Program Officer, AI Access Initiative (EAII Advisors)

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 10 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. 

For more information, read about our work here: About Evidence Action and EAII

About the AI Access Initiative (Incubated at Evidence Action)

The AI Access Initiative is a new program being incubated at Evidence Action  to scale AI-enabled “big bets” that can improve the lives of tens or hundreds of millions of people living in poverty across low- and middle-income countries. Operating at the intersection of governments, AI labs, researchers, and funders, the Initiative focuses on translating rapid advances in AI into practical, scalable public systems.

Initial work focuses on two priority sectors:

• Agriculture: Scaling AI-enabled weather forecasting systems to improve smallholder farmer decision-making, resilience, and incomes.
• Health: Transforming primary healthcare quality and access through AI-enabled clinical decision support systems (CDSS) integrated into public platforms, as well as direct-to-consumer AI triage tools to reduce delays in care-seeking.

The AI Access Initiative is led by Kanika Bahl, CEO of Evidence Action and founding member of Anthropic’s Long-Term Benefit Trust, with advisors including Nobel Laureate Michael Kremer, Dario Amodei (CEO, Anthropic), and Kent Walker (President, Global Affairs, Alphabet). This work builds on Evidence Action’s track record reaching 530M+ people with cost-effective, evidence-based programs across 9 countries in Africa and Asia, with a focus on last-mile delivery.

About the Weather Forecasting Program

The AI Access Initiative is launching a new, entrepreneurial initiative to design, test, and scale AI-enabled weather forecasting systems for smallholder farmers. The program will focus on translating recent advances in artificial intelligence into high-impact public systems that deliver timely, localized, and actionable weather information to farmers at scale.

More than 500 million smallholder households worldwide depend on agriculture for their livelihoods, yet many lack access to accurate and usable forecasts. Advances in AI offer a step-change opportunity to deliver faster, more accurate forecasts that are cheaper to run, easier to localize, and better suited to farmer decision-making. With targeted investment, AI-enabled forecasting systems could materially improve the livelihoods of hundreds of millions of farmers.

To advance this program in India, the Initiative, through Evidence Action’s technical partner EAII Advisors, aims to work with state governments and other partners to explore new models for deploying AI-enabled forecasts and farmer outreach systems. Initial efforts are expected to focus on a state-level implementation in India, with Telangana identified as a potential early partner, subject to finalization. The program aims to:

• Deploy more accurate, timely, and localized weather forecasts relevant to smallholder farmer decisions
• Translate technical forecasts into clear, actionable farmer-facing guidance
• Deliver forecasts at scale through government systems and digital channels
• Generate operational and impact evidence to inform future state- and national-scale adoption

This work is intended to serve as a proof point for scalable, government-led adoption of AI-enabled weather forecasting, with learnings informing expansion to additional states and countries over time.

The Role 

EAII Advisors is seeking a Program Officer to sit within the Program Management Unit (PMU) and support the planning, coordination, monitoring, and reporting functions of the AI-enabled weather forecasting program in Telangana. Reporting to the Senior Manager, PMU – AI Access Initiative, the Program Officer will play a central role in ensuring that program activities are well-coordinated, evidence is systematically captured, and stakeholders are kept informed through high-quality reporting and documentation.

While the role is primarily PMU-based in Hyderabad, the Program Officer will maintain active coordination with district and block-level government counterparts and will undertake field visits as required to support implementation oversight, data verification, and stakeholder engagement.

The ideal candidate will bring strong program management and analytical skills, experience working with government systems in India, and the ability to translate field realities into clear, actionable insights for internal and external audiences.

Responsibilities

Program Planning & Coordination

• Support the Senior Manager in developing and maintaining program workplans, activity trackers, and implementation timelines across PMU functions.
• Coordinate across internal teams to ensure program activities are sequenced and resourced effectively.
• Track progress against workplans and flag implementation risks or delays to the Senior Manager in a timely manner.
• Support the preparation of program materials for internal planning meetings, government reviews, and partner coordination sessions.
• Assist in the coordination of government engagement activities, including preparing briefing notes, agendas, and follow-up documentation for state- and district-level meetings.

