Senior Program Coordinator (Climate Adaptation, Livelihoods & State Coordination) BRAC Ultra-Poor Graduation Initiative – INDIA

BRAC INTERNATIONAL; Delhi; On-site; INR 1,800,000 - 2,400,000; Full time

Job summary

BRAC International’s Ultra-Poor Graduation Initiative (UPGI) seeks a Senior Program Coordinator in New Delhi, India, to provide strategic and technical leadership across climate adaptation, livelihoods promotion and state coordination.

The role will translate India’s climate strategy into state priorities, strengthen climate-responsive livelihood pathways, and work with government and partners using evidence to improve programme quality.

Qualifications

• Advanced degree in Development Studies or related field.
• 10+ years leading programme delivery in India’s government, development or civil society sector.
• 5+ years in senior- or mid-level engagement with government partners, international financiers and donors.
• 5+ years in livelihoods, rural development, poverty reduction, climate adaptation or related programmes.
• Strong analytical, writing and documentation skills; stakeholder management.
• Fluent English; Hindi or regional language proficiency; willingness to travel.

Responsibilities

• Lead climate adaptation and livelihoods promotion for SAY; translate strategy into state plans.
• Coordinate with government departments, SRLMs, researchers and partners; ensure alignment and quality.
• Monitor state PMU roadmaps, performance and learning; support scale‑up and risk mitigation.
• Build capacity of teams and partners; manage budgets and deliverables; ensure governance standards.
• Promote safeguarding and ethical practices; ensure reporting and responsive action.

Skills

Leadership

Stakeholder management

Policy development

Program design & analysis

English proficiency

Hindi proficiency

Travel readiness

Education

Advanced degree in Development Studies or related field

Job description

Career with BRAC International

Founded in Bangladesh in 1972, BRAC is an international development organisation working to address poverty and inequality through evidence-based programmes and social enterprise approaches. Born and led in the Global South, BRAC operates across Asia and Africa. Learn more at www.bracinternational.org.

About UPGI

The Ultra-Poor Graduation Initiative (UPGI) is a flagship programme of BRAC International that partners with governments and other stakeholders to adapt and scale evidence-based Graduation approaches to address extreme poverty. The approach combines productive assets, basic-needs support and ongoing coaching to help households build lasting pathways out of poverty. UPGI supports technical assistance, capacity strengthening and integration of Graduation into existing programmes, with an ambition to help 21 million more people move out of extreme poverty by 2030.

About BRAC International’s Work in India

Under an MoU with the National Rural Livelihoods Promotion Society under India’s Ministry of Rural Development, BRAC International supports economic inclusion and social protection for extremely poor and excluded households, particularly women. Through the Samaveshi Aajeevika Yojana (SAY), BRAC provides technical assistance, convenes stakeholders and supports national- and state-level Project Management Units (PMUs) to strengthen programme design and implementation under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana–National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM). The ten allocated states are Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Nagaland, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Uttarakhand.

About the Position

BRAC UPGI seeks a Senior Program Coordinator to provide strategic and technical leadership across climate adaptation, livelihoods promotion and state coordination, supporting effective implementation and scale-up of SAY. The role will translate India’s climate strategy into state priorities, strengthen climate-responsive livelihood pathways, support government and implementation partners, and use field evidence and a test–learn–adapt approach to improve programme quality. The postholder will report to the Program Advisor – Livelihoods, work closely with the State PMU and India team, and be based in New Delhi, with regular travel to programme states and field locations.

Primary Responsibilities

1. Climate Adaptation (35%)

• Lead a research-based approach to integrating climate adaptation into SAY strategies, state work plans, livelihood frameworks and coaching curricula, including support for operationalising a Climate Adaptation Practice Leader structure.
• Translate local climate vulnerabilities and evidence—including vulnerability assessments, scoping studies and seasonal forecasts—into practical measures that help households prepare for, cope with and adapt to climate shocks.
• Develop and promote climate-responsive planning tools, including seasonal calendars, hazard and risk mapping, natural-resource mapping, guidance on resilient asset transfers and post-transfer monitoring to identify losses, disruptions and recovery needs.
• Lead BRAC’s Climate Adaptation team and coordinate with thematic colleagues, government departments, SRLMs, technical institutions, researchers and implementation partners to strengthen capacity, exchange learning and integrate climate adaptation into policies, implementation plans, standard operating procedures and technical guidance.
• Promote a test–learn–adapt approach, document and disseminate lessons, and contribute to policy recommendations and programme improvements for wider replication.

