Programme Manager – Water Projects

Position Name : Programme Manager – Water Projects
Reports to : Managing Director
Number of Positions : One
Location : Pune
Department : Water
Travel : PAN India, as required based on project requirements
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Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana:
Bharatiya Jain Sanghatana (BJS) is a reputed non-profit social impact organization at the forefront of addressing issues of national concern in disaster-response, water conservation, values education and community development. Over past 13 years, BJS has been working in Maharashtra and six other states (Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu) to rejuvenate waterbodies with a view to mitigate the devastating impact of drought on rural communities. It has rejuvenated over 14,000 waterbodies thus far benefiting more than 3,200 villages. BJS works closely with government, district and taluka administrations, gram panchayats, and communities to rejuvenate waterbodies with people’s participation, strengthening community’s resilience to water-stress.
Job Summary:
BJS is looking for an experienced, self-motivated and dynamic professional to serve as Programme Manager – Water Projects, based out of Pune. The Programme Manager will be responsible for the successful management and implementation of assigned water projects across locations, actively facilitating crucial interventions such as coordination with government and district/taluka administrations, gram panchayats, village institutions, community leaders, farmers and other stakeholders.
The Programme Manager will assume responsibility for planning, leading, overseeing, managing, monitoring and reporting on programme activities, including stakeholder coordination, awareness generation and demand creation, BCC/IEC initiatives, community mobilization, waterbody rejuvenation and desilting operations, field coordination, team management, programme monitoring, documentation and reporting.
The role will require PAN-India travel as per project requirements for project implementation, field visits, stakeholder meetings, programme reviews, monitoring activities and other programme-related engagements.
Key Responsibilities:
 Lead and manage the planning, implementation, monitoring and review of assigned water projects across locations.
 Develop project plans, timelines, milestones and deliverables and ensure timely execution of programme activities.
 Proactively establish and nurture excellent working relationships with key stakeholders, including senior government officials, District Collector, CEO Zilla Parishad, concerned officers and functionaries of district/taluka administrations, structure-owner departments, gram panchayats, village leaders, farmers and grassroots communities.
 Undertake waterbody visits, feasibility studies and assist in the preparation and review of detailed profiles for waterbodies being considered for rejuvenation.
 Coordinate with district and taluka administrations, structure-owner departments and gram panchayats to ensure timely approvals and permissions for rejuvenation work.
 Provide guidance, supervision and support to project teams and field personnel to ensure effective programme implementation and achievement of project objectives.
 Monitor project progress against defined plans, targets, timelines and deliverables and ensure timely corrective action wherever required.
 Supervise and monitor desilting and other waterbody rejuvenation operations, ensuring optimum utilization of machinery, manpower, diesel and other project resources.
 Establish effective programme management and supervision practices to ensure efficient use of manpower and other resources and optimum results on ground.
 Facilitate awareness creation, community mobilization and demand generation activities such as Prachar Raths, BCC/IEC initiatives, donor brand visibility activities and other programme interventions.
 Facilitate timely approvals from the government for awareness creatives, training modules, audio-visuals, BCC/IEC material, tech-enabled tools etc. developed by BJS.
 Conduct capacity-building sessions and showcasing meetings for district/taluka-level officials, village leaders, farmers and other stakeholders on various aspects of the programme.
 Organize programme events, stakeholder meetings, reviews and visits as required by government officials, review teams, BJS Head Office teams, VIPs and other stakeholders.
 Ensure progress of project activities is accurately reported through the mobile application and other reporting mechanisms on a regular basis and ensure dashboards are shared with BJS Head Office.
 Monitor programme data, identify implementation gaps and ensure timely corrective and preventive actions.
 Assist in the preparation and review of progress reports, presentations, dashboards, success stories, case studies and other programme documentation.
 Provide timely information to BJS Head Office on upcoming meetings, events and other initiatives by government and other stakeholders to ensure appropriate BJS representation.
 Document meetings, discussions and decisions taken by district/taluka administrations and other stakeholders in relation to the programme and prepare minutes, presentations, reports and updates as required.
 Participate in programme review meetings conducted by senior government officials, district administrations and other stakeholders and provide timely updates and action points to BJS Head Office.
 Identify programme-level risks, operational challenges and implementation issues and ensure appropriate mitigation measures are initiated.
 Support senior management in programme reviews, project planning, strategic discussions and other initiatives related to the Water Programme.
 Undertake PAN-India travel as required for project implementation, monitoring, stakeholder engagement, reviews, meetings and other programme activities.
 Any other responsibility as assigned by the Head, Water Programme from time to time.
Candidate Profile:
 Post-graduate in Social Work, Social Sciences, Environmental Studies, Rural Development, Development Studies, Management or any related discipline.
 At least 7 to 10 years’ experience in programme/project management, preferably in watershed/waterbody rejuvenation, water conservation, rural development or related social-impact programmes.
 Experience in managing and implementing programmes/projects involving multiple locations and diverse stakeholders.
 Experience working with senior government officers and decision-makers at district/state level in watershed, waterbody rejuvenation, water conservation or desilting domains.
 Ability to effectively coordinate, lead and manage diverse stakeholders for successful programme operations, including government and local body officials and village ecosystem stakeholders.
 Experience in managing and supervising project teams and field-level resources.
 Strong understanding of programme planning, monitoring, success metrics, risks and mitigation measures for water and development programmes.
 Strong project management, analytical, problem-solving and decision-making skills.
 Strong communication and presentation skills for engaging senior government officials and other stakeholders in formal and informal settings.
 Excellent verbal and written communication skills in Hindi and English. Working knowledge of Marathi and/or other regional languages will be an advantage.
 Strong skills in preparing reports, presentations, dashboards, MIS, case studies and other programme documentation.
 Willingness to travel extensively across India based on project requirements.
How to Apply:
Interested candidates may share their updated CV along with their current CTC, expected CTC, notice period and current location at agarg@bjsindia.org with the subject line “Application – Programme Manager – Water Projects.”
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for the further selection process.

Work arrangement
No