Associate Lead Lead Neemar

Job Title:Associate Lead/Lead NEEMAR Program ABF

Location:Boisar District Palghar Greater Mumbai Metropolitan Region

About the Program:

NEEMAR a multi-dimensional special initiative of the Ananya Birla Foundation is being introduced in Palghar with a vision to nurture a safe and compassionate ecosystem where girls find confidence and opportunities to discover their voice and purpose.

Rooted in care and compassion NEEMAR envisions a future where no childs dreams are limited by their circumstances. Palghar district has witnessed significant quantitative expansion of primary education over the years in line with Maharashtras education planning frameworks. Primary schools have been established across habitations and enrolment levels have improved significantly. Our findings from district-level observations field assessments and evaluations of the existing literature indicate that the efforts have translated into a great model with exponential opportunities into learning retention safety and dignity for tribal children particularly girls and adolescents.

Position Summary

As the Lead of NEEMAR you will be the visionary architect responsible for designing and stewarding an ecosystem that nurtures the voice agency and wellbeing of girls from an underprivileged background. You will bridge high-level systemic strategy with grounded trauma-informed implementation transforming a residential and community-based initiative in Palghar into a replicable gold-standard model for child development and welfare in India.

Key Responsibilities

1. Strategic Program Architecture & Model Building

• Blueprint Design:Design the NEEMAR model - an integrated evide care framework that covers education mental health and agency-building for holistic development. This includes (but not limited to) designing evidence-based curriculum care protocols and transition pathways aligned with girl-centered best practices and regulatory requirements

• Safety & Governance:Establish and oversee beyond-compliance Operating Procedures (SOPs) that ensure a trauma-informed rights-based and secure environment.
• Transition Pathways:Design sustainable life-readiness and integration frameworks that support girls beyond their time within the residential program.

2. Ecosystem Partnerships & Systems Advocacy

• Government Synergy:Build deep collaborative relationships with the District Administration Rural Development and Panchayat Raj Department Zilla Parishad Tribal Development Department Women and Child Development (WCD) department Education departmentChild Welfare Committees (CWCs) and other allied district & state officials to integrate NEEMARs learnings into state systems.
• Strategic Alliances:Cultivate a multi-layered network of NGOs social enterprises and service providers to ensure a holistic support continuum.
• Policy Influence:Represent ABF at regional and national forums using field-level evidence to advocate for policy strengthening and adaptations in child-centered care.

3. Evidence Learning and Knowledge Management

• Impact Frameworks:Develop representative and wholesome metrics to track agency and resilience alongside traditional developmental indicators.
• Knowledge Production:Document best practices failures and methodology to contribute to the national & global discourse on child rights and welfare.
• Tech Integration:Lead the adoption of secure digital tools for case management and data-driven decision-making.

4. People Culture and Field Leadership

• Trauma-Informed Culture:Recruit and coach a diverse interdisciplinary team fostering a work environment rooted in accountability compassion high-performance and psychological safet.
• Capability Building:Oversee continuous professional development for field staff to ensure the highest standards of care and field-level excellence.
• Values Stewardship:Ensure that ABFs core values of dignity and justice are reflected in every interaction on the ground at the Palghar center.
• Financial and Operations Management:Provide an oversight on project financials operational performance and project management.
• Resource Planning and Management:Play an active role in the recruitment training development and performance management of program resources including field workers site staff and other resources.

Qualifications and Experience

• Education:Masters degree in Social Work Development Management Child Psychology or Public Policy.
• Sector Expertise:7 -15 years of experience in residential children homes/hostels child welfare protection or social justice with at least 5 years in a senior leadership role.
• Domain Mastery:Deep understanding of the Juvenile Justice (JJ) Act POCSO child protection and trauma-informed care protocols in the Indian context.
• Proven Track Record:Experience in moving an initiative from concept to full-scale high-quality operations.

Core Competencies and Values Alignment

• Systems Thinking:The ability to connect field-level realities to broader policy and systemic shifts
• Adaptive Resilience:Navigating complex and dynamic field challenges with patience emotional intelligence and strategic pivots
• Relational Leadership:A coaching distributed leadership style that centers the voices of the girls and the frontline staff
• Inclusive Communication:Fluency in English Hindi and Marathi (or openness to learn) is essential for effective engagement across all stakeholders from government officials to community members

Nature of Role:This is a high-engagement site-based leadership role requiring a consistent presence at the NEEMAR center and frequent travel for advocacy.

Salary & Benefits:Competitive package commensurate with experience; health insurance professional development support flexible work arrangements to support wellbeing

Growth Opportunity:Significant scope for professional development thought leadership and contribution to the broader field of child development & welfare and systems change in India

Selection Process

Resume Screening Initial Interview Role-Specific Assignment Final Interview with Leadership Team Site Engagement (Centre Visit ABF Team Engagement) Reference Checks Offer & Onboarding

Our Commitment to Inclusion

We recognize that no candidate will perfectly match every qualification. We are particularly interested in leaders who demonstrate deep commitment to girls agency and dignity evidence of learning orientation and adaptability lived understanding of marginalization and authentic long-term relationship-building - even if your background looks different from what weve described.

If you identify with NEEMARs mission and believe you can grow into and strengthen this role we encourage you to apply. Use your cover letter to share your unique journey and what youd bring to this work.

Required Experience:

Manager