Manager - Program Strategy & Operations

Sol's ARC; Mumbai; On-site; INR 900,000 - 1,300,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Travel reimbursement

Flexible work

Training support

Job summary

Sol's ARC is seeking a mid-to-senior programme manager to oversee day-to-day delivery of inclusive education, skilling and livelihood projects across locations. You will align plans with donor requirements, manage budgets, and ensure timely reporting to leadership and partners.

You will coordinate with state teams, drive capacity building, and represent the organization in government and partner meetings. Travel to field locations is expected.

Qualifications

• Master's degree or equivalent practical experience in development/NGO sector.
• 4–5 years in programme operations or project management, with multi-location experience.
• Proven donor reporting, MoU compliance and milestone accountability.
• Experience with government bodies is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Oversee day-to-day delivery of programmes and ensure on-time, on-budget execution.
• Coordinate across state and field teams; manage planning, monitoring and reporting.
• Prepare briefing notes and materials for leadership meetings with partners and donors.
• Support field teams with capacity building and stakeholder liaison.

Skills

Planning

Communication

Coordination

Ownership

Data reporting

Education

Master's degree in Social Work/Development Studies/Public Policy/MBA

Tools

MIS systems

Dashboards

Job description

Languages English and Hindi required; Marathi or regional language preferred

ABOUT SOL'S ARC

Sol's ARC is an NGO that works to ensure every child learns and every adult earns. For over 20 years, we have worked with governments, donors and communities to create lasting change for Persons with Disabilities — through inclusive education, vocational skilling and livelihood programmes across multiple states.

THE ROLE

This is a mid-to-senior role for someone who is good at turning plans into action. You will manage the day-to-day delivery of Sol's ARC's programmes, keep teams on track, handle donor reporting, and ensure the Director of program and Strategy has everything she needs to lead externally. This is a hands-on role — you will be expected to solve problems, coordinate teams across locations, and be accountable for outcomes.It requires to travel to field locations .

HOW YOU'LL SPEND YOUR TIME

50% Programme planning and operations

20% Monitoring, reporting and donor compliance

15% Team coordination and capacity building

15% Stakeholder liaison and internal alignment

WHAT YOU'LL DO

Programme planning and operations

• Make sure all Sol's ARC programmes — inclusive education, skilling, livelihoods — are running on time and within budget.
• Build work plans, activity calendars and milestone trackers for each programme. Review progress every week with state and field teams.
• Track programme budgets with the Finance team. Make sure expenses match the donor agreement heads. Prepare utilisation certificates on time.
• Manage programme changes, scale-ups and closures as needed.

Monitoring, reporting and donor compliance

• Build a reporting system that gives accurate and timely data to donors, government partners and the leadership team.
• Write programme progress reports and review financial reports. Make sure all reports match agreed milestones and indicators.
• Work with the M&E team to track what has been done and what outcomes have been achieved.
• Keep all programme documents — SOPs, field protocols, frameworks — organised and up to date.
• Flag risks and problems to the Director early, with your suggested solutions.

Team coordination and capacity building

• Coordinate with programme, M&E, finance, HR and communications teams to keep delivery on track.
• Directly support state-level coordinators and team leads — help them plan, execute and report.
• Run regular team meetings and review sessions. Help new programme staff settle into their roles.

Stakeholder liaison and internal alignment

• Be the main point of contact for government departments and implementation partners on day-to-day programme matters.
• Prepare briefing notes, updates and presentation materials for the Director to use in meetings with government, donors and the Board.
• Represent Sol's ARC in partner coordination meetings when required.

WHAT'S HARD ABOUT THIS ROLE

Managing several programmes at once — each with different donors, deadlines and field realities. Working in a fast-changing environment where priorities shift quickly. Building trust and accountability with field teams you may rarely meet in person. Keeping delivery on track while government systems move slowly.

WHO WE'RE LOOKING FOR

Qualifications and experience

• Master's degree in Social Work, Development Studies, Public Policy, MBA or a related field. Strong practical experience will be considered in place of qualifications.
• 4–5 years of experience in programme operations or project management, with at least 2 years managing multi-location, multi-donor programmes in a nonprofit or development sector organisation.
• Experience managing field teams across multiple states or districts.
• Strong track record of donor reporting, MoU compliance and milestone-based accountability.
• Experience working with government bodies (education, social justice, skill development) is an advantage.
• Familiarity with the RPwD Act, NEP 2020 or NIPUN Bharat is preferred.

Skills

• Strong planning and organisational skills — can manage multiple workstreams without losing track of detail.
• Clear written communication — can write donor reports and programme briefs independently.
• Comfortable working with MIS systems, dashboards and outcome data.
• Works well with others but can drive accountability and make decisions when needed.
• Takes ownership — does not wait to be told; anticipates problems and resolves them.

What makes an exceptional candidate

• All programmes delivered on time, within budget, and with no surprises at the end of a reporting period.
• The Director spends her time on strategy and external engagement — not chasing programme updates.
• Field teams feel supported, clear on their targets, and accountable.
• Donors receive accurate, insightful reports that reflect real programme progress.

WHAT WE OFFER

• Salary as per Sol's ARC pay scale, based on your experience.
• Travel reimbursement for all programme-related travel.
• Outcomes-based flexible work — targets are clear; how you plan your day is up to you.
• Training and support from the programme team when you join.