Senior Program Associate - Solution Development

Centre for Effective Governance of Indian States (CEGIS); New Delhi; On-site; INR 600,000 - 900,000; Full time

Job summary

A non-profit organization based in New Delhi seeks a Senior Program Associate to enhance competency-based human resource practices for public officials. The ideal candidate will leverage their 3-6 years of experience in HRM or project management to provide analytical and operational support. Responsibilities include conducting research, synthesizing data, and developing solutions that drive systemic improvement in public service delivery. Competitive remuneration based on experience in the social sector is offered.

Qualifications

• 3–6 years of relevant professional experience in HRM or project management.
• Prior exposure to government ecosystems or multi‑stakeholder initiatives is strongly preferred.
• Proficiency in Hindi and English.

Responsibilities

• Conduct literature reviews, policy analysis, and diagnostic studies.
• Synthesize findings from research, data, and field insights.
• Monitor policy updates and trends in HR.
• Track and validate datasets for accuracy and reliability.
• Develop work plans and knowledge tools for project management.
• Track and validate datasets from multiple sources for accuracy and reliability.
• Prepare reports, dashboards, policy briefs, and presentations to support decision-making.
• Maintain and update the database of competencies, assessments, and courses; assist with onboarding partners as needed.
• Develop knowledge tools, templates, training materials, and process guides for dissemination and implementation of solutions.

Skills

Analytical skills

Project management

Research skills

Collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in economics, public policy, or related discipline

Job description

Senior Program Associate - Solution Development

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About Personnel Management (PM) Vertical

We believe that empowered, equipped and future‑ready public officials are crucial to achieving citizen‑centric service delivery. We work with central, state, and local governments to actualize their human capital by improving human resource management (HRM) practices and organisational effectiveness using a competency‑driven approach. By supporting governments in undertaking these reforms, we aim to improve execution capacity and offer a fulfilling career journey for public officials.

The competency‑driven approach focuses on the knowledge, skills, and attitude required for specific government roles. This approach brings clarity to the work done by officials and empowers them to achieve better results, shifting accountability from following processes to delivering tangible outcomes.

The Personnel Management team achieves this through three key workstreams:

• Competency‑Based Recruitment: Ensuring the right people are selected for the job and bringing the necessary competencies (knowledge, skills, and attitude) on board from the outset.
• Competency‑Based Learning & Development: Equipping public officials with the ongoing training and development they need to excel in their roles.
• Performance Management Systems: Evaluating and improving individual and team performance based on achieving defined goals, not just by adherence to procedures.

Through these efforts, the Personnel Management team strives to bring enhanced clarity and effectiveness to government work in India, paving the way for a more efficient and impactful public service.

Project and Position Summary

We are seeking a Senior Program Associate in Solution Development to join our team in designing initiatives that strengthen competency‑based human resource practices for public officials. The role involves providing analytical and operational support in solution design, contextualisation, implementation and codification by building frameworks, tools, and knowledge products that enable systemic reform in public sector recruitment, L&D, and performance management systems.

The ideal candidate synthesises research and analyses datasets by reviewing policies and global best practices, translating evidence and insights into actionable models that can be piloted, refined, and institutionalised with MDOs.

Working at the intersection of policy and design thinking, the candidate collaborates closely with domain experts, public officials, and partner institutions to convert concepts into usable, scalable, and contextually relevant solutions that drive systemic improvement in public service delivery and strengthen institutional capacity over time.

Roles and Responsibilities

Research and Solutioning (Competency‑based HRM)

• Conduct literature reviews, policy analysis, benchmarking exercises, and diagnostic studies, drawing on national frameworks such as Mission Karmayogi, policies and global standards to formulate problem statements in existing human resource practices (recruitment, learning and development, and PMS).
• Synthesise findings from research, data, and field insights to create evidence‑based recommendations and concept notes.
• Assist in the development of recruitment‑related tools, competency framework, training needs assessments, and the design of targeted learning and development interventions, and their implications on MDO performance.
• Support the conceptualisation and prototyping of frameworks, workflows, tools, and models to facilitate the pilots, iterations and large‑scale implementation of HR practices within an MDO.
• Monitor policy updates, regulatory changes, and trends in HR to ensure solutions are scalable, contextually appropriate, and aligned with evolving government priorities.

Data Management and Analysis

• Track and validate datasets from multiple sources for accuracy and reliability.
• Analyse complex qualitative and quantitative data to generate actionable insights.
• Prepare reports, dashboards, policy briefs, and presentations to support decision‑making.
• Maintain and update the database of competencies, assessments, and courses, and assist with onboarding partners as needed.

Project and Knowledge Management

• Develop work plans, ensuring accountability for timelines with minimal supervision and track completion of project milestones.
• Develop knowledge tools, templates, training materials, and process guides to facilitate effective dissemination and implementation of the solution.
• Support the state delivery teams in the planning, implementation and monitoring of competency‑based solutions across projects and state engagements.
• Document and codify learnings from pilot initiatives and internal reviews, contributing to solution testing, refinement and institutional knowledge creation.

Collaboration and Team Engagement

• Support the team in coordinating with internal verticals, delivery teams and partner organisations to align solution design objectives with implementation needs.
• Facilitate communication and knowledge exchange by organising meetings, workshops, and presentations to share progress, feedback, and insights on solution development and maturity.
• Build and maintain productive working relationships with internal and external subject matter experts, assessment and content providers, by ensuring regular interactions, capturing inputs, and identifying opportunities for co‑creation and refinement of solutions.

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in economics, public policy, social sciences, or a related discipline from a reputable institution.
• 3–6 years of relevant professional experience, particularly in HRM, capacity building, or project management.
• Prior exposure to government ecosystems or multi‑stakeholder initiatives is strongly preferred.

Note

• The role will be based in New Delhi.
• Proficiency in Hindi and English.
• Remuneration will be competitive with Indian philanthropy and social sector pay scales, depending on the candidate’s experience levels.
• CEGIS is an equal employment opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment and will not be discriminated against based on race, colour, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, ancestry, or national or ethnic origin.

Additional Information

• Seniority level: Associate.
• Employment type: Full‑time.
• Job function: Project Management, Research, and Analyst.
• Industries: Think Tanks, Non‑profit Organizations, and Government Relations Services.
• Location: New Delhi, Delhi, India.