EAII Advisors - Principal Manager - State Expansion

Principal Manager - State Expansion

Description:

The Role

The Principal Manager, reporting to the Associate Director, Programs, plays a pivotal leadership role in expanding the India Safe Water (ISW) program into new states through a light-touch Program Management Unit (PMU) model.

We are seeking an individual with a strong engineering background in the WASH sector, ideally with experience working within or closely alongside government systems.

The role requires the ability to combine technical expertise (water treatment technologies, disinfection systems, IoT/SCADA-based monitoring) with strategic engagement of senior government officials to embed sustainable safe water solutions at scale.

This is a senior leadership position with responsibility for setting up and guiding state operations, ensuring impact, efficiency, and alignment with public health priorities.

Responsibilities:

State Expansion & Technical Leadership

- Lead ISWs expansion into new states using the light-touch PMU model.

- Provide technical expertise on water disinfection (especially chlorination), distribution systems, and water quality monitoring.

- Assess and advise on integration of digital monitoring solutions (IoT, SCADA, dashboards).

- Guide limited demonstration pilots, where needed, to build state confidence in safe water technologies.

Government Engagement & Advisory

- Serve as a trusted technical advisor to senior state government officials (ACS, Secretaries, Mission Directors, MD-JJM).

- Translate complex technical concepts into actionable, policy-relevant recommendations for government partners.

- Support governments in strengthening institutional capacity and system adoption of safe water interventions.

Program Design & Delivery

- Oversee establishment of lean state PMUs and provide leadership on planning, monitoring, and reporting.

- Ensure adoption of evidence-based practices in state operations.

- Anticipate implementation bottlenecks and design adaptive, practical solutions.

Team Leadership & Collaboration

- Mentor state-level technical and program staff, strengthening their ability to engage with government counterparts.

- Collaborate with cross-functional ISW teams (MLE, communications, technical specialists) to ensure state strategies are well-supported.

- Promote knowledge-sharing across states to accelerate adoption of best practices.

Strategic Representation

- Represent ISW in sectoral forums, government meetings, and partner engagements, with emphasis on technical credibility.

- Contribute to refining ISWs light-touch expansion strategy by bringing state-level insights into central planning.

Requirements:

Essential

- Bachelors or Masters degree in Civil/Environmental Engineering, Water Resources, or related technical field

- 12+ years of progressive experience in the WASH sector

- Prior experience working with or advising government agencies (PHED, JJM, rural development, or public health programs) strongly preferred

- Strong grounding in water treatment/disinfection, distribution systems, and water quality monitoring

- Proven leadership in managing teams and multi-stakeholder programs

- Strong strategic thinking, problem-solving, and communication skills

- Comfort with ambiguity, rapid problem-solving, and decision-making under uncertainty

- Willingness to travel extensively across states

- Good communication skills, both verbal and written, with fluency in English

Desirable

- Experience working with government programs such as Jal Jeevan Mission or other WASH initiatives

- Experience with IoT/SCADA or data-driven monitoring systems

- Prior experience working with NGOs or in the water, sanitation, or public health sector

Disclaimer: The duties and responsibilities described are not a comprehensive list and that additional tasks may be assigned to the employee from time to time.

Position Location

This position is based in New Delhi, India (with frequent travel to priority ISW states)

We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an India employment visa at this time.

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in India for roles based in India.

Benefits

EAII provides a comprehensive benefits package for employees.

Benefits include:

- Comprehensive health insurance with IPD and OPD provisions,

- Life and Accidental insurance,

- PF, ESIC and Gratuity as per statutory requirements

- Generous leave,

- Avenues for engagement and recognition.

Compensation: Competitive and commensurate with the individual's credentials, experience, and previous pay scale.

All contracting arrangements will be made through EAII Advisors Private Limited.

EAII is an equal opportunity employer.

Employment at EAII is based solely on an individual's merit and qualifications directly related to professional competence.

EAII does not discriminate against any employee or applicant because of race, caste, creed, colour, religion, gender, origin, disability, marital status, or any other basis protected by law.

All candidates applying for the position should upload a resume along with a cover letter mentioning current and expected fee