Chief Program Officer, TUIF

Title: Chief Program Officer, TUIF

Location: Kolkata / Delhi

Reports to: Director Employment: Full Time

Last update:

About Trickle Up India Foundation (TUIF)

Trickle Up India Foundation (TUIF) is a nationally registered non-profit organization that partners with women in ultra-poverty in India to build economic opportunity and drive inclusion. Together with governments and non-governmental organizations, we reach underserved women in remote, rural areas with programming that enables them to forge their own resilient pathways out of poverty for themselves, their families, and their communities.

Since 2013, TUIF has been empowering women in ultra-poverty who have faced discrimination, and social and economic isolation all their lives. Through our programs, they develop sustainable livelihoods and strong savings habits, strengthening their capacity, self-reliance, and stability. They begin building their self-esteem and resilience. This profound individual transformation has positive ripple effects for their families, throughout their communities, and over generations.

Position Overview:

1. Reporting to the Director, the CPO will be responsible for ensuring quality program development and implementation, demonstrating measurable results and impact, ensuring proper technical and facilitation capacity at the project level to implement projects, achieve programmatic results outlined in proposals and projects and ensure budgets are effectively and directly tied to each project. S/he will be an experienced, motivated, and value driven professional who will oversee a team of Program officers to ensure high quality and timely program design and implementation. S/he will demonstrate the highest levels of accountability, demonstrate his/her leadership skills and capacities while foster team innovation, accountability, effective communication and cohesion. S/he will lead by example, and will have demonstrated programming expertise in livelihoods, women's empowerment, collaboration and capacity building approaches, as well as MERL. S/he will also be responsible for nurturing effective partnerships to contribute to TUIF's mission.

2. Oversee the implementation of the MPOWERED PLUS program in Odisha and Jharkhnad. The MPOWERED PLUS Project is a scaled-up version of the original MPowered program, which was launched in 2016 to promote women's economic development through mobile technology. With the support of Tata Communications Limited, the project is expanding to reach a larger population and aims to empower around 9,000 ultra-poor women and their families in the states of Odisha and Jharkhand.

The project is designed to help these women build sustainable and climate-resilient livelihoods by providing access to financial literacy training, mentorship, and digital resources that can help them grow successful microenterprises. Through the integration of digital technology, the project aims to increase women's income, social status, and integration into social and economic structures by promoting entrepreneurship in individuals and collectives. By empowering these women, the MPOWERED PLUS Project is helping to promote gender equality, reduce poverty, and build more resilient communities in rural India.

Key Function area

Team Facilitation:

• Ensure adoption of effective team facilitation approaches across the organization, building synergies and talent across teams and individuals to ensure high quality achievements and results.
• Strengthen team capacity and team cohesion.
• Close collaboration with MERL teams in India during design and implementation of projects in India.
• Ensure that team members bring their individual skills, expertise and competencies to form a cohesive and supportive team to achieve TU's goals and objectives in an accountable manner.
• Demonstrate and instill value driven individuals and team approaches to ensure an optimal, harmonious and inspiring work environment.
• Ensure all team members have performance objectives, regular performance reviews and individual capacity building plans developed as needed to support talent development.

Program Design:

• Lead the development of innovative, effective programs that enable people to graduate out of ultra-poverty contribute to the sector's knowledge base and partnership capacities
• Lead scale-up strategy implementation and adjustment, working in close collaboration with team members.
• Lead on the development of concept notes and proposals and required program reports.
• Ensure consistency between program design, budget, implementation and reporting
• Spearhead innovation in the graduation space as well as livelihoods in general.

Budgetary facilitation

• Work with a finance team to develop project budgets in line with partners' guidelines.
• Ensure effective and timely monitoring and appropriate expenditure of project/program budgets.
• Ensure budgets cover costs, including M & E, admin, overhead and communication

Staff Monitoring

• Ensure that all direct reports have clear roles and responsibilities and are held accountable for delivering results.
• Ensure direct reports have support and tolls they need to effectively do their jobs well.
• Onboard, train and support staff.

Partnership facilitation

• Identify potential partners that can contribute to Trickle Up's effective implementation as well as scaling strategy
• Take the lead in developing and cultivating relationships with potential program partners

Program facilitation

• Facilitate the implementation of projects to ensure timely and quality intervention.
• Direct all aspects of program overseeing and implementation (By Partners) to meet program compliance in on-going and new program.
• Work closely with the Senior team, to properly monitor program implementation progress, identify issues of concern (utilizing dashboard tools and program site visit reports), and develop agreed upon actions to address.
• Identify staff capacity onboarding
• Direct communications with partners, ensuring quality and timeliness of all reporting.

