Senior Program Associate - Solution Development

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 actualise their human capital by improving human resource management (HRM) practices and organisational effectiveness using a competency-driven approach. We believe that supporting governments in undertaking these reforms will result in improved execution capacity and a fulfilling career journey for public officials.

The competency-driven approach focuses on the knowledge, skills, and attitude required for specific government roles. By undertaking this approach, CEGIS aims to bring clarity to the work done by officials and empower them to achieve better results. This translates to a shift in accountability from simply following processes to delivering tangible outcomes.

The Personnel Management team achieves this through three key workstreams.

1. 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.
2. Competency-Based Learning & Development: Equipping public officials with the ongoing training and development they need to excel in their roles.
3. 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. By empowering officials with the right skills and holding them accountable for achieving desired outcomes, CEGIS is paving the way for a more efficient and impactful government service.

Project and Position Summary

We are seeking a Senior Program Associate, Solution Development, to join our team in designing initiatives towards strengthening 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 brings a strong ability to synthesise research and analyse datasets by reviewing policies and global best practices to translate evidence and insights into actionable models that can be piloted, refined, and institutionalised with MDOs.

This role offers a unique opportunity to work at the intersection of policy and design thinking, collaborating 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. It is ideal for individuals who thrive on intellectual rigour, creative problem-solving, and the pursuit of long-term institutional reform.

Roles and Responsibilities

Research and Solutioning (Competency-based HRM)

• Conducts 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 the existing human resource practices (recruitment, learning and development and PMS)
• Synthesises findings from research, data, and field insights to create evidence-based recommendations and concept notes.
• Assists 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 MDOs performance
• Supports 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
• Monitors 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

• Tracks and validates datasets from multiple sources for accuracy and reliability
• Analyses complex qualitative and quantitative data to generate actionable insights
• Prepares reports, dashboards, policy briefs, and presentations to support decision-making
• Maintains and updates the database of competencies, assessments, and courses, and assists with the onboarding of partners as needed

Project and Knowledge Management

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

Collaboration and Team Engagement

• Supports the team in coordinating with internal verticals, delivery teams and partner organisations to align solution design objectives with implementation needs
• Facilitates communication and knowledge exchange by organising meetings, workshops, and presentations to share progress, feedback, and insights on solution development and maturity
• Builds and maintains 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

• Bachelors 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 candidates 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.