Programme Manager, Behavioural Insights Unit

Programme Manager, Behavioural Insights Unit Uttar Pradesh Programme Manager, Behavioural Insights Unit Uttar Pradesh

Apply by 20th January

CV and cover Letter

Deputy Director of Policy

About the Centre for Social and Behaviour Change (CSBC)

The Centre for Social and Behaviour Change (CSBC), Ashoka University India s leading Liberal Arts University is funded by a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF). The vision of CSBC is to establish an institution, based out of India that is globally reputed for thought leadership and excellence in impactful behaviour change interventions for low-income and marginalised populations. The Centre is focused on bringing new capabilities such as behavioural science, design thinking, advanced data analytics and responsive feedback to governments, practitioners and donors to help better design and optimise behaviour change interventions. We work closely with Central and State Governments as well as other stakeholders in the areas of nutrition, sanitation, financial inclusion, maternal & newborn care, data privacy and agriculture.

The UP-BIU project is an initiative by CSBC to strengthen policy outcomes in Uttar Pradesh, through the application of behavioural insights across key sectors such as health and nutrition, maternal and newborn care, water and sanitation, financial services, and education.

The Programme Manager will play a pivotal role in the success of the Uttar Pradesh Behavioural Insights Unit (UP BIU), which applies behavioural science to enhance public policy and programmes. This is an exciting opportunity to collaborate with a skilled team within an ecosystem of government officials and policy partners, working toward institutionalising behavioural insights in policy design to drive long-term systemic and outcome-based changes.

The role involves engaging with the Government of Uttar Pradesh and its partners to develop evidence-informed behavioural solutions that strengthen policy outcomes. The Programme Manager will lead a team of associates in Lucknow and report to the Deputy Director for Policy.

Role and Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain strong relationships with existing and new government officials and partners
• Explore new partnership opportunities aligned with organisational goals and maintain regular communication to ensure alignment with objectives.

• Create detailed project plans, including scope, timelines, and resource allocation.
• Monitor project progress, making necessary adjustments to deliver outputs on time.
• Maintain an activity dashboard for UP BIU and prepare progress reports for external stakeholders.
• Liaise internally with various teams to ensure onboarding of necessary research support and design expertise (as needed)

Advocacy and Public Relations:

• Represent the organisation at meetings, conferences, and events to promote partnerships.
• Collaborate with the communications team to create marketing materials, press releases, and other collateral to highlight partnership successes.

• Work with the Evaluation team to track and assess partnership effectiveness.
• Prepare detailed reports and presentations on activities and outcomes for internal and external stakeholders.

• Travel within districts in Uttar Pradesh to build relationships with district stakeholders and manage projects.
• Share project learnings with local stakeholders during and post-implementation.

Qualifications and Skills Required

• Bachelor s degree in a relevant field (e.g., Social Sciences, Development Studies, Business Administration); Master s degree preferred.

• 8+ years of programme management experience in the non-profit sector
• Proven ability to manage large, complex projects in a multistakeholder environment
• Experience in design, monitoring and evaluation, and resource management

Skills and Competencies

Strong leadership and team management skills.

Excellent communication and interpersonal abilities.

Strategic thinking with problem-solving expertise.

Analytical skills with a keen eye for detail.

Capacity to perform under pressure and meet tight deadlines.