Program Associate-Hyderabad

YRG Care; Hyderabad; On-site; INR 600,000 - 900,000; Full time

Job summary

YR Gaitonde Medical Educational & Research Foundation (YRGMERF) in Hyderabad seeks a Program Associate to document the project’s operational experience, including how the SCS model works in practice, what adaptations were needed, and what others can learn from the experience.

The role requires qualitative interview skills, strong English writing, and readiness to travel 8–10 trips. Hindi fluency is essential; Kannada or Assamese is a plus for translation support.

Qualifications

• Post-graduate degree in development studies, public health, or social sciences.
• Minimum 4 years of experience in programme documentation in health sector, case study writing, or knowledge management.
• Strong ability to produce clear, readable prose without jargon.
• Experience conducting qualitative interviews with community members and government functionaries.
• Competence in basic photography and photo editing for documentation purposes.

Responsibilities

• Develop a framework in the first month detailing what will be documented, formats, frequency, and inputs from district/state teams.
• Conduct at least one documentation visit to each state per quarter.
• Interview community sentinels, health workers, district coordinators, and officers to capture first-hand accounts of the surveillance system.
• Write monthly field documentation notes capturing the operational narrative, community responses, problems, and government engagement.
• Produce quarterly documentation outputs: one process case study and one outcome case study per quarter, 3–5 pages each, with photographs where available.
• Support the Project Lead in preparing narrative sections of quarterly donor reports with documented field progress and challenges.
• Prepare the final project documentation compendium covering district profiles, mobilisation approach, training design, integration, verification protocols, government coordination, and scale-up recommendations.
• Manage the project's photographic record with consent and organized storage for reports and case studies.
• Coordinate with Data Quality Control Officer to ensure narratives and data tell a consistent story and resolve discrepancies before reporting.

Skills

Strong English writing

Qualitative interviews

Photography & editing

Travel readiness

Hindi fluency

Education

Post-graduate degree in development studies / public health / social sciences

Job description

Job Title: Program Associate

Location: Hyderabad

Organisation: YR Gaitonde Medical Educational & Research Foundation (YRGMERF)

Job Summary

The Program Associate is responsible for capturing, organizing, and presenting the project's operational experience, lessons learnt, and knowledge products. This is not a communications or PR role. The core function is to produce honest, detailed documentation of how the SCS model works in practice - what went well, what did not, what adaptations were needed, and what other districts or states could learn from this experience. The documentation produced under this role is meant to serve government stakeholders (NCDC, State Health Missions) who may want to replicate the model, and the donor who needs to see that their investment generated usable knowledge beyond the immediate project outputs.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop a framework in the first month of the project, specifying: what will be documented (processes, outcomes, adaptations, community responses, government engagement), in what format (case studies, process notes, photo documentation, data summaries), at what frequency (monthly field notes, quarterly synthesis, final compendium), and who will provide inputs (District Coordinators, State Coordinators, community sentinels, government counterparts).
• Conduct at least one documentation visit to each state per quarter.
• During these visits, interview community sentinels, government health workers, District Coordinators, and district health officers to capture their first-hand accounts of how the surveillance system is operating.
• Write monthly field documentation notes based on inputs received from State and District Coordinators. These notes capture the operational narrative - not just numbers, but the texture of what is happening: how communities are responding, what problems are arising, how government counterparts are engaging, what workarounds the field team has developed.
• Produce quarterly documentation outputs: one process case study and one outcome case study per quarter, drawn from the most instructive experiences in the four districts. Case studies should be 3-5 pages, written plainly, with photographs where available, and focused on practical learning that others can use.
• Support the Project Lead in preparing the narrative sections of quarterly donor reports by providing documented evidence of field-level progress and challenges.
• Prepare the final project documentation compendium: a comprehensive record of the SCS model as implemented, including district profiles, community mobilisation approach, training design, IHIP integration, verification protocols, government coordination experience, and recommendations for scale-up. This document is the project's primary knowledge legacy.
• Manage the project's photographic record. Ensure that photographs are taken systematically (training sessions, community meetings, government meetings, verification exercises) with proper consent, and are stored, labelled, and organized for use in reports and case studies.
• Coordinate with the Data Quality Control Officer to ensure that documentation narratives and data tell a consistent story. Where data and narrative diverge, investigate and resolve the discrepancy before including either in any report.

Qualifications and Experience

• Post-graduate degree in development studies, public health, or social sciences
• Minimum 4 years of experience in programme documentation in health sector, case study writing, or knowledge management in the development or health sector
• Strong English writing skills. The ability to produce clear, readable prose without jargon is essential - this role is about making complex field realities accessible to readers who were not present.
• Experience conducting qualitative interviews with community members and government functionaries
• Competence in basic photography and photo editing for documentation purposes
• Willingness to travel to project districts (estimated 8-10 trips during the project period)
• Hindi fluency required. Kannada or Assamese knowledge is a plus but not mandatory, as State Coordinators will support translation during field visits.