:
Role Title : State Head
Location : Patna - BR
Reporting To : Lead-Gender Equity
Core / Term : Core
ORGANIZATION BACKGROUND:
Centre for Catalyzing Change (C3), is a not for profit organization that improves the lives of women and girls in India. Through local partnerships and programs, C3’s proven approach to development gives women, young girls and boys the tools they need to improve their lives, as well as that of their families and communities. Our programs focus on increasing educational and livelihood opportunities for adolescent girls and women, ensuring access to lifesaving reproductive health information and services, and strengthening women’s leadership at the grassroots. C3 is leading initiatives on diverse aspects of women’s empowerment, combined with systems support, and technical assistance to concerned departments of government.
POSITION SUMMARY:
C3 is looking for a dynamic candidate to lead and expand its operations in Bihar, where the organisation has been working since 2007 through government partnerships and community-
based programs, in the key domains of grassroots women’s leadership, gender integration in livelihood and health programs, prevention of gender-based violence, and engagement of adolescent girls.
The State Head will provide strategic, technical and operational leadership for C3’s Gender Equity portfolio in Bihar, ensuring effective implementation and scale-up of programmes, strong government partnerships, high-quality programme delivery, and alignment with organisational priorities. The position will lead the state team, strengthen the integration of gender equity into institutional systems and service delivery, and contribute to C3’s strategic positioning, knowledge leadership and portfolio sustainability.
KEY ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES :
1. Strategic Leadership and Programme Management :
• Provide overall leadership for C3’s Gender Equity portfolio in Bihar, overseeing programme planning, implementation, monitoring and scale-up across projects and geographies.
• Translate programme objectives into annual and monthly work plans, implementation strategies and measurable targets, ensuring timely delivery of all project milestones and deliverables.
• Establish and lead regular programme review mechanisms to assess progress against targets, budgets and implementation plans, identify bottlenecks, and ensure timely corrective action.
• Conduct regular field supervision visits to assess programme quality, validate progress, support field teams in resolving implementation challenges, and document promising practices and lessons.
• Ensure effective financial planning, budget monitoring and utilisation, timely financial reporting, and compliance with organisational policies, donor requirements and contractual obligations.
• Strengthen coordination across projects to identify synergies, improve implementation efficiency, and advance integrated approaches to gender equity.
2. Government Partnerships, Systems Integration and Stakeholder Engagement :
• Build and sustain strategic partnerships with relevant government departments, including Rural Development and Livelihoods, Panchayati Raj, Health, Social Welfare, Women and Child Development, as well as other relevant institutions and development partners.
• Lead engagement with state and district authorities to advance the integration of gender equity into public policies, programmes, institutional mechanisms and service delivery systems.
• Identify and facilitate opportunities for convergence across departments, government schemes and community institutions to strengthen gender-responsive governance, health and nutrition outcomes, women’s leadership, and progress towards SDGs.
• Lead technical coordination with government stakeholders to institutionalise genderresponsive frameworks, strengthen programme ownership, and promote sustainable adoption and scale-up of effective approaches.
• Represent C3 at state-level policy dialogues, consultations, conferences and other strategic forums, positioning the organisation as a credible technical partner on gender equity and women’s empowerment.
• Build strategic collaborations with civil society organisations, academic institutions, donors and other stakeholders to advance C3’s programme priorities and expand its influence and reach.
3. Technical Leadership, Evidence Generation and Knowledge Management :
• Provide technical guidance to programme teams on gender equity, women’s grassroots leadership, gender-based violence, gender integration in health and livelihood programmes, adolescent development, and other relevant thematic areas.
• Strengthen monitoring, evaluation and learning systems, including the functionality and effective use of project Management Information Systems (MIS), to support datadriven programme management and decision-making.
• Oversee timely and accurate submission of Monthly Progress Reports (MPRs), project reports, monitoring updates and other programme documentation, ensuring the quality, consistency and use of programme data.
• Provide technical oversight and support for baseline and endline assessments, evaluations, research and other evidence-generation initiatives.
• Lead the development and dissemination of knowledge products, including policy briefs, case studies, process documentation, learning notes and thought pieces, translating programme evidence into actionable insights for government engagement, advocacy and programme improvement.
• Document and disseminate effective practices and implementation learning from Bihar, contributing to organisational knowledge and cross-state learning.
• Provide technical support to other C3 states, as required, particularly in institutionalising gender-responsive approaches in public systems.
4. Team Leadership, Performance Management and Organisational Effectiveness :
• Lead, mentor and motivate state and field-level teams, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, professional development and shared ownership of programme outcomes.
