JSI R&T India Foundation
Job Description
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Position Name:
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Program Specialist
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Position Type:
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Fixed Term Employment
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Company/Division:
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JSI R&T India Foundation
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Reporting to:
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Project Director – JSI R&T India Foundation
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Duration:
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Until March 31, 2027 (Extendable, subject to project/ funding continuity and program needs)
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Location:
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Delhi/NCR (On Site)
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Background
JSI R&T India Foundation (JSI Foundation) is a not-for-profit company, registered in 2014 under Section 8 of the Companies Act 2013. The mission of the JSI Foundation is to improve the health and well-being of vulnerable communities through innovative, evidence informed and replicable strategies in partnership with government, private sector and civil society. JSI Foundation works closely with the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Ministry of Women and Child Development, as well as state counterparts, leading CSR companies, UNICEF and UNDP to implement context specific and comprehensive public health programs in India.
Project Overview
Project Tushti, supported by Nayara Energy, is a flagship initiative aimed at combating malnutrition and improving health outcomes in high-burden areas of Devbhoomi Dwarka, Gujarat. Since its inception in 2019, the project has implemented community-driven interventions that have significantly reduced malnutrition rates in targeted regions.
Building on its success in Devbhumi Dwarka, Project TUSHTI is being expanded to Porbandar, Gir Somnath and Amreli districts, in addition to Devbhumi Dwarka to strengthen maternal and child nutrition outcomes, reduce malnutrition, and build Suposhit Panchayats through convergence, behaviour change communication and service strengthening.
About the Role
The Program Specialist will assist the Project Director in providing strategic direction, overseeing program implementation, addressing challenges, strengthening implementation approaches, and ensuring alignment with the project’s intended outcomes. The role will involve working closely with project teams at the district and block levels, field staff, government counterparts (ICDS, Women and Child Development and Health Departments), the CSR partner, and other key stakeholders to ensure the effective, timely, and quality implementation of the project's nutrition and health interventions, in alignment with the approved objectives, strategies, budgets, standards, and procedures.
The role will also serve as a key link between field teams, the Project Director, and Senior Management, providing regular updates on progress, achievements, risks, challenges, and areas requiring strategic attention or decision-making.
Key Responsibilities
1. Programme Management
- Provide overall coordination of Project TUSHTI across intervention districts, ensuring alignment with approved workplans, targets, deliverables, and timelines.
- Support Project Director to coordinate with project teams across districts to ensure effective implementation of Project Activities.
- Facilitate coordination and learning across districts and sharing of effective approaches, tools, and lessons learnt.
- Provide strategic and programmatic guidance on nutrition and health interventions, ensuring adherence to project design, quality standards, and donor requirements.
- Support in reviewing implementation plans, training, monitoring, and documentation processes and guide teams on improving programme quality.
2. Monitoring and Documentation
- Track and monitor implementation of monthly, quarterly, and annual activities against approved workplans, milestones, and timelines.
- Review programme progress, monitoring findings, and assessment outcomes, including baseline and endline, and ensure timely corrective actions and documentation of learnings.
- Promote documentation of lessons learned, good practices, success stories, challenges, and corrective actions.
3. Stakeholder Coordination and Convergence
- Support project team in coordination with WCD (ICDS), Health Departments, and other government stakeholders at district levels to strengthen programme convergence.
- Facilitate engagement with Panchayats, VHSNCs, SHGs, frontline workers, and other stakeholders to support effective implementation.
- Ensure that external coordination remains aligned with the project’s objectives and commitments.
4. Operational Oversight
- Support district, block, and field teams, ensuring accountability, performance, and timely delivery of responsibilities.
- Maintain regular communication with project staff to monitor project related activities
- Conduct regular field visits to review implementation, assess progress, identify gaps, and provide on-site guidance.
5. Project Budget Management:
- Oversee and support project budget planning, utilization, and monitoring in coordination with the Project Director and finance team.
- Ensure optimal allocation and utilization of resources, adherence to approved budgets, timely review of expenditure against planned activities, and identification of potential budgetary variances, ensuring appropriate corrective actions are taken.
Qualifications and Experience
- Master’s degree in Public Heath, Public Administration, Health Management Development Studies, Social Sciences, or a related field.
- 10-14 years of relevant experience in public health project management, preferably in community-based nutrition and maternal and child health projects within an NGO, nonprofit, development organization, or social-impact environment.
- Working knowledge of public health and nutrition systems/programs and of government convergence.
- Experience in program implementation, operational supervision, budgeting, monitoring, and reporting, preferably for CSR- or donor-funded projects.
- Experience working with government departments, diverse teams, partners, and stakeholders.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to provide concise management-level updates. Proficiency in English and Hindi; working knowledge of Gujarati preferred.
- Willingness and ability to travel frequently to project geographies.
Required Skills
- Basic understanding of nutrition and maternal & child health program
- Team coordination and staff supervision
- Monitoring, evaluation, and learning
- Government convergence and stakeholder management
- Communication, IT skills, documentation and reporting
- Strategic thinking and decision-making
- Strong interpersonal skills
Travel: Although the position is based out at Delhi/NCR (on-site), the incumbent is expected to travel to project geographies regularly.
Disclaimers
JSI R&T India Foundation is committed to fostering a workplace that values fairness and respect. We ensure that all consultants and its applicants are treated with dignity and provided equal opportunities in all aspects of such engagements. Our evaluations are based solely on relevant qualifications, such as experience, training, and overall fit for the role, in adherence to applicable laws. We are dedicated to maintaining an inclusive environment where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.
JSI R&T India Foundation is a child-safe organization, and the safety and well-being of children is a priority of our organization. We have robust recruitment procedures to ensure that all staff are suited to work with the children served by our programs.
JSI R&T India Foundation is committed to provide protection against sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment has a zero-tolerance for the same. All the individuals at our workplace are treated with equality and dignity. All potential candidates will be subjected to rigorous background checks and controls.
Application Process:
Please review the detailed Job Description and submit your application at the following link:
Your application should consist of the following:
- Detailed Resume
- Duly filled Application Form
Please note that while the last date to apply is Monday, November 30, 2026, we may begin the interview process prior to this date. We encourage applicants to kindly submit their applications as soon as possible. An early submission may lead to an expedited review and interview scheduling.
Only the shortlisted candidates will be called for an interview.