Practice Lead – Community Development

Department - Program Team Reports To - Chief Executive Officer Role Overview The Practice Lead - Community Development integrates and coordinates across the Raintree Foundation s community-based thematic programs as well as collaborates closely with the Environment-based thematic programs This role will ensure strategic alignment cross-thematic collaboration and coherence across all initiatives related to Community Development as well as aligning with the environment-related thematic programs The role aligns with Raintree s mission of securing dignity and wellbeing of people and the planet These Community Development thematics include but are not limited to Livelihoods Entrepreneurship Community mental health Gender social inclusion Climate education through our ClimateShaala initiative Institutional strengthening Government relations and Entitlement conversions Grassroots communications and General trust-building activities Acting as a thematics integrator the Practice Lead will strengthen program impact by fostering shared learning building synergies driving data-informed decision-making representing the Foundation in technical forums and ensuring that community participation is embedded across all initiatives They will be responsible for further developing excellence in the craft of community development by encouraging sharing of knowledge tools methods and best practices within the thematic specialists They will drive the integration of community development with environmental sustainability ensuring alignment across all thematic perspectives They will also support performance evaluation and hiring decisions for people in the above and related thematics across distributed teams as well as mentor and coach them Key Responsibilities 1 Program Integration Strategic Alignment Coordinate across all thematic programs to ensure a unified approach to community development Facilitate cross-thematic program planning implementation and review Work with Program Managers to align program objectives with community needs and organisational mission Ensure program integration in design planning delivery and monitoring 2 Community Systems Strengthening Promote inclusive and participatory approaches that empower communities to drive and co-own interventions Guide Program Teams on strengthening community institutions and local governance structures through systematic capacity-building and trust-building activities 3 Thematic Coordination and Technical Support Provide technical guidance to program teams to ensure coherent designing and implementation of multiple thematics based programs within the community Identify opportunities for synergy between thematics promoting holistic planet and community well-being Support the integration of innovative practices and cross-learning across thematic areas Facilitate development and dissemination of technical resources tools and guidelines to strengthen thematic knowledge and practice across teams 4 Stakeholder Engagement Government Relations and Donor Interface Build and sustain relationships with government departments local bodies civil society personnel and community-based organisations Ensure government interface is embedded in community action plans and that program teams are enabled to engage meaningfully Support donor engagement for community-led programs including progress reporting presentations and field visits 5 Community Voice and Communication Work closely with the Grassroots Communications team to amplify community voices stories and feedback Ensure consistent culturally relevant messaging across community-level initiatives Integrate community feedback mechanisms into all programs to guide ongoing adaptation 6 Learning Monitoring Documentation Support documentation of case studies and knowledge products showcasing impact across thematic areas Strengthen and implement intersectional Monitoring Evaluation frameworks that cut across all thematic areas Ensure adoption of data-related strategies across all levels of the organization Be accountable for the consistency accuracy and quality of program data Integrate community indicators and cross-thematic outcomes into M E processes Facilitate knowledge management lessons learned and dissemination of best practices 7 Team Collaboration and Leadership Provide leadership mentorship and performance management for program teams Promote a culture of shared responsibility inclusion and continuous learning across the program team Oversee project timelines deliverables and budgets ensuring effective project management practices are followed Collaborate with internal teams e g MEL MarComm Fundraising to deliver aligned outcomes Contribute to the organization s visibility and influence by authoring articles case studies and technical pieces in relevant sectoral and thematic publications 8 Impact Partnerships for Funding and Proposal Development Collaborate with the fundraising team to develop grant CSR and funding proposals for community-based initiatives Provide programmatic insights to strengthen funding pitches and concept notes 9 Representing Raintree in Various Forums Represent Raintree in external forums networks and sectoral platforms sharing insights and learnings to enhance organizational visibility and thought leadership in the environment and community development space Qualifications and Experience Master s degree in Social Work or Development Studies or Rural Development or related fields Minimum 12-18 years of experience in community-based programs with demonstrated success in integrating multiple thematics Proven experience in community systems strengthening participatory development and government engagement Experience in developing intersectional M E frameworks and leading data strategy adoption Demonstrated success in donor engagement reporting and proposal development CSR grants institutional funding Strong experience in managing diverse teams and fostering interdepartmental collaboration are highly desired Strong project management skills particularly in handling multi-thematic programs are highly desirable Excellent facilitation communication and analytical skills Proficiency in English must have and Marathi good to have strong documentation and presentation skills This role will involve frequent travel to program locations and field sites The position demands flexibility team collaboration and strong field engagement Job Type Full-time Pay From 1 00 per year Benefits Flexible schedule Health insurance Leave encashment Paid sick time Paid time off Provident Fund Work Location In person