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Role - Senior Program Manager MIDAS - Middle India Development and Advancement Strategy a Project initiative by The Convergence Foundation (TCF) ABOUT MIDAS: These roles are being hired as part of a new initiative focused on accelerating economic growth in underdeveloped rural districts across India. The initiative is called MIDAS Middle India Development and Advancement Strategy , a project initiated by The Convergence Foundation (TCF). Its objective is to create scalable models that improve prosperity in regions of Middle India areas with large populations and untapped potential but lagging economic development. As a first step, MIDAS has chosen Deoria , a district in Eastern Uttar Pradesh, as its pilot site. Over the next 34 years, the goal is to develop and test a playbook for driving district-level growth in Middle India that can later be replicated in similar regions. To implement this, TCF is partnering with the Deoria Development Alliance , a local initiative led by Member of Parliament Shri Shashank Mani , which aims to increase the districts per capita growth rate to ~10% annually over the next decade. The initiative on the ground is branded as Amrit Prayas . THE NEXT PHASE: A dedicated Project Management Team will be put in place to operationalize the roadmap over the next 34 years. This team will work directly with stakeholders to anchor investments, remove bottlenecks, and oversee the development and execution of key projects. Their major work streams will be: Agriculture and Allied Industries: Accelerate investments and create market linkages for value added agriculture and agro-processing industries. Local Entrepreneurship / Enterprise: Enable local entrepreneurship in labour intensive sectors like low skilled footwear and apparel manufacturing. Women economic empowerment would be an explicit focus here. Investment Attraction: Promote investments in healthcare and education infrastructure, and non-agriculture sectors, including services, tourism and electronics. Anchor Projects: Collaborate with stakeholders to drive anchor projects, including Naya Deoria (urban centre that champions sustainable living) and Kushinagar Airport (planned airport to boost prosperity by increasing regional connectivity) This project is designed to be replicable Deoria is the pilot, but the model is meant to scale. It aligns closely with the national development goals under Viksit Bharat . JOB PROFILES: The Convergence Foundation is hiring foundational team members for the Program Management Team and to lead our district economic transformation work in Deoria, Eastern UP. This includes two of our key initiatives MIDAS (Middle India Development and Advancement Strategy) and Project Amrit Prayaas. The roles would include: Senior Program Manager (SPM) This role sit at the intersection of economic development, rural transformation, and public systems reform. Were looking for professionals who are strategic, practical, and ready to take charge someone who can build strong relationships across government, private sector, and local communities, and turn ideas into action. They'll lead the full journey of this 10-year project from shaping the vision and building partnerships to driving early execution on the ground. You should be comfortable working with political leaders and funders, know how to manage large, complex programs, and be genuinely excited about building a model for rural development that can be replicated across India. At the same time, you must have the experience and ability to think strategically about practical solutions and implement them. ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: Lead the overall MIDAS & Amrit Prayas initiative , overseeing strategic planning, goal-setting, and program delivery across a portfolio of economic interventions aimed at increasing local GDP, generating employment, and improving infrastructure. Own execution across multiple workstreams , including agriculture and allied sectors, MSME development, large-scale infrastructure (such as the Kushinagar Airport Corridor), and investment facilitation through Naya Deoria and beyond. Build and manage high-trust partnerships with a wide range of stakeholders: Member of Parliament, state and district government officials, civil society, policy experts, philanthropic partners, and the private sector. Drive ground-level implementation in close coordination with government departments and field-level actors ensuring that interventions are responsive to local needs and constraints. Mentor and manage the PMU team , including Team Leads and Program Managers, to maintain alignment on strategy, ensure quality execution, and troubleshoot roadblocks across workstreams. Translate strategy into action , balancing big-picture thinking with execution discipline ensuring consistent progress on key priorities with agility and adaptability. Institutionalize systems for program governance , internal coordination, and decision-making within the PMU to enable clarity, speed, and accountability. Monitor, evaluate, and learn , setting up systems to track progress against district-level outcomes like GDP growth, job creation, and infrastructure development, while capturing field insights to inform iterative program design. Represent the initiative externally , communicating progress, learnings, and impact with government counterparts, funders, media, and other stakeholders. SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED: Educational background in public policy, economics, development studies, management, or related fields from top tier institutions. A masters degree is preferred. 8-12 years of professional experience in top- tier consulting firms, policy, program management, or public systems, ideally with exposure to government-facing initiatives or economic development. Strong leadership and team management capabilities, with experience guiding cross-functional teams and delivering results in high-stakes, multi-stakeholder environments. Proven ability to work across strategy and implementation , balancing structured thinking with on-ground agility and execution discipline. Demonstrated strength in stakeholder engagement , with the ability to build trust-based relationships across government, civil society, and funding partners. Excellent communication and analytical skills including comfort with decks, policy briefs, reports, and presenting to diverse audiences. Prior experience or familiarity with agriculture, rural livelihoods, or agri-based value chains is highly preferred as candidates with a grounding in these areas will bring valuable insight to key workstreams. High degree of ownership, problem-solving ability, and adaptability , with the resilience to navigate dynamic contexts and fast-evolving priorities. Willingness to be based in Deoria and Delhi , with regular travel and field visits and close coordination with district and state stakeholders. REPORTING: The Project teams leadership will report to the Operating Partner of The Convergence Foundation. COMPENSATION: The Convergence Foundation recognizes that the right candidate will have a significant impact on the success of the organization and is prepared to offer an attractive compensation package for the non-profit sector, commensurate with experience. LOCATION: The positions will be based in Delhi and Deoria with frequent travel to and within Eastern Uttar Pradesh. 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