Product Manager

About CEGIS :

Centre for Effective Governance of Indian States (CEGIS - pronounced See-Jis) aims to improve lives by helping Indian state governments deliver better development outcomes. The four key characteristics of any high-performing organisation are (a) measuring outcomes through reliable, high quality data that enables goal setting and monitoring progress towards these goals; (b) strategic use of personnel - competency based hiring and training, skilling, and performance appraisals to determine job assignments, pay, and promotions - to achieve the goals above; (c) strategic budgeting where resource allocation is based on evidence and cost-effectiveness; (d) and creating efficient systems to leverage external actors (including for-profit and nonprofit organisations). The Indian state performs weakly on all four fronts above, thus limiting its capacity. CEGIS helps to improve the functioning of the Indian state by focusing on the four principles above.

We believe that :

(a) by strengthening systems and enhancing the State's capacity, we will be able to ensure the delivery of better outcomes to Indian citizens.

(b) improving the effectiveness of public expenditure is the most optimised way of achieving improved development outcomes at scale, and

(c) there is a clear need for an organisation that will systematically support this mission.

We work with the State Governments of India to enable a transformative improvement in their functioning in the coming decade. Informed by cutting-edge research and evidence as well as a practical orientation toward implementable ideas, CEGIS provides Indian states with both an analytical roadmap for governance and expenditure reforms as well as strategic implementation support to deliver on this vision.

In alignment with our four principles or pillars of change - outcome measurement, personnel management, strategic public finance, states and markets, CEGIS is currently working with the governments of Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Bodoland Territorial Council (Assam), NCT of Delhi and a few Government of India entities across a range of projects and sectors. Through CEGIS' flagship offering, the KPI (Key Performance Indicators) Survey, we are helping enable one of the state governments we are working with to collect better quality data, make informed, evidence-based decisions, and institutionalise this process of securing periodic citizen-level feedback. We are setting up a Financial Analytics Unit (FAU) to enhance analytical capacity and increase the effectiveness of budgetary allocations of the Finance Department in another state. In alignment with our personnel management workstream, we are also working with the HR/Administrative Reforms & Training Department to set up and institutionalise an in-house Capacity Building Unit (CBU) that aids the adoption of competency-based Learning Management Systems (LMS) and Performance Management Systems (PMS) with a few of these entities. Similarly, to improve the value of public money, we work at the interface of states and markets which encompasses procurement, regulation, and policy formulation. Our solutions are constantly being refined based on real-time feedback and are designed to be customised and replicated across contexts.

CEGIS' Theory of Change (ToC) is an outcome of the extensive work done by Prof. Karthik Muralidharan, the Founder and Scientific Director of CEGIS, in the field of strengthening State capacity. Further details are provided in his book "Accelerating India's Development: A State-Led Roadmap for India's Approach and Model of Functioning

Our solutions to enhance governance are co-created with state governments in a "state-led" way, where we focus on deep partnerships with states with an iterative cycle of "thinking" and "doing". We work closely with the Chief Secretary and other top bureaucratic leadership, front-line workers and public officials in Finance, Planning and other line departments, with guidance from the Chief Minister and Finance Minister of the respective states. Today, CEGIS works across 6 Indian states and 15+ projects across 6 sectors - Education, Nutrition, and Local Governance among others.

Our team at CEGIS has extensive technical experience: renowned economists, former bureaucrats, consultants, researchers, social entrepreneurs, development sector professionals. We are trained academically in the best institutions in India and abroad across disciplines such as development economics, management, public policy, international development, and the like. We also seek extensive strategic advice from our pool of supportive external experts who further guide us in refining our solutions.

Position Summary :

Product Manager - Technology will support the Program Head - Technology on conceptualizing and implementation of technology solutions and products as per requirements of the project teams and State Government stakeholders to solve governance problems through technology solutions. In this role, you will be responsible for managing transformative technology projects in coordination with our project team and third-party technology companies, ensuring successful implementation of our interventions for improving public service delivery of the governments we partner with.

Key Responsibilities :

- Collaborate with the project team to understand the goals and requirements of the intervention designed.

- Work closely with stakeholders to define technology vision, and plan for each intervention and assist in defining the scope of our intervention

- Develop UI prototypes to visually communicate requirements and facilitate discussions with stakeholders and third-party vendors.

- Manage the end-to-end product lifecycle, from concept to launch. .

- Help identify & shortlist vendors and serve as the primary point of contact between CEGIS and third-party technology companies responsible for developing the necessary software solutions.

- Coordinate with cross-functional teams, including developers, designers, and QA testers, to ensure timely delivery of high-quality software solutions.

- Conduct regular meetings and status updates with both internal and external stakeholders to track progress and address any issues or concerns.

- Act as a subject matter expert on technology-related matters, providing guidance and support to the project team as needed.

- Understand the software development methodologies followed and ensure that best practices are adopted

- Manage and ensure robust project management practices are deployed for each phase of the Software Development Life Cycle (SDLC), including system analysis, design, development, testing, and deployment and oversee user training

- Remove roadblocks for the development team Participate in the governance meetings with partners, addressing their concerns and ensuring their satisfaction.

- Coordinate with the DPG development partner at various milestones of the product delivery to ensure delivery of a high-quality product as per requirements, including debuggability, supportability, availability, scalability, cost-efficiency and performance.

Preferred Candidate Profile :

Qualifications :

- At least a Bachelor's degree in computer science, engineering. Any course in Public Policy will be an added advantage.

- Proven experience of 10- 12 years in a technology environment of which the last 4 years should be working as a product manager, program manager, or similar role.

- Strong understanding of software development methodologies, including agile and waterfall. CSM, PMP and PRINCE2 certifications are an added advantage.

- Experience working in technology projects for the Government is a big plus.

- Experience in developing models or prototypes for presentation to team, advisors, and donors.

- Experience in developing and supporting a shared services delivery model for technology.

- Experience managing cyber/information security including evaluating institutional vulnerability, actively responding to cyberthreats or attacks, and overseeing protocol to mitigate institutional risk.

- Understanding of IT governance, compliance, and risk management practices.

Skills :

- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to effectively communicate complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders.

- Demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and drive them to successful completion within budget and timeline constraints.

- Experience working & negotiating with third-party technology vendors and managing vendor relationships.

- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with a keen attention to detail.

- Ability to thrive in a dynamic environment and adapt quickly to changing priorities.

- Ability to work independently and collaboratively.

Additional Information :

- Some travel may be required to meet with government officials and third-party vendors.

- The role reports to the Program Head-Technology