Program Officer - State Systems

Job Posting Organization:
The organization is the largest nonprofit dedicated to combating poverty, disease, and inequity globally. Founded on the principle that all individuals, regardless of their identity or circumstances, deserve the opportunity to lead healthy and productive lives, the organization emphasizes diversity among its employees to reflect the populations it serves. It offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes medical, dental, and vision coverage with no premiums, generous paid time off, paid family leave, retirement contributions, regional holidays, and opportunities for employee engagement in various communities. The organization is committed to fostering a workplace environment that supports both personal and professional growth.

Job Overview:
The Program Officer - State Systems will play a crucial role in supporting the India Country Office's strategy to enhance state systems by providing tools that enable governments to effectively promise and deliver improved outcomes for citizens at scale. The position addresses the challenges posed by fragmented decision-making, siloed data systems, and rigid financial processes that hinder the state's ability to provide coordinated, high-quality services across various sectors including health, nutrition, gender, sanitation, agriculture, and inclusive financial systems. The Program Officer will collaborate across multiple states and sectors to develop scalable models for institutional reform, focusing on human resource management, public financial management, and digital governance. This role involves designing and managing strategic investments aimed at building tools for performance management, strengthening departmental functions, and facilitating smoother service delivery. The ultimate goal is to transition from fragmented and reactive implementation to a coordinated, data-driven, and citizen-centric governance model.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Strategy, design" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">Program Design & Execution: Contribute to the strengthening of state systems and the dissemination of successful models that yield scalable and sustainable impacts. Translate systemic challenges into well-defined investment opportunities and high-quality, risk-mitigated grants or contracts. Support the development of theories of change, results frameworks, learning questions, and adaptive implementation pathways for state systems initiatives. Ensure that investments align with the broader goals of the foundation and the ICO strategy. Conduct due diligence, budgeting, risk assessment, and compliance monitoring for assigned grants.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Build and maintain trust-based relationships with stakeholders. Engage with key ecosystem stakeholders, including development partners, think tanks, donors, and technology partners, to foster co-creation and collective action. Represent the foundation in strategic dialogues, working groups, and convenings focused on state systems.
• Knowledge, Learning & Data-Driven Decision-Making: Collaborate with colleagues to ensure high-quality results frameworks, monitoring, and evaluation of grants, utilizing data to enhance program performance and inform future investments. Work with grantees and partners to track progress against learning agendas and ensure robust monitoring, evaluation, and necessary course corrections.

Required Qualifications:
A Master's degree in public policy, public administration, economics, development studies, management, or a related field is required. Candidates should have a minimum of 7-10 years of relevant experience in a high-performing, results-oriented environment, such as consulting, government advisory, think tanks, development agencies, or philanthropic organizations. Experience working directly with government systems at a national or state level is strongly preferred. In-depth knowledge of public sector systems, change management, digital tools, and monitoring, evaluation, and learning is essential. Strong communication and change management skills are necessary, with experience in managing senior public and private sector stakeholders, building consensus, and securing buy-in. A proven track record of driving system transformation at scale and translating systemic gaps into strategic action plans is required. Candidates should also demonstrate the ability to engage effectively with government, donors, and implementing partners.

Educational Background:
Candidates must possess a Master's degree in a relevant field such as public policy, public administration, economics, development studies, or management. This educational background is crucial for understanding the complexities of public systems and the necessary reforms to enhance state capacity.

Experience:
The position requires a minimum of 7-10 years of relevant experience in a high-performing, results-oriented environment. This experience should ideally include direct engagement with government systems at both national and state levels, as well as a strong understanding of public sector systems, change management, and the use of digital tools for monitoring and evaluation. Candidates should have a proven ability to manage high-return, risk-mitigated grants and demonstrate impactful work in driving system transformation beyond their direct span of control.

Languages:
While the job description does not specify mandatory languages, proficiency in English is likely essential given the international nature of the organization. Knowledge of local languages may be beneficial for engaging with stakeholders in India and enhancing communication with local partners.

Additional Notes:
The position is based in New Delhi, India, and requires the ability to legally work in the country without visa sponsorship. The role may involve travel up to 40% of the time, both domestically and internationally. The application deadline for this position is set for 8 August 202

• The organization emphasizes a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in its hiring practices, ensuring that all applicants are treated fairly regardless of their background.