EAII Advisors Manager Capacity Building

This position is with EAII Advisors, Evidence Action's technical partner in India.

About EAII

EAII Advisors, Evidence Action’s technical partner in India, supports state governments in delivering evidence-based public health programs, including safe drinking water initiatives and school and Anganwadi-based National Deworming Day and iron and folic acid supplementation. Operating across 11 states, EAII Advisors provides technical assistance to ministries of health, education, water, and women and child development, reducing health burdens in impoverished communities and improving the long-term wellbeing of children and families.

About Evidence Action

At Evidence Action, we deliver data-driven interventions that transform lives at an unprecedented scale. We identify neglected global health issues and deploy proven solutions, forging healthier futures for generations.

Our model operationalizes leading academic research (including from Nobel-winning economists). We measure progress and outcomes at every stage to ensure we’re making a real impact for people living in poverty and suffering from preventable or treatable health issues. Operating across 9 countries, our team of 800+ has reached over 500 million people, working closely with governments to scale these interventions.

• Our Deworm the World program has delivered over 2 billion treatments, significantly reducing worm prevalence and generating more than $23 billion in lifetime productivity gains. 
• Through Safe Water Now, we’ve saved the lives of over 15,000 children. 
• Our Accelerator explores untapped opportunities in global health, testing low-cost interventions with the greatest potential to save and improve lives. 

At Evidence Action, your colleagues are your greatest asset. You'll partner with high-caliber colleagues in an environment blending innovation, autonomy, and teamwork. Our team excels in disruptive thinking and believes in rolling up our sleeves to get things done. If you're looking to work flexibly and with purpose, join a team that delivers measurable change for millions.

About the Safe Water Now Team

Evidence Action’s Safe Water Now program provides safe drinking water to over 10 million people across rural Uganda, Malawi, and Kenya. Recent evidence highlights that water treatment may be among the most cost-effective interventions available to save young children's lives, reducing all-cause child mortality by about 25%. The Dispensers for Safe Water (DSW) program, based on research by a Nobel-winning economist, utilizes an innovative and human-centric design to deliver clean water at the source in rural settings, achieving usage rates which are 5x that of comparable interventions. Evidence Action recently launched a next generation technology, In-Line Chlorination (ILC) in Uganda and Malawi, targeting rural, peri-urban, and urban communities, which has the potential to be even more cost-effective. Over the past year, we’ve more than doubled our footprint in East Africa and are actively exploring opportunities for expansion into new countries.

In addition to its longstanding work in East Africa, Evidence Action, through its technical partner in India, EAII Advisors, is launching a major technical assistance program to help the government of India reach 17.5 million people across multiple states with safe water. This complements the Indian government’s effort to bring water access to every household in the country.

The Role

We are seeking a highly motivated and experienced candidate to engage and enhance capacity building and training efforts under the India Safe Water program. The position will be based at our extended national Project Management Unit (PMU) at SPM NIWAS Kolkata (autonomous institution located in Joka, Kolkata, under the Ministry of Jal Shakti). You will play a crucial role in driving capacity-building initiatives, particularly in partnership with government bodies. The ideal candidate should have a solid track record in developing robust capacity building programs and delivering training within the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) or more broadly in the development sector, especially for the government stakeholders.

Responsibilities

Capacity-Building and Training

• Collaborate with SPM NIWAS to co-develop and implement strategic plans for capacity-building initiatives, ensuring they support broader program objectives.
• Identify opportunities for capacity-building interventions in WASH-related initiatives such as cost effective water quality technologies and management.
• Integrate evidence-based methodologies into training program designs for improved learning outcomes.
• Design training programs aligned with the National Jal Jeevan Mission's water quality management goals, ensuring they are customized to the needs of diverse audiences.
• Proactively engage with the Program Team to capture learnings and insights from the on the ground implementation and translate them into training.
• Successfully deliver the training to government officials to serve as effective public health and utility managers.
• Conduct evidence- based research and draw findings in the presentable and understandable form.
• Regularly analyze and report program effectiveness, incorporating feedback and lessons learned to optimize future initiatives.

Government Relations & Stakeholder Engagement

• Represent Evidence Action and EAII Advisors Private Limited in engagements with SPM NIWAS.
• Work in close collaboration with and support the National PMU to drive policy advocacy initiatives
• Cultivate strong relationships with government departments, NGOs, industry leaders, and other relevant stakeholders to facilitate effective collaboration and knowledge exchange.

Program Management and Monitoring

• Oversee the planning, coordination, and execution of training programs, ensuring alignment with desired learning outcomes and objectives.
• Ensure proper resource allocation and timeline management to meet project deliverables efficiently.
• Monitor the effectiveness of training programs and make necessary adjustments to improve outcomes.

Documentation & Reporting

• Prepare detailed reports, case studies, and documentation outlining the progress and impact of capacity-building initiatives.
• Generate high-quality content that can be used for external communication, including policy briefs, training manuals, and toolkits.

Resource Management

• Manage resources, including budgets and personnel, to ensure the smooth execution of training programs.

Essential

• Master’s degree from a recognized institute specialized in Public policy, public administration, or management
• 6-8 years of total professional experience, with at least 5 years in capacity building, preferably within government programs
• Proven track record of working within the WASH sector and leading the design and delivery of capacity-building initiatives
• Demonstrated experience in working in PMU setups and is aware about government functioning
• Strong project management and organizational skills; proven ability to manage multiple complex projects simultaneously requiring inputs from various stakeholders
• Willingness to take initiative, being a self-starter, showing proactiveness in learning and implementing.
• Ability to set priority and handle multiple tasks with ease
• Team management and leadership abilities to inspire and motivate others
• Strong content creation skills, with the ability to generate material for both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with an ability to build strong working relationships with a wide range of stakeholders
• Willingness to travel up to 25% of the time
• Adaptable and willing to be based out at Kolkata in a recently developing government setup

Desirable

• Analytical skills to assess training needs, evaluate program effectiveness, and develop strategic plans
• Have experience developing high-quality deliverables for external audiences such as policy reviews, policy documents, training materials, and toolkits
• Can present technical and data-driven subjects to a non-technical audience
• Experience in developing decks and documents for external use, (e.g. case studies, reports, concept notes, articles/blog posts) / conducting desk research and literature reviews
• Experience providing technical and advisory services to Governments in the development sector (preferably Water/WASH)
• Able to work within a matrixed, complex organizational structure
• Passion for the mission and values of Evidence Action and for creating value in international development.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Proficiency in project management and organizational skills
• Ability to work collaboratively with diverse groups and build strong professional relationships

Disclaimer: The duties and responsibilities described are not a comprehensive list and that additional tasks may be assigned to the employee from time to time. 

Position Location

The role is based in Kolkata, West Bengal, India at SPM NIWAS (Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee National Institute of Water and Sanitation)

We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an Indian employment visa at this time. Applicants must be legally authorized to work in India for roles based in India.

EAII provides a comprehensive benefits package for employees worldwide. Benefits include:

• Comprehensive health insurance with IPD and OPD provisions,
• Life and Accidental insurance,
• PF, ESIC and Gratuity as per statutory requirements
• Generous leave,
• Avenues for engagement and recognition.

Compensation:  Competitive and commensurate with the individual's credentials, experience, and previous pay scale. 

All contracting arrangements will be made through EAII Advisors Private Limited. EAII is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Employment at EAII is based solely on an individual's merit and qualifications directly related to professional competence. EAII does not discriminate against any employee or applicant because of race, caste, creed, colour, religion, gender, origin, disability, marital status, or any other basis protected by law.

All candidates applying for the position should upload a resume along with cover letter mentioning current and expected salary.