Program Manager - MEL, Early Childhood Friendly Cities, Bangalore, Pune, Kochi, Indore

You will work with WRI India in supporting Indian cities to enhance public spaces, transport and streets for young children and caregivers as part of the Nurturing Neighbourhoods Challenge and Urban95 lighthouse cities Reporting to the Program Head, you will strengthen the PMEL efforts with the project. An important part of you will be to develop and operationalise the MEL framework for the project. This will include understanding and integration of PMEL principles and approaches to the work. You will help with the reporting process that is used to set the project strategy and recommend actions to better measure and capture impact. You will ensure monitoring and evaluation frameworks are adopted to understand the outcomes and impacts of our work, and that there are iterative feedback loops to incorporate learning into the strategic planning process. 

 

Apart from developing the MEL framework for the program, your role will involve collaboration and supporting the project team to integrate PMEL into programmatic work. You will also contribute to topical workshops, team retreats, and learning events.   

 

You will help provide the project's effectiveness and maximizing its impact.

 

You will handle a range of program responsibilities. Some of the important responsibilities will include:

 

·       Develop and implement a comprehensive MEL plan aligned with the project's goals, focusing on Nurturing Neighbourhoods challenge.

·       Develop theories of change, results framework with measurable indicators, and establishing monitoring (and learning) processes  

·       Design and implement monitoring tools and frameworks to track project progress, measure goals, and assess the impact of interventions on wellbeing of young children and their caregivers.

·       Maintain program data-repository.

·       Prepare regular program reports for project team members, including donors. These reports should clearly communicate project progress, challenges, and lessons learned.

·       Contribute to the development of knowledge products such as case studies, project briefs and best practices.

·       Conduct training and workshops for project team and city partners for building capacities towards PMEL practices.

·       Support city authorities to identify resources towards data collection and mainstream use MEL framework by them.

·       Work collaboratively with project staff, technical experts, and city authorities to provide a participatory approach to MEL activities.

·       You will be asked to work independently and coordinate with team members and partners to achieve the deliverables. You will need to be energetic and agile, willing to learn and respond quickly, outcome oriented, team player and available to travel at short notice.

·       7+ years of full-time work experience with demonstrated involvement in PMEL, project design, MEL data Analysis, systems change  and strategy development. 

·       MSc in Evidence-Based Social Intervention and Policy Intervention/ Master of Development Practice/ Master’s degree in public policy, urban planning studies, environmental studies, or related field.  

·       Demonstrated expertise in program design and monitoring, evaluation and learning, developing theories of change, strategy development, results frameworks, change management or related subject areas. 

·       Demonstrated experience conducting gender analyses, baseline assessments, or other project planning assessments. 

·       Extensive experience using good practices in identifying the rationale for the research methodology, developing protocols and safeguards for data collection and management, communicating results transparently, etc. 

·       Knowledge of social impact assessment tools is a plus.

·       Strong quantitative and qualitative analytical skills.

·       Proficiency in data management and visualisation software such as Microsoft excel, Power BI, SPSS is a plus

·       Excellent communication skills – both written and oral. 

·       Attention to detail.

·       Demonstrated experience working on multiple projects. 

·       Demonstrated experience in working with the team and independently.  

We keep our people at the centre of everything we do - from a welcoming work environment to benefits and a culture that encourages staff to stay healthy, happy, engaged, and growing.  

Some of the non-monetary benefits that our staff get:

Health benefits: We cover health insurance for you and your loved ones for up to INR 8 lakhs  

Term Insurance: Our term insurance policy covers life coverage of 50 lakhs per staff member  

Employee Assistance program: Promoting mental well-being and supporting staff in achieving a satisfying work-life balance  

Health & Nutrition: Personalized diet recommendation from a certified dietitian based on the physical health condition and lifestyle  

Flexible work schedule:  Alternative work arrangements for all who are eligible by nature of their job  

Learning culture: Workshops and trainings to empower staff, encourage new learning opportunities  

Rest and Recharge weeks: We encourage staff to take time off to rest, rejuvenate, upskill, and pursue their interests.  

Our leave policy: Avail personal time off at 36 per year, along with public holidays, maternity, paternity, and adoption leaves.  

Click here to know more about our benefits Careers | WRI INDIA (wri-india.org)  

Equal employment @WRI India  

We believe in equal employment, it is our policy to recruit, and provide opportunities for advancement in all job classifications without regard to caste, religion, sex, age, marital status, sexual preference, parental status, or disability.