Bahaar Foundation

Position: Project Director Location: Chandigarh Reporting to: VP Programs Employment Type: Full-time Working Days: 6 days/ week Travel: Up to 10 days/month About the Program Bahaar Foundation is implementing a large-scale Community Health Entrepreneur (CHE) Program. The program will empower local women to serve as first-level health access points for their communities, offering preventive, promotive, and basic curative services in partnership with government systems and private stakeholders. The Project Director will be the senior-most professional responsible for overall strategy, implementation, stakeholder management, and achievement of program outcomes. The Project Director will establish and lead the Project Management Unit (PMU) and ensure timely delivery, scale-up, and sustainability of the initiative. The Project Director will have overall responsibility for strategy, training, implementation, stakeholder management, and outcome achievement. leading the PMU, and working with all stakeholders to ensure successful and timely implementation and scaleup of the CHE program, ensuring quality and consistency of service delivery, maintaining rigorous standards of documentation and data tracking, and overall success of the project. Key Responsibilities 1. Strategic Leadership & Program Design Lead the overall program vision, design, and execution for scaling 10,000 CHEs Develop and implement annual and quarterly strategies, roadmaps, and budgets Ensure alignment of program activities with government priorities and Bahaar Foundation’s mission Anticipate risks, design mitigation strategies, and adapt program models as needed 2. Program Management & Implementation Establish and lead the Project Management Unit (PMU) at the state level Recruit, mentor, and manage a multi-disciplinary team (project coordinators, training manager, MEL manager, etc.) Oversee training design, delivery, and certification of CHEs in collaboration with technical experts Ensure timely roll-out of activities across all districts, with clear milestones and targets Implement robust systems for quality assurance, field supervision, and impact measurement 3. Stakeholder & Partnership Management Build and maintain relationships with the government and program partners Represent the program at high-level forums, government meetings, and donor platforms Negotiate MoUs, partnerships, and funding agreements to strengthen program sustainability Act as the primary liaison between Bahaar Foundation and external stakeholders. 4. Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) Oversee the design and execution of a comprehensive MEL framework to track program outputs, outcomes, and impact Conduct impact assessment for pilot locations Ensure regular data-driven reporting to all stakeholders Foster a culture of continuous learning and adaptive program management Document best practices, success stories, and challenges for scaling and replication 5. Financial & Operational Oversight Manage program budget (multi-crore scale) with accountability for efficient resource utilization Ensure compliance with donor, government, and Bahaar Foundation financial and operational policies Oversee procurement, contracts, and logistics related to training and implementation Required Qualifications & Experience Education: Master’s degree in Public Health, Management, Social Work, Rural Development, or related field Experience: 10+ years of professional experience, with at least 5 years in a leadership role managing large-scale programs, preferably in health or livelihoods Proven track record of working with government systems, especially in rural or public health contexts Demonstrated success in scaling programs to state-level or national-level coverage Experience managing large, multi-disciplinary teams across diverse geographies Strong background in training design, health systems strengthening, and community mobilization preferred Skills: Excellent leadership, communication, and negotiation skills Strong analytical, problem-solving, and strategic planning abilities Financial management, donor reporting, and compliance expertise Fluency in English; knowledge of Punjabi strongly preferred. Personal Attributes Passionate about community health, women’s empowerment, and rural development Entrepreneurial and solution-oriented mindset with the ability to navigate ambiguity Strong cultural sensitivity and ability to work with grassroots communities High integrity, accountability, and resilience under pressure. Compensation & Benefits Competitive salary commensurate with experience and sector benchmarks Travel and fieldwork expenses covered as per policy Professional growth opportunities through exposure to state/national policy forums and multi-stakeholder platforms