Project Manager

About Bal Raksha Bharat

Bal Raksha Bharat (also known as Save the Children) is Indias leading independent child rights organisation. It is a member of Save the Children movement that operates globally with the mission to inspire breakthroughs in the way the world treats children and achieve immediate and lasting changes in their lives. We are working towards three breakthroughs in how the world treats children by 2030:

• No child dies from preventable causes before their fifth birthday
• All children learn from a quality basic education and
• Violence against children is no longer tolerated

We run programmes in the remotest corners of India and urban areas in the areas of Health & Nutrition Education Child Protection and Livelihood & Economic Wellbeing in order to facilitate quality education healthcare and protection from harm and abuse and life-saving aid during emergencies to children.

ROLE PURPOSE

The Senior Manager State Project Office will provide strategic leadership management oversight and capacity-building support to the state project office team to ensure effective and high-quality implementation of Bal Raksha Bharats programmes. This role is responsible for translating national strategies into actionable plans at the state level ensuring that programme goals objectives and policies are achieved in line with organisational standards and donor expectations. The position serves as a critical interface between the National Office and the State Office facilitating coordination with key stakeholders particularly government departments civil society partners and donors at the state and district levels.

As a senior member of the Programme Implementation Team the Senior Manager State Project Office will work collaboratively and in a coordinated manner with the Head Programme Implementation Director Program Implementation Deputy Program Director and Heads of cross-functional units including Finance Procurement and Admin MEAL Resource Mobilisation (RM) Communications & Campaigns (C&C) Thematic Leads and Human Resource. The incumbent will contribute to expanding the programme portfolio enhancing quality assurance strengthening human resources and leading advocacy and systems-change initiatives driven from the state level.

SCOPE OF ROLE

Reports to: Head Programme Implementation/Director Program Implementation

Staff Reporting to this Post:

• Managers
• Assistant Managers
• Coordinators
• Consultants
• Other programme and support staff as per the state office structure

Budget Responsibilities:

• Yes. Responsible for planning monitoring and managing the state office budget including multiple donor-funded project budgets ensuring cost-effectiveness and compliance with internal and donor guidelines.

Role Dimensions:

• Operates in a dynamic multi-stakeholder environment involving coordination with government departments civil society organisations donors and internal cross-functional teams.
• Leads programme implementation across a range of thematic areas including child protection education health & nutrition resilience and gender.
• Engages in emergency preparedness and response advocacy initiatives and strategic partnerships at the state and district levels.
• Plays a key role in expanding programme reach strengthening quality ensuring compliance and building the capacity of state teams.

Context: Development and Humanitarian

Location:Mumbai Maharashtra

Key Areas of Accountability

I. Strategic Leadership & Organizational alignment

1. Contribute to the design development and strengthening of programmes in alignment with Bal Raksha Bharats national strategic objectives and thematic priorities.
2. Ensure state programme alignment with national strategies operational frameworks and child rights-based programming principles.
3. Lead the development and implementation of the State Operational Plan in alignment with national strategy and programme goals.
4. Support organizational initiatives such as the operationalization of new strategies innovation pilots and system strengthening efforts.

II. Team Leadership Coordination & Organizational Culture

1. Provide overall leadership to the state office team and create a positive collaborative and high-performing work culture.
2. Strengthen coordination and communication between programme and support teams encouraging synergy shared learning and efficiency.
3. Promote a values-driven inclusive working environment where staff feel empowered and supported.
4. Facilitate staff capacity-building and mentoring in line with organisational and individual development goals.

III. Programme Design Implementation & Quality Assurance

1. Lead programme planning implementation and monitoring across the state in a timely cost-effective and quality-assured manner.
2. Ensure that all projects contribute meaningfully to BRBs strategic goals and thematic outcomes.
3. Ensure high-quality technical support is provided to field teams through effective engagement with thematic leads.
4. Promote coherent integration of cross-cutting themes (child protection gender resilience inclusion etc.) across all projects.
5. Collaborate with the MEAL team to ensure robust M&E systems impact assessment tools and learning frameworks are in place.
6. Monitor programme progress through field visits and periodic reviews and ensure adaptive management.
7. Foster learning and knowledge exchange across programmes in India.

IV. Advocacy Communications & External Engagement

1. Represent Bal Raksha Bharat effectively in external forums at the state district and block levels to promote child rights and organisational visibility.
2. Support development and implementation of advocacy and communication strategies in coordination with the C&C team.
3. Identify opportunities for policy engagement and advocacy at the state and district levels particularly with Government and civil society stakeholders.
4. Network with key actors including government departments donors civil society partners and media to build strategic partnerships.

V. Emergency Preparedness & Humanitarian Response

1. Lead or support emergency response efforts (disaster or humanitarian contexts) in coordination with national humanitarian team and emergency response protocols.
2. Ensure disaster risk reduction and emergency preparedness plans (EPP) are in place and updated for the state office.
3. Actively participate in assessments coordination meetings and post-emergency evaluations as needed.

