Senior Program Associate

Position Summary

The Senior Program Associate (SPA) will play an important role in contextualising and executing the CEGIS vision in Government of Uttar Pradesh. The role will collaborate with other CEGIS teams (Outcome Measurement, Public Finance; Personnel Management; Sectoral teams). The Senior Program Associate will be directly reporting to the respective Program Manager in the State.

Role and Responsibilities:

Data Analysis and Insight Generation:

• Engage with departments to collect relevant data, develop quantitative and qualitative tools/templates, administer these tools, and support in cleaning and organizing the data.
• Track and analyze data for accuracy and conduct qualitative and quantitative analysis.
• Extract important insights from complex datasets relevant to key stakeholders.
• Prioritize and address data issues promptly to support project progress and decision-making.
• Ensure compliance with internal data management and security protocols

Research and Documentation

• Independently conduct research and root cause analysis, documenting and presenting insights.
• Produce comprehensive presentations and documentation to convey critical project insights.
• Collaborate with other teams to jointly develop and implement technical solutions tailored to specific project requirements as is suitable for the states context.
• Create concept notes, policy briefs, and other documentation for stakeholder communication.

Stakeholder Engagement and Communication:

• Evaluate project contingencies and engage with internal and external stakeholders.
• Assist the project team in collecting critical information and departmental updates by maintaining regular communication with government counterparts, partner organisations, and other relevant stakeholders.
• Coordinate stakeholder meetings and gather feedback for project progress and decision-making.
• Foster deep connections with stakeholders and suggest innovative ideas to nurture partnerships.

Project Management & Delivery:

• Understand project requirements, coordinate with internal teams and external partners for delivery excellence.
• Support comparison and assessment of different strategies, frameworks, and solutions for effective decision-making.
• Plan and prioritise work plans, ensuring accountability for set timelines.
• Assist in altering project goals and outcomes based on stakeholder feedback and project progress, flag project risks.
• Support knowledge management processes to help achieve project and organisational objectives (for example, assisting in maintaining a project-based knowledge repository).

Required Qualifications, Skills and Abilities:

• A Masters degree or equivalent preferred in economics, public policy, social science or related fields from a reputed institution, bright graduate applicants may be considered.
• 3-5 years of experience. Minimum 3 years of work experience in India with organisations working in related fields of work i.e., research agencies, policy think-tanks, government or private sector organisations working on government advisory or consulting
• Proven experience in project management and analytical contributions.
• Strong communication, collaboration, and leadership skills.
• Experience with data cleaning and analysis of large and complex data sets and econometric analysis
• Knowledge of STATA or R (strongly preferred) or any other data analysis software is preferred
• Experience in client servicing/government projects would be preferred
• Report writing and presentations with proficiency in MS Office and other tools

Personal Characteristics and Desired Qualities

• Fluency in English and Hindi proficiency
• Excellent problem-solving skills, with an aptitude for research to formulate solutions
• Excellent writing and communication skills (ability to communicate complex ideas in a meaningful way and across different audiences)
• Ability to set priorities, plan timelines and meet deadlines
• Ability to think creatively, willing to take risks, to experiment with new ideas and to turn ideas into action
• High ability to collaborate and actively listen to others, understanding and valuing others views
• Operating style suited to working independently and in a small organization setting, where teamwork and resourcefulness are highly valued

Location

Location: The role will be based out of Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh. Travel to other states may be required.