Coordination and Representation:

• Coordinate with internal stakeholders and technical staff.
• Maintain a strong understanding of the top relationships in the organization portfolio in order to represent the organization and partnership strategies to internal and external stakeholders
• Make significant contributions to the quality and quantity of institutional partnerships and partnerships with government.
• Ensure accountability to Project Participants and to international standards guiding international development team, while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

Research and Learning:

• Lead the development, in close collaboration with M & E Team, of research objectives and partnerships to produce rigorous, actionable research for Trickle Up and strategic partners in line with global priorities and relevant to the Asia context..
• Promote organizational learning in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities.
• Actively support learning, and dissemination of lessons learned, both internally and externally. This is a key pillar in Trickle Up's goal of increased visibility and being a global leader
• In coordination with the M&E director, both in country and the global director, help develop a learning agenda for the region

Ensure that each project director is conducting proper baseline and endlines with sufficient critical analysis.

• Representation Represent Trickle Up India Foundation at various fora when relevant and appropriate
• Liaise with partners in country

Member of the senior leadership team of Trickle Up India Foundation:

• The CPO is a Member of the Trickle Up senior leadership team. As such, s/he will assist the Director with various operational as well as strategic initiatives to promote an effective work environment within Trickle Up. In addition to the above, job duties include but are not limited to the following:
  • Assist with strategic planning and coordination of the organization's programs and projects. Provide mentoring, leadership and coaching support to staff
  • Lead by example, by holding self and all staff accountable for high levels of performance, teamwork and quality customer service.
  • Assist with identification of best practices and proactively support improving internal systems with an eye toward future needs and budget realities.

Key Relationships:

• The CPO will report directly to the Director.
• The CPO will work closely with CFO, Sr./Program Manager, M & E and Knowledge Management, Communication, Key stakeholders in Resource Development, Technical Support Unit and field teams.
• The CPO will be a member of the Trickle Up India Foundation team.

Required qualifications and core competencies:

Academic:

• Post-graduation or equivalent in Management or MBA (Rural Development) or MBA or PGDM in Rural Development/Social Work/International Development.

Work Experience:

• Demonstrated 15-17 years management experience at field level working with field based staff to ensure timely and quality program implementation of livelihood program in an objective to alleviate poverty for international NGO; out of which candidate should have at least more than 5 years' experience of leading a team. Experience in graduation approach and economic inclusion will get extra advantage.
• Overall experience managing livelihood and/or gender focused programs working in partnership with local NGOs and/or CBOs.
• Experience working in partnership with government and state/national level entities.
• Proven experience of handling projects involving linkages with industries, NGOs, National/State/ local organizations and government.
• Proven experience of handling indigenous people's interventions in livelihood
• Any experience in terms of resource mobilisation would highly desirable.

Others:

• Deep commitment to Trickle Up's core values and ability to model those values in relationships with colleagues and partners.
• A strategic thinker contributing to the organization's long-term vision and ability to innovate and adapt to changing scenario.
• Ability to engage with different stakeholders including donors, governments and partner organizations. Understanding of global trends, best practices
• Fluency in English and Hindi with excellent verbal and writing skills. Knowing any regional languages as Odia or vernacular languages will be preferred.
• Prior experience working in teams in a leadership role.
• Experience with training is highly desirable.
• Ability to travel frequently within the country and outside (up to 40% of the time).
• Ability to prioritize, organize and carry out multiple tasks efficiently under pressure and with little supervision; ability to accept supervision.

Location: Kolkata, West Bengal with frequent travel to the project areas.

Salary and Benefits:

Trickle UP offers competitive salaries and benefits for this full-time position. The successful applicant will join a dynamic, passionate, multicultural team deeply committed to the alleviation of extreme poverty. Trickle Up promotes a collegial, high-performing organizational culture in which staff communicate clearly and openly, and are reflective, innovative, and mutually accountable.

To Apply:

- To be considered, all candidates must fulfill the above prerequisites, provide a complete CV, covering letter referencing the required functions, skills and experience, and a writing sample, preferably a sole authored piece related to research or evaluation. Incomplete application will not be accepted.

- To submit your application, go to the Web Link given below and click on "Apply for this Position" button at the bottom of the page, and follow the instructions.

Web Link:

Applications will be considered on a rolling basis until We are sorry that we are unable to entertain phone calls related to this posting.

Trickle Up is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We value a diverse workforce and extend equal opportunity to all applicants and employees regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, marital status, sexual orientation, veteran status, disability, or any other status protected by law.