Tata Trusts - Head - Rural Upliftment Portfolio

Overview :

- The Rural Upliftment Portfolio (RUP) at Tata Trusts has been one of the longstanding, main thematic areas that aims to create robust livelihood opportunities to enable households to earn sustainable incomes and lead healthier lives. It covers several integrated community-based interventions across India that strive to improve rural incomes at the household level through modern farming practices, water management, soil conservation, livestock and animal husbandry, market linkages, crafts, etc.

- The Head RUP will be responsible for leading and coordinating all initiatives related to rural development and livelihoods within Tata Trusts, from program design, development and implementation, fostering partnerships, engagement with government at the district and state levels to fundraising and donor management. The Head RUP will play a pivotal role in developing and implementing sustainable programs aimed at improving the socio-economic conditions of rural communities, addressing the socio-economic determinants that contribute to exclusion of vulnerable groups. The Head RUP's visionary leadership and strategic planning will be essential in achieving the Trusts' long-term goals and keeping the community at the heart of all that we do.

Brief Job Description :

1. Strategy

- Shape and deploy the long-term strategy for rural upliftment, aligned with the Trusts' mission and values

- Identify key focus areas, challenges and opportunities for rural development projects

- Establish clear outcomes and measurable goals to monitor progress and success of the portfolio

2. Program Management

- Oversee the design, implementation, and evaluation of all programs

- Work closely with cross-functional teams, senior leadership of Trusts, Associate Organizations, grantee partners and regional teams to ensure effective collaboration

- Harness the synergy and overlaps with other themes and program areas of Trusts and ensure Gender and Climate Action, financial mainstreaming in RUP's theory of change and programming

- Monitor program performance and take data-driven decisions for continuous improvement

3. Team Leadership

- Build, lead and manage a diverse team of dedicated professionals in multiple project locations across India, as well as identify partner organizations (to support implementation and monitoring) to further the objectives of the portfolio

- Provide guidance, mentorship, and support to team members, fostering a positive and collaborative work environment.

- Conduct regular performance evaluations, build technical capabilities, and encourage professional development

4. Stakeholder Engagement:

- Cultivate strong relationships with local communities, NGOs, government agencies, and other relevant stakeholders.

- Collaborate with external partners to leverage resources, knowledge, and expertise, and support uptake of new approaches, innovations if any.

- Represent Tata Trusts externally (donor meetings, conferences, partner meetings), and contribute towards building sectoral leadership.

5. Budget Management:

- Oversee preparation and management of budgets for rural upliftment initiatives, ensuring effective utilization of resources.

- Monitor expenses and ensure compliance with financial guidelines.

6. Impact Assessment and Reporting:

- Implement robust monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to assess the impact of projects on rural communities and capture a wide range of relevant development indices.

- Ensure supportive supervision to grantees for monitoring and measurement of progress.

- Oversee preparation of periodic reports showcasing the progress, achievements, and challenges faced during the implementation of programs.

7. Advocacy and Awareness

- Provide thought leadership and help develop knowledge products in collaboration with internal teams working on data analytics, insights, and policy.

- Act as a spokesperson for rural upliftment, raising awareness about the issues faced by rural communities.

- Advocate for policy changes and reforms that support rural development at local, regional, and national levels.

Competencies & Skills :

- Relating and networking

- Learning and researching

- Applying expertise and technology

- Delivering results and meeting customer expectations

- Planning and organizing

- Entrepreneurial and commercial thinking

- Formulating Strategies and Concepts

- Deciding and Initiating action

- Analyzing

- Coping with pressure and setbacks

Experience :

- Minimum 15-25 years' experience working in the rural sector in India and/or globally, across range of activities covering farm, non-farm, value chain, emerging markets, etc.

- Minimum 5-10 years of proven senior management experience, including integrated programming, mentorship, and personnel/project/financial management

- Strong understanding of the sector, its issues, challenges, and opportunities, particularly in the context of proposal assessment, grant-making, portfolio management and strategy development

- Demonstrated ability, to manage and maintain effective working relations with people across different teams and functions internally, and to collaborate and build effective relationships with diverse stakeholders externally

- Excellent leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills - active listener, constructive writer with strong public presentation and speaking abilities

- Sound knowledge of project management principles and tools

- Analytical mindset with the ability to use data for informed decision-making

- Fluency in spoken and written English/Hindi

- Flexibility and willingness to travel to rural areas as required

Qualification: Post-graduate in Social Sciences, Rural Development, Social Work or related fields.

Desirable:

- Prior exposure to climate discourse and action

- Exposure to, and experience in, digital training, skills development, vocational training and entrepreneurship

- Multi-lingual in Indian languages