Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

Job Description

ABOUT UMMEED 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). Ummeed s 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. Besides direct clinical services, and training and capacity building, Ummeed s two other verticals of work have included research (to generate evidence of our work) and awareness building (to sensitize people to the cause and shift attitudes). 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, strategic partnerships with other organizations in the space including with government systems and universities, and other pathways for strategic influence. Ummeed s current leadership team is helmed by its CEO, Dr. Anita Limaye, and includes three very experienced medical and school professionals - Dr. Roopa Srinivasan, Dr. Koyeli Sengupta, and Shamin Mehrotra - along with its COO, Juthika Nagpal. They are mentored by Dr. Vibha Krishnamurthy (the Founder) and Pervez Daver (Consultant). Ummeed s team size is ~130 deeply committed multi-disciplinary professionals) with an annual budget for the year 2024 - 25 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. And therefore, 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 Ummeed s impact, and support organization building 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 complex issues and 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 Ummeed s joint leadership team and support the achievement of Ummeed s 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 Understand Ummeed s values and culture and ensure that these are sustained as Ummeed s reach, impact, and size grow Nurture and sustain partnerships with key external stakeholders such as donors, partners, and influencers, towards enabling Ummeed s mission and strategy 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 Build and grow executive relationships with key funders and partners, represent Ummeed in the public domain, and co-lead and forge pathways towards the organization s systems change efforts 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. This is a full-time position (40 hours per week) based in Mumbai. 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, that 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, being inclusive and 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 Ummeed is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to diverse representation in its workforce. We welcome people of all genders, orientations, ethnicities, religions, and social backgrounds. We especially encourage persons with disabilities and parents of children with disabilities to apply.