Program Lead, The Antara Foundation About the organization The Antara Foundation (TAF) envisions a world where women and children do not suffer from preventable health conditions. We believe that every mother and each child deserves an equal start to a healthy life. We support the public health system deliver solutions at scale, to improve maternal and child health outcomes, by partnering with government and communities. Interventions of The Antara Foundation follow two closely integrated paths: to help the government system deliver better quality health care to the community and to support the community to mobilize and seek better health outcomes. We are a young, energetic, and passionate team, working across 8 districts, 38 blocks, 5,700 villages, with 20,000 FLWs, and reaching 379,000 women and 650,000 children in central India. Over the next few years, we see ourselves spreading across multiple locations in India to implement our solutions and to create an impact at scale. Reporting to : Program Director Duty Station: Khargone, Madhya Pradesh Position Type: Full Time Employee Position Summary The Program Lead (PL) at TAF will lead our entire program across a district. This includes program management, team development, and stakeholder management. It is an ideal fit for candidates who prefer a fast-paced, impact-driven work environment with opportunities to lead a dynamic team and help solve some of the toughest public health challenges. The PL role is an opportunity for those who seek a managerial challenge. This unique experience blends hands-on practice of problem-solving and leadership with regular mentoring by industry veterans. You will learn to be an empathetic leader who can drive innovation, own projects and outcomes, and build critical skills. You will also learn to work in a grassroots context, working with the last-mile public health providers in some of India's most remote regions, building for yourself a perspective of development challenges and solutions from the ground up in a safe, supportive environment. Key responsibilities As a Program Lead, your role will include (but not limited to) the following: Team development and management Guide and support the team to generate new ideas to improve program delivery and continuously introduce new initiatives in the district. Provide strategic and analytical guidance to the team on an ongoing basis; provide adequate apprenticeship on the field and build capabilities and groom leaders. Ensure a positive and nurturing team environment; keep the team motivated and be a gatekeeper of organizational culture. Program Management Use our theory of change to design new solutions and/or contextualize existing intervention. Plan, implement, and monitor the delivery of our interventions end-to-end. Manage program budget for the district and troubleshoot as required. Support team to achieve committed deliverables, acting as an enabler; provide critical troubleshooting support as needed. Analyse monitoring data routinely and take steps to fill critical gaps in implementation. Stakeholder management Maintain strong relationships and work closely with village/block/district government officials to ensure quality delivery and sustainability of the program. Contribute to overall organizational needs and vision outside the field (e.g., Donor development, monitoring & evaluation, among others) and collaborate with team members from different locations/ departments. Build new partnerships for more effective implementation, and nurture and manage existing partnerships as needed. Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting Establish and manage monitoring and evaluation systems aligned to TAF M&E systems at the district level. Collect and analyze data to track program outcomes and impact on health indicators. Use data-driven insights to inform program adjustments and improvements. Ensure regular and comprehensive reporting to the TAF senior leadership, donors and other stakeholders as required. Organizational leadership Program leads are part of the core leadership group at TAF and are expected to contribute to the overall strategy and planning process for the organization, as well as brainstorm on new initiatives, partnerships, and programs. Represent TAF at external meetings, conferences, and events, as required. Requirements We are looking for a future leader who is a self-starter, humble, creative thinker, and can embrace cultural diversity with grace and empathy. An ideal PL can mix these with analytical rigor and strategic problem solving. They would also have the following credentials: Masters or Equivalent degree in any field Demonstrated program/project management skills and, with at least 2 years of team management experience. Experience working in remote and challenging contexts is a plus. Experience of working in an Aspirational District will be an advantage. Adequate MNCHN knowledge and a willingness to learn as necessary. Strong strategic and analytical thinking abilities with high level problem-solving skills Demonstrated stakeholder management skills including government, donor, and other external stakeholders Solid planning and organizational skills with high attention to detail, accuracy, protocol and deadline. Excellent communication in Hindi and English