Monitoring, Data Management & Reporting

• Own the preparation and submission of high-quality monthly, quarterly, and annual program reports for review by the Senior Manager and for dissemination to government and donor partners.
• Consolidate data from field teams, government partners, and monitoring systems to produce accurate, timely, and well-structured reporting outputs.
• Maintain comprehensive program records, including activity logs, stakeholder engagement trackers, and MIS databases, to support institutional memory and audit readiness.
• Lead data verification and quality assurance processes, working closely with the Senior Program Associate and field-based teams.
• Produce analysis inputs and data summaries to support the Senior Manager's reporting to EAII Advisors leadership and external partners.

Government & Stakeholder Coordination

• Serve as a key coordination point between the PMU and district/block-level government functionaries, agricultural extension teams, and technical partners.
• Support the Senior Manager in preparing materials for state-level government engagements, including presentations, briefing papers, and meeting summaries.
• Maintain up-to-date stakeholder maps, contact records, and engagement logs to ensure continuity of government relationships.
• Coordinate with Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), Agriculture Technology Management Agencies (ATMAs), and allied departments to support program integration within existing extension infrastructure.
• Undertake field visits as required to support implementation oversight, stakeholder engagement, and data verification activities.

Community Mobilization & Information, Education, and Communication (IEC)

• Support the design and implementation of community mobilization strategies to build farmer awareness of and trust in AI-enabled weather services.
• Work with IEC materials, digital tools, and community platforms to disseminate actionable weather advisories.
• Gather community feedback on the relevance, usability, and accessibility of weather forecasts and farmer-facing communications.
• Document and share community insights to inform program adaptation and IEC strategy.

 Knowledge Management & Documentation

• Prepare process documentation, field success stories, and case studies for institutional knowledge and external sharing.
• Ensure field-level records, trip reports, and activity documentation are maintained in accordance with EAII Advisors' knowledge management guidelines.
• Contribute to the preparation of briefs, presentations, and learning materials for internal and external audiences.

 Team Management & Coordination

• Provide guidance and day-to-day support to the (Senior) / Program Associate on workplan activities and quality of outputs, without direct line management responsibility
• Coordinate with the Senior Manager and other PMU team members to ensure smooth information flow between field and central functions.
• Lead logistical and coordination arrangements for district-level government meetings, field reviews, and stakeholder visits.
• Contribute to workplan development, activity tracking, and budget monitoring in coordination with the Senior Manager.

Essential

• Post-graduate degree in social sciences, rural development, public health, agriculture, or related disciplines
• Minimum of 6–8 years of experience in development sector program management, with demonstrated strength in planning, reporting, and stakeholder coordination functions
• Proven experience producing high-quality program reports, briefs, and presentations for internal and external audiences including donors and government partners
• Experience coordinating with or alongside state and district-level government departments in India, particularly in agriculture, health, or rural development
• Strong analytical skills and ability to consolidate and interpret data from multiple sources to produce clear, evidence-based outputs
• Experience providing guidance or support to junior team members in a collaborative team setting
• Strong written and verbal communication skills in Telugu and English; ability to prepare high-quality reports and briefing materials for internal and external audiences
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to exercise independent judgment in the field
• Willingness and ability to travel across districts in Telangana, as needed
• Proficiency in MS Office, Google Workspace, and digital data collection platforms

Desirable

• Experience in a PMU, program coordination, or management consulting-type role within a development sector or government-interface context
• Familiarity with agricultural extension systems, climate-resilience programming, or technology-enabled government programs
• Prior exposure to monitoring and evaluation frameworks and experience managing MIS or data collection systems
•  Experience working in an early-stage or entrepreneurial program environment with evolving priorities
• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain productive working relationships with government counterparts at district and state level

Disclaimer: The job description provided above is a general outline of the typical responsibilities and requirements for the role. It may be modified or expanded based on the specific needs and structure of the organization.

Position Location

This is a 6-month fixed-term employment role, with the possibility of extension based on MOU finalisation, scope clarity, and individual performance). The position is based at Hyderabad, Telangana.

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in India. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of employment visas at this time.

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

• Comprehensive health insurance with IPD and OPD provisions
• Life and Accidental insurance
• PF, ESIC and Gratuity as per statutory requirements
• Mental and physical well-being benefits
• Learning and Development benefit
• 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.

Note: This role will be open for applications until April 29, 2026. Please apply at your earliest convenience. We may close this search earlier than the specified date if we find the right fit. Due to the volume of applications received, we will only be able to contact shortlisted candidate