Cluster Coordinator

The position
**Position Name**: Cluster Coordinator (Rural Drinking Water Supply Programme)
Position Location; Sitapur, Uttar Pradesh
**Position Tenure**: Full-time employment contract up to July 2025, renewable based on project funding and need.
The Aga Khan Foundation, India seeks to recruit Cluster Coordinators with the prime responsibility of implementing the programme in the assigned area of Sitapur district in Uttar Pradesh. S/he will be responsible for planning, implementing, and ensuring the timely delivery of a high-quality programme. The position will coordinate with the Water and Sanitation Block Level Committee, Block Development Officer, and ADO panchayats.
Support in planning and preparing a detailed implementation schedule for the programme.
Conduct/support baseline mapping, village profiling, resource mapping, and assessment of existing challenges faced by the community related to drinking water access and supply. These assessments will be undertaken in consultation with the community and PRI members.
Identify and finalize villages to be taken up under the project.
Ensure community engagement through IEC campaigns, strengthening village-level institutions (Village Water and Sanitation Committees (VWSCs)/ Pani Samiti), and developing village action plans by conducting PRA exercises to ensure the active involvement and ownership of the community in all programme activities.
Promote and ensure voluntary ownership among the local community by way of contributions in cash, kind, and/ or labor (shramdaan).
Ensure the sustainability of the water supply system, i.e., water source, water supply infrastructure, and funds for regular O&M.
Generate awareness on various aspects and significance of safe drinking water and facilitate the involvement of stakeholders from among the community for sustainable O&M and management of infrastructure created.
Ensure that the implementation of the project is aligned with the overall objectives of the Jal Jeevan Mission and that the programme complements the achievement of the goals of the Mission.
Liaise, build, and maintain productive collaborations with block-level government officials (Rural Development Department, Panchayati Raj Department, etc.) and other agencies/ departments (e.g. MGNREGA).
Regular participation in block-level government meetings (BWSM/BWSC)/ workshops and sharing information on AKF's work in the area.
Identify opportunities to leverage funding under government programmes and facilitate access to government schemes/ entitlements for participating households.
Support VWSC in the finalization and collection of O&M costs/ water tariff and creation and maintenance of financial records of collection and expenditure.
Support in trial runs, commissioning, and handover of the drinking water supply schemes with a robust plan of operation and maintenance.
Ensure high-level engagement of the community and other stakeholders to ensure wider replication of the community-led piped water models integrated with source sustainability and greywater management
Develop systems for regular monitoring of project progress and support in the development of regular progress reports and project briefs as required.
Undertake regular field visits to the project area for regular monitoring, and coordination with the construction agency and update the Coordinator - Project Implementation and Capacity Building regularly.
Roll out the implementation of a technology-based monitoring system on the ground.
Carry out any other responsibilities as assigned by the Reporting Officer from time to time.
Prepare village profiles, collect data, undertake a mapping of village-level resources, and analyze data collected.
Prepare monthly, and quarterly progress reports along with success stories and facilitate the dissemination of emerging learnings.
Support in the identification and documentation of best practices and case studies across the project.
The requirements
**Required Qualifications and Skills**:
Post-graduate in Social Sciences, Agriculture, Rural Management, Rural Development, or related fields.
Strong interpersonal communication, community mobilization skills, and stakeholder management
The ability to establish strong linkages and liaison with government and other stakeholders.
Excellent communication skills in both Hindi and English, and ability to prepare reports/documents in English.
Solution-oriented, creative problem-solver, who can be versatile and is willing to work around obstacles.
Excellent computer skills in MS Office, especially in MS Word and PowerPoint along with database management.
Willingness to travel extensively in the programme area and work closely with rural communities.
Sector
Social Development
About the Agency
The Aga Khan Foundation is a leading global development organisation working to tackle the root causes of poverty. For more than 50 years, we have helped create strong community institutions that support sustainable, locally driven initiatives