• Establish clear performance expectations, delegate responsibilities effectively, and ensure that individual work plans and team priorities are aligned with programme objectives and organisational goals.
• Conduct regular team meetings, programme reviews and performance assessments to monitor progress, address challenges, strengthen problem-solving and promote continuous learning.
• Build the technical and managerial capacity of team members through mentoring, coaching, structured learning opportunities and exposure to strategic government engagements.
• Promote effective coordination and knowledge-sharing across projects and teams, encouraging innovation, cross-learning and collaborative problem-solving.
• Ensure timely staffing of approved positions, effective onboarding and deployment of personnel, and adherence to organisational policies and processes.
• Model C3’s values and mission through ethical leadership, inclusive decision-making, respect for diversity and a commitment to gender equality.
5. Programme Development, Strategic Positioning and Resource Mobilisation :
• Contribute to the strategic growth and sustainability of C3’s Gender Equity portfolio in Bihar by identifying emerging needs, programme opportunities and potential areas for expansion.
• Develop concept notes, project proposals and programme designs in line with organisational priorities, government priorities and donor interests.
• Identify and cultivate potential funding and partnership opportunities, including engagement with CSR partners, philanthropic institutions, bilateral and multilateral donors, and other relevant stakeholders.
• Support resource mobilisation through donor engagement, partnership development, proposal preparation and follow-up on emerging opportunities.
• Develop strategic roadmaps and programme strategies to strengthen C3’s engagement with government systems, expand the reach and impact of gender-responsive governance initiatives, and support sustainable scale-up.
• Contribute to C3’s external visibility through strategic stakeholder engagement, thought leadership, knowledge dissemination and communication of programme results and impact.
6. Organisational Coordination, Reporting and Compliance :
• Maintain close coordination with C3’s national office to ensure alignment with organisational strategy, programme standards and technical priorities.
• Provide timely updates on programme progress, achievements, risks, challenges, budget utilisation and emerging opportunities.
• Ensure timely submission of work plans, programme reports, financial updates and other organisational and donor deliverables.
• Facilitate coordination between state and national teams to strengthen technical support, organisational learning, programme quality and effective implementation.
• Undertake other responsibilities as required in line with the evolving needs of the organisation and the objectives of the role.
Core competencies :
• Strategic leadership and portfolio management
• Partnership development and systems integration
• Programme planning, implementation and financial management
• Team leadership, performance management, coaching and delegation
• Monitoring, evaluation, evidence generation and knowledge management
• Strategic communication, advocacy and external representation
• Business development, proposal writing and resource mobilisation
• Analytical thinking, problem-solving, decision-making and conflict resolution
• Strong interpersonal skills, collaborative working and commitment to gender equality
Note: The roles and responsibilities mentioned above are not exhaustive. Role holder will be guided to perform different tasks as necessitated by changing role within the organization and
the overall objectives.
Required Qualifications & Skills :
• Postgraduate degree in Social Sciences, Social Work, Sociology, Development Studies, Public Health, Gender Studies, Law or a related discipline, with at least 15 years of relevant professional experience, including a minimum of 10 years in supervisory, programme management or programme development roles.
• Demonstrated experience in leading multi-project portfolios, managing teams and budgets, and delivering programmes at scale.
• Proven experience of working with government departments and public institutions, including building strategic partnerships, facilitating interdepartmental convergence and supporting the integration of gender-responsive approaches into government programmes.
• Strong technical understanding of gender equity and social inclusion, women’s leadership, gender-based violence, reproductive and maternal health, adolescent development and/or gender integration in livelihoods programmes.
• Experience in programme monitoring, data-driven management, evaluation, documentation and development of knowledge products.
• Demonstrated ability to contribute to programme strategy, proposal development, partnership building and resource mobilisation.
• Familiarity with Bihar’s socio-cultural context, governance structures, development priorities and government programmes is essential.
• Excellent analytical, organisational and problem-solving skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities and work effectively under pressure.
• Strong team leadership, mentoring, communication and stakeholder-management skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in Hindi and English.
• Team Management
OTHER DETAILS :
• The offer made to the selected candidate shall be commensurate with qualifications, experience and salary history
• We encourage early applications as the vacancy may be closed once we receive a sufficient number of responses
• C3 reserves the right to close the job advert early if we receive a high number of suitable applications.
• Only Short-listed candidates will be intimated
• Link to apply: https://mitr2.c3india.org/Career/Home/Application?Code=JOBID-119
C3 aims to be an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, colour, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or disability status. Women candidates are encouraged to apply.