VI. Safety Security & Risk Management

1. Monitor and report on safety and security issues in the state and implement relevant risk mitigation strategies.
2. Ensure adherence to Bal Raksha Bharats safety and security policies by all state office staff and partners.
3. Conduct periodic assessments to identify and manage operational and reputational risks at the state level.

VII. Budgeting Financial Oversight & Compliance

1. Prepare and submit the annual state budget for national office approval in consultation with programme and finance teams.
2. Monitor state office and project budgets regularly; address variances (over/under spends) in a timely manner.
3. Ensure timely monthly financial closure and upload into organisational systems.
4. Maintain full compliance with internal policies and donor financial procedures ensuring effective budget utilisation and reporting.

VIII. Compliance Safeguarding & Grant Management

1. Ensure full compliance with Bal Raksha Bharat Government of India and donor policies in all state-level programmes and operations.
2. Promote and monitor adherence to the organisations Child Safeguarding Policy Code of Conduct and other mandatory policies among staff partners consultants and vendors.
3. Ensure timely and high-quality submission of programmatic and financial reportsmonthly quarterly bi-annual and annualto national office and donors.
4. Manage all grants/projects efficiently ensuring performance documentation and donor deliverables are met on time.

IX. Resource Mobilisation (in coordination with RM Team)

1. Identify opportunities and support concept note/proposal development for new or existing donors at the state level.
2. Support donor liaison proposal presentations and partner coordination in line with Bal Raksha Bharats fundraising strategy.
3. Promote sustainability through partnership-building and long-term donor engagement at the state level.

BEHAVIOURS (Values in Practice)

AccountabilityS/he should be accountable towards evaluating his/her performance or behavior related to work/community/children/society for which s/he is responsible. The term is related to responsibility but is regarded more from the perspective of oversight.

AmbitionS/he should be desire to achieve a particular goal as well aspiration in respect of project

CollaborationS/he should work in collaborative method with respective stakeholders (direct or indirect) and will make something together. To collaborate is to commit to the possibility of producing an outcome greater than one that would be developed in a silo.

Creativity: She should have the urge in solving problems and communicating with others

Integrityis the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles. S/he must be truthful and honest with him/herself and others should align own personal behavior and his/her action will be aligned with own values principles and ethics. S/he would have self-awareness and have really explore value system.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Masters degree or higher in Social Work Social Sciences Public Policy Rural Development or Management from a reputed institute.

EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

• Minimum 7-10 years of experience
• > 3-5 years of middle to senior management experience

KEY COMPETENCIES

• Programme Planning & Execution: Demonstrated expertise in planning managing and executing multi-state multi-sectoral programmes with strong alignment to strategic objectives.
• Budgeting & Financial Oversight: Proven ability in budget design financial tracking variance analysis and cost-effective financial management of large-scale programmes.
• Team Leadership & Supervision: Capacity to effectively lead and mentor a diverse team across multiple thematic areas ensuring high performance and professional growth.
• Programme Design & Proposal Development: Strong writing skills and experience in leading the development of program strategies work plans and donor proposals in collaboration with cross-functional teams.
• Monitoring Evaluation Accountability & Learning (MEAL): Expertise in developing implementing or overseeing M&E systems to assess programme effectiveness and impact.
• Stakeholder Engagement: A strong track record of working with and building partnerships with state and national government agencies donors technical institutions and civil society organisations.

• Being the Voice of Children: Effectively leverages the strength of a global movement to advocate for policy and systemic changes to improve the lives of children.
• Advancing Equality & Inclusion: Actively promotes gender equality and inclusion prioritising the needs of the most deprived and marginalised children in all aspects of programme planning and execution.
• Building & Strengthening Partnerships: Fosters a culture of collaboration and trust encouraging locally-led action and embracing the principles of partnership and localisation.
• Child Rights Advocacy: Upholds and advocates for childrens rights in all workinternally with colleagues and externally with partners stakeholders and communities.

C.Language Competency

• Marathi (Read Write and Speak) Expert level
• English (Read Write and Speak) Expert level

Additional job responsibilities

The duties and responsibilities as set out above are not exhaustive and the role holder may be required to carry out additional duties within reasonableness of their level of skills and experience.

CHILD SAFEGUARDING (Strike out whichever is not applicable)

Level 1: The role holder will not have contact with children and/or young people or access to personal data about children or young people as part of their work; therefore a police check will not be mandatory unless the content or location of the role changes in which case the Child Safeguarding level will be reviewed.

Level 2: Either the role holder will have access to personal data about children and/or young people as part of their work; or they will be workingin a regulated position (Finance Monitoring & Evaluation Legal etc.); therefore a police checkwill be required.

Level 3: The role holder will have contact with children and/or young people either frequently (e.g. once a week or more) or intensively (e.g. four days in one month or more or overnight) because they work in programs; or are visiting programs; therefore a police checkwill be required.

Child Safeguarding

We need to keep children safe so our selection process which includes rigorous background checks reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.

Safeguarding our Staff

The post holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with the BRBs child safeguarding and anti-harassment policy.

Equal Opportunities

Bal Raksha Bharat aims to be an equal opportunity employer. We welcome all applications irrespective of age race colour gender disability sexual orientation religion belief or creed. Women candidates are encouraged to apply.