State Program Manager - Assam, Andhra Pradesh

Ground Zero; India; Remote; INR 1,800,000 - 2,400,000; Full time

Job summary

Ground Zero is seeking a State Program Manager to lead a flagship rural women empowerment initiative. The role requires 10–15 years in the development sector and strong state‑level leadership to coordinate with SRLMs, district administrations, and FIAs across Assam, Andhra Pradesh, and Maharashtra.

You will drive program execution planning, governance, MIS integrity, and financial controls, oversee value‑chain and livelihood initiatives, and build internal team capabilities to deliver state

Qualifications

• Postgraduate degree in Social Work, Rural Management, Development Studies, Agriculture, Sciences, or a related field.
• 10-15 years of experience in the development sector with multi-stakeholder rural projects.
• Demonstrated leadership managing rural development programs at scale.
• Deep understanding of government programs and rural livelihoods.

Responsibilities

• Lead state-level planning, execution, and monitoring across districts and blocks in coordination with the PMU.
• Supervise and manage FIAs and implementation partners; provide capacity building and process handholding.
• Collaborate with SRLMs, district administrations, and state government entities for smooth implementation.
• Drive enterprise development, FPO/value-chain initiatives, and resource mobilization.
• Oversee data management, MIS integrity, reporting, and financial controls.
• Build internal team capabilities and promote evidence-based decision-making.

Skills

MS Office suite

Analytical report writing

Fluency in Assamese/Telugu/Marathi

Education

Postgraduate degree in Social Work, Rural Management, Development Studies, Agriculture, Sciences, or related field

Tools

MS Office suite

Job description

Job Summary

The project is a flagship womens empowerment initiative designed to enable rural women entrepreneurs-both individual business owners and members of Self-Help Groups (SHGs) / SHG Federations-to participate actively in local economic development. Aligned with the Ministry of Rural Developments goal to enable rural SHG women to earn an annual income of at least 1 Lakh, this initiative drives women-led enterprise development in selected districts over a three-year period.

Role and Location

Role: State Program Manager

Locations: Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra

Experience: 10 to 15 years

Reporting To: Program Lead / Team Lead

Key Responsibilities

• Program Execution Planning: Lead state-level planning, execution, and monitoring across districts and blocks in close coordination with the Central Project Management Unit (PMU). Accountable for delivering results aligned with state targets.
• Partner Field Management: Supervise and manage Field Implementation Agencies (FIAs) and implementation partners. Provide continuous technical support, quality assurance, capacity building, and process handholding.
• Stakeholder Convergence: Collaborate closely with State Rural Livelihood Missions (SRLMs), district administrations, and state government entities to ensure smooth program implementation and resource convergence.
• Livelihood Economic Initiatives: Drive enterprise development, Farmer Producer Organization (FPO) / value-chain initiatives, and resource mobilization across rural communities.
• Governance, MIS Financial Controls: Oversee data management, data validation, periodic reporting, and MIS integrity. Ensure strict financial controls, monitoring, evaluation, and operational compliance.
• Team Leadership Innovation: Build internal team capabilities, promote innovative solutions, and foster evidence-based decision-making to optimize outcomes.

Success Metrics

• Timely and successful achievement of state-level program goals and outcomes.
• High quality of implementation and adherence to protocols by Field Implementation Agencies (FIAs).
• Robust engagement and convergence with SRLMs, government officials, and local partners.
• Accuracy, consistency, and timeliness of MIS data, documentation, and reporting.
• Strong financial governance, compliance, and team capability enhancement.

Qualifications

Education Experience

• Postgraduate degree in Social Work, Rural Management, Development Studies, Agriculture, Sciences, or a related field.
• Experience: Must Have 10-15 years of experience in the development sector.
  Proven experience working on multi-stakeholder rural development projects.
  Demonstrated prior leadership experience managing rural development programs at scale.
  Deep understanding of government programs and rural livelihoods.
• Sector Background: Hands-on operational experience is strongly valued (e.g., running a poultry business, dal mill, garment manufacturing/stitching center, or agribusiness). Proven design sense or functional expertise in specific product categories is a major advantage.

Technical Functional Competencies

• Expertise in multi-stakeholder partnership management and rural livelihood systems.
• Strong understanding of FPOs, SHG networks, and value-chain development.
• Experience interfacing with state and district government bodies.
• Fluency in local state languages (Assamese, Telugu, or Marathi based on location) is mandatory.
• Proficiency in MS Office suite and analytical report writing.

Behavioral Competencies

• Strong state-level leadership and relationship-building capabilities.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Analytical mindset with strong problem-solving skills.