Consultant - MEL & Strategy

Sattva Consulting; Bengaluru; On-site; INR 800,000 - 1,200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Diverse and inclusive work environment

Opportunities for learning and growth

Work on critical social issues

Job summary

Sattva Consulting is seeking a Consultant for its Foundations team, focusing on measurement, evaluation, and learning (MEL) strategies. You will lead projects aimed at creating measurable and lasting impact across diverse social sectors, including education and health.

The ideal candidate has 5-6 years of experience in consulting or social impact with strong expertise in MEL frameworks. Join a passionate team that promotes sustainable solutions and collaborative practices.

Qualifications

• 5-6 years of experience in consulting or social sector programme management.
• Minimum 4 years of hands-on MEL experience in the social impact sector.
• Strong technical foundation in theories of change and results frameworks.
• Experience leading small teams of 2-3 members.

Responsibilities

• Build project plans for MEL engagements and track milestones.
• Design MEL frameworks and develop research and evaluation designs.
• Lead a team to deliver high-quality project outputs.
• Conduct secondary and primary research for actionable insights.

Skills

Project Management

Data Analysis

Communication

Problem Solving

Team Leadership

Education

MBA or postgraduate degree

Tools

MS Office

Job description

Position: Consultant - MEL & Strategy

Employment type: Contract

Location: Bangalore / Gurgaon / Mumbai

Business Unit: Foundations Advisory

About Sattva

We partner to deliver social impact at scale. Sattva is driven by the mission to end poverty in our lifetime and focuses on scalable solutions for sustainable social impact. We work with corporations, philanthropists, foundations, and social organisations to achieve social impact goals effectively and maximise social return on investment. Our approach, combining deep sector knowledge with collaboration among multiple stakeholders, helps our clients develop holistic solutions for critical societal problems. Sattva is powered by a passionate mission‑driven team led by senior leadership with extensive business and social sector experience.

About the Team

The Foundations team collaborates with a network of global philanthropic foundations and multilateral aid agencies to inform, influence, and profoundly impact social and environmental outcomes. Our focus is on catalysing ecosystem transformation by rigorously solving problems, formulating strategic solutions, and ensuring all stakeholders are effectively engaged.

The Opportunity

As a Consultant in the Foundations team, you will bring deep MEL expertise to help clients design, measure, and strengthen high‑impact programmes, extending beyond measurement into strategy, design and implementation. You will work alongside diverse teams across MEL, program strategy, delivery and business development to shape solutions that create measurable, lasting impact.

Key Responsibilities

Project Management

• Independently build project plans for MEL engagements while contributing to broader program design and implementation roadmaps.
• Actively track project milestones, manage multiple workstreams, and coordinate across program teams to ensure execution as per timelines.
• Demonstrate strong time management and prioritisation skills, focusing effort on activities directly linked to programme outcomes and impact.
• Proactively identify and surface project and programme‑level risks, working with the project lead to design mitigation approaches.
• Maintain comprehensive documentation of MEL frameworks, programme knowledge assets and learnings, ensuring critical information is well‑documented and easily accessible.

Problem Solving & Study Design

• Frame complex development problems accurately and translate them into clear, actionable lines of enquiry for the team and client.
• Design MEL frameworks, theories of change and results frameworks aligned to client outcomes, while contributing to underlying programme design where relevant.
• Develop research and evaluation designs, finalise data collection tools, and define indicators across outcome and output levels, drawing on established sectoral frameworks.
• Structure and lead analysis, synthesise information into clear insights, and form and test hypotheses that inform both measurement and programme strategy.
• Conduct rigorous secondary and primary research, developing insights and recommendations that strengthen assessments, programme design choices and course‑correction decisions.
• Translate data into informative insights and actionable recommendations, communicating these effectively to internal teams and external clients.
• Go beyond the MEL brief where useful, identify programme design gaps, strategic questions or implementation risks surfaced through measurement work and recommend and deliver relevant solutions.

Team Collaboration

• Lead a team of 2–3 associates/analysts to deliver high‑quality project outputs on time, across MEL, research, strategy and delivery workstreams.
• Collaborate with senior stakeholders within Sattva, contributing innovative ideas, frameworks and approaches to support business growth and practice‑building.
• Give and receive constructive feedback respectfully, coaching junior team members on both technical MEL skills and broader consulting craft; manage conflicts within the team openly and respectfully.

Strategic Thinking & Sector Knowledge

• Stay abreast of new trends in MEL practice as well as the broader sector or ecosystem the programme operates in (e.g. education, health, livelihoods, climate).
• Gather diverse perspectives, frameworks and mental models across measurement, programme strategy and systems thinking, to sharpen design and solutioning.

Key Qualifications and Experiences

• 5–6 years of experience across consulting, social sector programme management, research or philanthropic advisory, with meaningful exposure to both measurement and programme delivery.
• Minimum 4 years of hands‑on MEL experience in the social impact sector, with a strong technical foundation in theories of change, results frameworks, indicator design, mixed‑methods research and data analytics.
• An MBA or postgraduate degree in economics, development studies, public policy, social sciences, data sciences or related fields from a reputed institution is preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to go beyond measurement—shaping programme strategy, informing design choices and translating evidence into decisions funders and implementers can act on.
• On‑ground implementation and field work experience essential: directly managing delivery, conducting field‑based data collection and stakeholder consultations, tracking progress against milestones and reporting outcomes to funders, boards or government stakeholders.
• Prior experience working with or within foundations, CSR teams or large funders, and familiarity with one or more priority sectors (e.g. education, livelihoods, health, climate, gender) is an added advantage.
• Comfort and willingness to travel to remote locations for field work, often in challenging conditions.
• Experience leading small teams of 2–3 members is essential.
• Strong written and verbal communication, with the ability to engage credibly with middle and senior management at client organisations.
• Humility, a genuine willingness to listen and learn, and comfort operating in ambiguity.

Why Sattva?

• Create Impact: Make an impact with the work you do and the solutions you design.
• Work Environment: Thrive in a diverse, inclusive, and collaborative environment.
• Learn & Grow: Challenge yourself to learn, grow and deliver the best you can.
• Future Ready: Work on critical issues of today that will affect our collective tomorrow.

How to Prepare?

This is your opportunity to showcase not only your qualifications but also your unique personality and passion for making a meaningful impact. Approach your application with intentionality, ensuring that each word reflects your commitment to excellence and aligns seamlessly with the values of Sattva.

Together towards a sustainable world with opportunity for all!

Sattva is an equal opportunity employer and considers qualified applicants regardless of race, religion, caste, creed, gender, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, or any other legally protected and/or marginalized characteristics. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are essential to our business and we foster an environment of respect and a culture that celebrates diversity and promotes equity and inclusion. We are committed to providing all employees with education, training, and development opportunities to create a workplace where everyone feels safe, respected, and included.

Please note: The organization follows a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy, under which employees are required to use their personal laptops for work purposes, subject to compliance with the company’s information security and IT policies. Necessary tools for operating, like MS Office, etc., will be provided.