2. Livelihoods Promotion (35%)

• Ensure climate risks, ecosystem conditions, household microplanning and participant preferences inform livelihood assessments, livelihood selection and productive asset investments.
• Provide technical support across relevant livelihood pathways, including small-scale agriculture, livestock, forest-based livelihoods, micro-enterprises and skills development, based on household needs and local opportunities.
• Design, review and contextualise livelihood models, packages, prototypes, guidelines, training materials and operational tools, assessing their feasibility, financial viability, market potential, climate sensitivity and suitability for target households.
• Provide technical feedback to implementation partners, consultants and domain experts; identify gaps and recommend improvements based on field observations, participant feedback, markets and emerging evidence.
• Build the capacity of programme teams, partners, coaches and community institutions in climate‑adaptive livelihood delivery, and undertake regular field visits to assess implementation quality and support improvements.

3. State Coordination, Government Engagement and Programme Quality (30%)

• Coordinate with state governments, SRLMs and relevant departments under DAY-NRLM to implement, strengthen and scale SAY; build relationships and support co‑design of the Graduation/SAY approach for state-level adoption.
• Act as a link between national and state teams, BRAC thematic teams, government stakeholders, research institutions and implementation partners, ensuring aligned priorities, timely technical guidance and translation of programme design into field-level action.
• Develop and monitor the State PMU roadmap, goals, work plans and review mechanisms; promote a shared understanding of the Graduation approach and maintain fidelity to programme design and standards.
• Analyse state performance and programme data, facilitate programme reviews and cross‑state learning, identify implementation bottlenecks and risks, and coordinate timely mitigation and corrective action.
• Support partner onboarding and capacity building, strengthen collaboration and continuous learning, monitor partner budgets and deliverables, and help partners establish effective communication channels for statutory functions.
• Track policy developments and government priorities, and identify convergence and scale‑up opportunities through NGOs, corporate social responsibility initiatives and other relevant agencies.

4. Safeguarding Responsibilities

• Promote a safe environment for colleagues and communities, free from harm, abuse, neglect, harassment and exploitation, and ensure safeguarding standards are understood and followed by team members.
• Follow established safeguarding procedures for reporting concerns or incidents and encourage others to do the same.

Qualifications and Experience

• Advanced degree in Development Studies, Rural Management, Agriculture, Forestry, Economics, Agribusiness, Social Sciences, Public Policy, Livelihoods, Climate Adaptation, Entrepreneurship or a related field.
• At least 10 years of experience leading programme delivery in India’s government, development or civil society sector.
• At least five years of senior- or mid-level engagement and negotiation with government partners, international financial institutions (including multilateral development banks), donors and other development stakeholders, preferably in India or South Asia.
• At least five years of relevant experience in livelihoods, rural development, poverty reduction, agriculture, climate adaptation, market systems, enterprise development, skills or related programmes.
• Demonstrated experience designing or supporting livelihood interventions and capacity‑building programmes for rural and tribal communities, integrating climate‑adaptive measures into rural livelihoods, and managing partners and coordination processes.
• Strong analytical, writing and documentation skills, including the ability to develop and review reports, proposals and programme documents; strong relationship‑building, stakeholder management, presentation and representational skills.
• Proactive and strategic leadership, effective prioritisation and management of competing workstreams, sound judgement, strong interpersonal skills and political and contextual sensitivity; ability to work effectively in high‑pressure, fast‑paced environments.
• Excellent written and spoken English, with fluency in Hindi and/or a relevant regional language. Knowledge of BRAC’s programmes and work in India is an advantage.
• Willingness and ability to travel frequently within India and occasionally internationally.

Qualified female candidates are encouraged to apply.

Application deadline: 12th November 2026

BRAC International is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to safeguarding children, young people and vulnerable adults. All employees and volunteers are expected to share this commitment. Recruitment includes reference and background checks, self‑disclosure of relevant prior misconduct and criminal records, and assessment of alignment with BRAC’s values, which are incorporated into its Performance Management System.

Only complete applications will be accepted. Shortlisted candidates will be contacte