Program Manager (Chhattisgarh)

Lead Exposure Elimination Project

18h•$4,289,639 - $4,575,615•Remote

About The Position

LEEP is seeking experienced individuals to lead and execute our work in eliminating lead from spices in Chhattisgarh. Under the guidance of the Senior Program Manager, they will be responsible for developing and delivering interventions to reduce lead exposure, which may include: collaborating with state governments to support prioritisation of the issue; providing technical assistance on regulatory implementation; engaging constructively with industry to encourage the removal of lead from products; conducting studies to generate state-specific data; leading public awareness and behaviour-change campaigns; and building partnerships with civil-society organisations. This person may manage a small team of associates and/or consultants, as needed. This role is ideal for someone who loves building and strengthening partnerships, hands-on program work and developing others, and who is excited by the chance to strengthen LEEP’s program quality and consistency from an “on the ground” perspective. An ideal candidate will have strong experience of working with and navigating state and local government, as well as other local, grassroots actors, to deliver programs. We are looking for candidates who are high-agency, have strong interpersonal skills, have excellent strategic thinking and judgment, and who share LEEP’s values. By running LEEP’s program work, with support from the Senior Program Manager, you will be able to make a huge difference, positively impacting the lives of hundreds of thousands of people.

Requirements

Passion for LEEP’s mission and a strong commitment to achieving meaningful, scalable impact
Strong interpersonal skills and adeptness at understanding the perspectives of various stakeholders and collaborating towards shared goals
Exceptional stakeholder management skills
Excellent communication skills, written and verbal
More than 5 years of work experience strongly preferred but not mandatory
Strong strategic and analytic thinking skills
Experience working with, or in, government
Comfort with educating a variety of stakeholders on material that may be new to them
Ability and willingness to work across a broad range of tasks
A strong ability to prioritise your tasks and recognise how they tie in with LEEP’s wider goals
Enterprising, a quick learner, and creative problem-solver
Comfort with risk and ambiguity, and working with a high level of self-direction
Ability to remain focused and solution-oriented in a fast-paced environment
Willing to travel frequently within the state
Fluent in English and Hindi

Nice To Haves

Experience working on media campaigns strongly preferred but not required

Responsibilities

Collaborating with government counterparts and providing technical assistance on the implementation of regulations.
Acting as the primary focal point between LEEP and key Chhattisgarh state government bodies, primarily the Food and Drugs Administration.
Coordinating and engaging with other allied government agencies and non-profit agencies (if needed) on broader lead poisoning work
Engaging with policy-makers across relevant agencies and levels of government (state and district), maintaining regular communication.
Preparing informational materials, technical briefs, and educational resources to support evidence-based decision-making.
Participating in government meetings and presenting at stakeholder workshops
Coordinating project planning activities with government partners.
Engaging with spice and food businesses’ key industry stakeholders at different levels of the supply chain, particularly those responsible for lead-containing products
Presenting the case for lead elimination and how LEEP can support
Strengthening LEEP’s understanding on the economic drivers of lead chromate use to help the team design better, localized economic or regulatory interventions.
Conducting spices studies: finding and purchasing spices, preparing samples, and sending them to the lab, in collaboration with government, academic or civil society partners
Preparing study reports and summarising existing literature
Analysing data to inform program strategy
Developing and executing strategic media campaigns to highlight successes by government and encourage action by industry
Contribute to the designing of consumer behavioural change interventions based on local cultural context
Building coalitions with NGOs, think tanks, academics and other civil society organisations
Potentially managing Program Associates or consultants, providing guidance, feedback, and strategic oversight while empowering them to meet or exceed their goals
Being accountable for the results and performance of your PAs and/or consultants, you will foster a high-performance and trusting culture through clear expectations, regular and open feedback and a shared sense of purpose
Designing a program plan to meet LEEP’s goals and considering stakeholders’ requirements
Troubleshooting any program blockers and identifying creative solutions
Sharing learnings with the LEEP team and constantly improving our programs
Assist with a variety of other tasks across LEEP as and when required.