Ummeed - Chief Executive Officer (20-26 yrs)

Ummeed Child Development Center (www.ummeed.org) was founded in 2001 by Dr. Vibha Krishnamurthy, a developmental pediatrician, an Ashoka Fellow, and resource person to government and international organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO). Ummeeds vision is to help children with or at risk of developmental disabilities reach their full potential and be included in society.

Over the last 23 years, Ummeed has provided direct services to 15,000+ children and families, trained over 8500 unique professionals (community workers, as well as doctors, therapists, and teachers) across India, and indirectly influenced the lives of over 0.45 million children and families with or at risk of developmental disabilities. Professionals at Ummeed have 30+ publications in peer reviewed journals and the organisation has a strong social media footprint to raise awareness about developmental disabilities. As Ummeed looks to the future, its goal is to build on this past work to bring about strategic shifts in three key ecosystems Healthcare, Schools and Communities towards creating a more inclusive society for children with and at risk of developmental disabilities in India. This will include programs such as direct services, capacity building, strategic partnerships with other organizations in the space including with government systems and universities, and other pathways for strategic influence.

Ummeeds leadership team is helmed by its CEO, Dr. Anita Limaye, and consists of the three ecosystem leaders, Dr. Roopa Srinivasan, Dr. Koyeli Sengupta, Dr. Shamin Mehrotra, as well as the COO, Juthika Nagpal. They are mentored by Dr. Vibha Krishnamurthy (the Founder) and Pervez Daver (Consultant).

Ummeeds team size is ~130 deeply committed multi-disciplinary professionals with an annual budget for FY 202425 at ~Rs. 22 crores.

ABOUT THE ROLE OF CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER (CEO) AT UMMEED:

Dr. Anita Limaye will be stepping down from her role and moving out of the organization on 31st December 2025. Ummeed is looking for a CEO who will continue to leverage the strengths of its leadership team, support and enable their mission and strategy to bring about systems change, engage with key external stakeholders to facilitate Ummeeds impact, and support organization development for the future.

We anticipate that the role will require the applicant to have about 20+ years of professional experience, including in leadership roles managing diverse teams in matrix structures, and having the experience of working with co-leaders. The applicant should be passionate about working in the social sector with a strong orientation to the field of children and/ or developmental disabilities.

Some core expectations from the role include:

- Helm Ummeeds joint leadership team and support the achievement of Ummeeds mission and strategy.

- Build and grow executive relationships with key funders and partners, represent Ummeed in the public domain, and co-lead and forge pathways towards the organizations systems change efforts.

- Nurture and sustain partnerships with key external stakeholders such as donors, partners, and influencers, towards enabling Ummeeds mission and strategy.

- Work closely with the leadership team to recognize and build what is needed to deliver current services and drive future growth in impact.

- Lead and oversee resource mobilization to ensure programs and initiatives are sufficiently funded and resourced, and towards building reserves for long-term sustainability of the organization.

- Understand Ummeeds values and culture and ensure that these are sustained as Ummeeds reach, impact, and size grow.

- Support a culture of accountability, improvement, innovation, collaboration, and learning at all levels in the organization.

- Maintain strong relationships with the Board of Directors, ensuring open lines of communication and transparency regarding organizational performance and strategic decisions.

- Ensure compliance with all legal, regulatory, and governance requirements.

WHY UMMEED?

Ummeed is unique in the social sector not just because of the influence it has been able to create, but also because of its work culture and ethos, which includes:

- A challenging but flexible work environment that offers opportunities for growth and creating impact at scale

- A leadership that invests in its people, giving them the freedom to explore, innovate, learn, while responsibly delivering on committed outcomes

- A strong culture of respecting diversity, equity, and inclusion, and being committed to serving children with disabilities and their families

- An opportunity to work in collaboration with a diverse group of highly passionate, motivated and talented individuals