Lead, Strategic Partnerships and Program Implementation

Room to Read India; New Delhi; On-site; INR 2,400,000 - 4,200,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Thirteenth month bonus

Health insurance

Retirement plan

Job summary

Room to Read India seeks an experienced leader to guide program implementation across multiple locations and to drive high-quality proposals and concept notes for the Country Office.

The role partners with Programs, RM&E, Finance, Fundraising and Global Grant Management to ensure effective execution, evidence-based proposals, and continuous learning. Strong writing, synthesis and stakeholder management are essential.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree preferred in Education, Development Studies, Public Policy, Management, Communications or related field.
• 7-12 years of relevant professional experience in program implementation, proposal development, fundraising or development sector.
• Experience managing large-scale programs across multiple locations with diverse stakeholders.
• Strong proposal writing, concept note development and ability to synthesize complex information into clear documents.
• Excellent written and verbal communication with ability to present information effectively.

Responsibilities

• Lead proposal development for strategic partnerships, translating program strategies into donor-responsive narratives.
• Coordinate inputs from multiple teams to ensure coherence of technical and financial components.
• Develop proposal content including theories of change, approaches, plans and results frameworks.
• Monitor implementation milestones, risks and budgets across projects and trigger corrective actions.
• Capture learnings and evidence to support proposals and strategic program discussions.
• Ensure timely submission of program reports and adherence to donor guidelines.

Skills

Proposal writing

Program management

Stakeholder management

Analytical skills

Strong writing

Cross-functional collaboration

Budget familiarity

Education

Master’s degree preferred

Job description

Room to Read India is seeking an experienced professional to lead program implementation across multiple locations and drive high-quality proposal and concept note development for the Country Office. The role will work closely with the Program Operations Director, State and cross-functional teams to ensure effective execution, track progress, address implementation challenges, and capture program learning. The role will also develop evidence-based, donor-responsive proposals and concept notes in collaboration with Programs, RM&E, Finance, Fundraising and Global Grant Management teams. Strong project management, analytical, writing, synthesis and stakeholder management skills are essential.

Responsibilities:

Proposal Development for Strategic Partnerships (50%).

• Lead the development and writing of high-quality proposals for Room to Read India.
• Translate program strategies, implementation experience, evidence and organizational priorities into clear, compelling and donor-responsive narratives.
• Work closely with Programs, RM&E, Finance, Dev, Global Grant Management and other teams to gather, synthesize and validate technical inputs for proposals.
• Develop proposal narratives, theories of change, program approaches, implementation plans, results frameworks and other relevant sections as required.
• Coordinate inputs from multiple stakeholders and ensure consistency, coherence and quality across technical and financial components of proposals.
• Develop proposal content that clearly articulates the problem, proposed intervention, implementation approach, expected results, evidence and Room to Read's comparative strengths.
• Ensure that proposals are responsive to donor requirements, guidelines, evaluation criteria and submission timelines.
• Review and strengthen proposal drafts to improve clarity, structure, logic, persuasiveness and alignment between program design, outcomes, activities, budgets and M&E frameworks.
• Maintain and continuously strengthen a repository of proposal content, program evidence, organizational information, impact stories, case studies and other reusable resources.
• Develop standard content and templates that can enable faster, sharper and more consistent proposal development.
• Coordinate proposal review processes and ensure timely incorporation of feedback from internal and global stakeholders.

Program Learning, Evidence & Documentation (10%)

• Capture and synthesize implementation insights, innovations, challenges, success stories and lessons from State teams and program locations.
• Work with RM&E and Program teams to identify relevant evidence and data that can strengthen program planning, communication and proposal development.
• Translate implementation experience and evidence into compelling narratives, case studies, briefs and proposal content.
• Maintain an updated evidence and learning bank to support proposal development and strategic program discussions.
• Identify recurring implementation issues and opportunities for cross-state learning and improvement.

Program Implementation & Delivery (40%)

• Accountable for ensuring all projects in select geography achieve their respective goals.
• Lead and coordinate implementation of multiple projects/program initiatives across states and locations, ensuring alignment with approved plans, objectives, timelines and program KPIs.
• Work closely with State and Country Office teams to translate program strategies and plans into clear implementation priorities and actions.
• Track key implementation milestones, deliverables, dependencies and risks across projects and proactively flag areas requiring management attention.
• Facilitate periodic implementation reviews with State teams and relevant Country Office functions to assess progress, identify bottlenecks and agree on corrective actions.
• Ensure that required program permissions, approvals and implementation processes are in place in coordination with relevant teams.
• Monitor implementation against agreed timelines, quality parameters and budgets and support teams in addressing deviations.
• Ensure timely completion and submission of program reports and other key implementation deliverables.
• Support effective utilization of program budgets and track significant variances, risks and implementation implications.
• Work with relevant teams to ensure that implementation learning and emerging challenges are documented and translated into actionable improvements.

Qualifications:

Required:

• Master’s degree preferred in Education, Development Studies, Public Policy, Management, Communications or a related field.
• 7-12 years of relevant professional experience, preferably in program implementation, program management, proposal development, fundraising, consulting, development sector or related fields.
• Demonstrated experience of managing or coordinating large-scale programs/projects involving multiple locations and stakeholders.
• Strong demonstrated experience in proposal writing and concept note development, including the ability to independently develop high-quality narrative content.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with strong ability to synthesize complex information into clear, structured and compelling documents.
• Experience working with cross-functional teams and coordinating multiple inputs to deliver time-bound outputs.
• Strong analytical, project management and problem-solving skills.
• Experience working with budgets, implementation plans, project trackers and performance reports.
• Strong proficiency in preparing presentations, briefing notes, reports and other professional communication materials.
• Experience in the development/social impact/education sector would be an advantage.
• Strong execution orientation: Demonstrates ownership for moving plans from strategy to implementation and ensuring timely delivery.
• Excellent writing and communication: Able to develop clear, compelling and well-structured proposals, concept notes and program documents.
• Structured thinker: Able to break down complex problems, connect information across functions and develop practical solutions.
• Strong project management: Able to manage multiple priorities, timelines, stakeholders and deliverables simultaneously.
• Collaborative and influencing: Comfortable working across functions and influencing stakeholders without direct authority.
• Analytical and detail-oriented: Able to work with qualitative and quantitative information and identify key insights, gaps and risks.
• Proactive problem solver: Anticipates implementation challenges and takes initiative to address them.
• Adaptable and resilient: Comfortable working in a dynamic environment with changing priorities and tight deadlines.
• High ownership and accountability: Demonstrates discipline, follow-through and commitment to quality.
• Passion for equity and education: Strong alignment with Room to Read's mission of improving learning outcomes and advancing gender equality.

Compensation:

Room to Read offers a competitive salary with excellent benefits. Benefits include thirteenth month bonus, health insurance, and a retirement plan. The non-monetary compensation includes a unique opportunity to be part of an innovative, meaningful, and rapidly growing organization that is transforming the lives of millions of children in developing countries through literacy and gender equality in education.

Room to Read is a child-safe organization; all personnel are expected to adhere to Room to Read's Child Protection Policy and Child Protection Code of Conduct.