Director – Programs

Arthan; Delhi; On-site; INR 4,000,000 - 7,000,000; Full time

Job summary

Arthan in Delhi seeks a senior leader to shape and scale national program strategies in education and adolescent wellbeing. You will partner with the Country Director to design, evolve, and execute programs aligned with our vision and systems-change approach.

You will translate theory of change into scalable models across states, drive cross-vertical alignment, oversee implementation quality, and build capacity across curricula, training, and research teams, while engaging with government

Qualifications

• 15–20 years of experience in designing, implementing, and scaling large-scale social or development programs, with some government exposure.
• Strong experience in education, mental health, adolescent wellbeing, public health, and/or youth development.
• Demonstrated leadership in multi-state or national programs, with emphasis on training and capacity building.
• Ability to manage complexity, ambiguity and cross-functional teams.
• Strategic and systems thinker with strong execution capabilities.
• Ability to align diverse stakeholders around a shared vision.
• Strong people leadership and coaching skills.

Responsibilities

• Design, evolution, and execution of national program strategy.
• Translate theory of change into scalable, contextually adaptable program models across states.
• Balance innovation with implementation rigour—ensuring programs are evidence-informed, feasible, and system-ready.
• Anticipate sector trends and incorporate them into program design.
• Ensure strong alignment between curriculum, training, implementation, research, and LME teams.
• Oversee program implementation to ensure consistent quality and contextual adaptation.
• Oversee Curriculum & Pedagogy and Training verticals to build capabilities.
• Partner with Research & LME to embed learning loops into decision-making.
• Engage with government stakeholders to institutionalize programs within public systems.

Skills

Strategic Leadership

Systems Thinking

Stakeholder Alignment

People Leadership

Cross-functional Collaboration

Job description

Location: Delhi

Responsibilities:

Strategic Program Leadership

• Work closely with the Country Director on the design, evolution, and execution of national program strategy, aligned with organisational vision, adolescent wellbeing goals, and systems-change approach.
• Translate organization's theory of change into scalable, contextually adaptable program models across states.
• Balance innovation with implementation rigour—ensuring programs are evidence-informed, feasible, and system-ready.
• Anticipate sector trends (education reform, mental health integration, youth wellbeing frameworks) and incorporate them into program design.

Program Integration & Cross-Vertical Alignment

• Ensure strong alignment between and relevant capacities of curriculum, training, implementation, research, and LME teams, avoiding silos.
• Create clear roles, handoffs, and decision-making frameworks across verticals and state teams.
• Act as the glue that holds together design, delivery, learning, and systems engagement.

Oversight of Program Implementation

• Guide the National Lead - Program to ensure consistent quality, timely delivery, and contextual adaptation of programs.
• Establish national norms for planning, review cycles, documentation, and program governance.
• Support states in navigating complex public systems while maintaining program integrity.

Curriculum, Training & Capacity-Building

• Oversee the Curriculum & Pedagogy department to ensure relevance, inclusivity, and alignment with adolescent wellbeing and mental health frameworks.
• Oversee the Training vertical to build the capabilities of teachers, facilitators, and system actors through blended, scalable learning approaches.
• Ensure continuous improvement through feedback from the field, research insights, and learner data.

Learning, Evidence & Adaptive Improvement

• Partner closely with Research & LME to embed learning loops into program decision-making.
• Use evidence, data, and practitioner insights to refine strategy, delivery models, and scale pathways.
• Encourage a culture of reflection, experimentation, and learning—not just compliance.

Government & Ecosystem Engagement

• Serve as a thought partner to senior leadership in engagements with state and national government stakeholders.
• Support institutionalization of programs within public systems (education, health, WCD, youth).
• Represent the orgin sector platforms, policy spaces, and collaborative forums related to adolescent wellbeing.

Team Leadership & Culture

• Lead and mentor a diverse, multi-disciplinary national programs team.
• Foster a culture grounded in values: empathy, accountability, ownership, collaboration, and learning.
• Build leadership capability across states and verticals to support scale with care.

What We're Looking For:

• 15–20 years of experience in designing, implementing, and scaling large-scale social or development programs, with some experience working with government systems. .
• Strong experience in education, mental health, adolescent wellbeing, public health, and/or youth development.
• Demonstrated leadership in multi-state or national programs, with an integral focus on training and capacity building .
• Proven ability to manage complexity, ambiguity, and cross-functional teams.
• Strategic and systems thinker with strong execution capabilities.
• Ability to align diverse stakeholders around a shared vision.
• Strong people leadership and coaching skills.