Job Description

The Centre for Effective Governance of Indian States (CEGIS Foundation pronounced See-Jis) ) was co-founded by private equity investor turned philanthropist Ashish Dhawan and economist Karthik Muralidharan in 2019 to improve millions of lives by helping Indian state governments work better. CEGIS aims to enable a transformative improvement in the functioning of the Indian state in the coming decade. Informed by cutting-edge research and evidence as well as a practical orientation toward implementable ideas, CEGIS aims to provide Indian states with both an analytical roadmap for governance and expenditure reforms as well as strategic implementation support to deliver on this vision.

The organization has a sharp focus on improving the quality of public expenditure, and through it, develops templates for achieving a step-function improvement in development outcomes across India. We strive to produce high-quality economic analysis to inform state-level policy-making and work closely with the Chief Secretary, and Principal Secretaries of Finance/Planning, with guidance from and close coordination with the Chief Minister and Finance Minister. Based on consultations with top officials in several states, we believe that there is a very high demand for such support especially when backed by world-leading technical expertise and a deep understanding of service delivery in India.

CEGIS believes that states are the most important unit for addressing these issues. Therefore, we work with state governments to generate actionable insights, formulate effective solutions and facilitate measurable impact in terms of developmental outcomes. Currently, CEGIS is working with the governments of Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Bodoland Territorial Council, NCT of Delhi and a few Government of India entities. At the state level, CEGIS identifies sectoral priorities jointly with the state government, and then aims to integrate its four verticals (Outcome Measurement, Personnel Management, Public Finance, State(s) and Market into specific projects to improve governance, service delivery, and development outcomes.

CEGIS Approach and Model of Functioning Four key characteristics of high-performing organizations are (a) measuring outcomes for goal setting and monitoring progress towards these goals, (b) strategic use of personnel policy including competency based hiring and training, skilling, and performance appraisals to determine job assignments, pay, and promotions to achieve the goals above, (c) strategic budgeting where resource allocation is based on evidence and cost-effectiveness; (d) and creating efficient systems to leverage external actors (including for-profit and nonprofit organizations). The Indian state performs weakly on all four fronts above. CEGIS helps to improve the functioning of the Indian state by focusing on the four principles above.CEGIS works with state governments through a dedicated state office that is co-created with the state and integrated with their Finance and Planning Departments. The staffing model includes CEGIS personnel as well as staff seconded by the state and fellows, if any. Thus, instead of being another Delhi-based policy think tank, we are building the organization in a state-led way, where we focus on deep partnerships with states with an iterative cycle of thinking and doing. We support states in implementing evidence-based ideas for improving state effectiveness while also continuously learning from state-level experiences of implementing these ideas. Each state-level CEGIS engagement features some core themes that are common to all state-level engagements, and others that vary by state. State-level delivery teams are supported by central technical teams that curate ideas based on both evidence and experience, support state-level experimentation, and accelerate adoption of successful practices across states.

Position Summary

The Senior Program Associate : Administration. The role reports to the Head - People and Culture. It requires working with the leadership and other teams of CEGIS and managing administrative tasks like office management, vendor management, travel bookings, organizing events/workshops and internal meetings, and coordinating with the CEO's office. Provide logistics support to the teams for field visits. Supporting People and Culture team for organizing internal events, coordination with finance team for expense management.

Role and Responsibilities

General Administration Work

• Plan and coordinate administrative procedures and systems and devise ways to streamline processes
• Ensure the smooth and adequate flow of information within the company to facilitate other business operations
• Responsible for day-to-day facilities operations including supervising the maintenance and alteration of office areas and equipment (Printers, papers, workstations, stationary, water dispenser, Tea), purchasing office supplies, furniture, and office equipment for staff.
• Monitor inventory of office supplies and the purchasing of new material with attention to budgetary constraints
• Monitor costs and expenses to assist in budget preparation
• Identify vendors and manage contracts across multiple cities where CEGIS operates
• Conduct regular monitor checks for the housekeeping staff
• Support managers and employees through a variety of tasks related to organization and communication.
• Effective management of all activities related to travel, stay, and logistics to ensure all arrangements needs are met at the least cost.
• Overseeing the logistics and administration requirements of CEGIS’ State Teams
• Planning, scheduling, and facilitating office events, including meetings, conferences, interviews, orientations, workshops, seminars, and training sessions. (in-person & virtual)
• Maintain log registers and a contact diary at the central and state level

People and Culture and Finance Operations Support

• Pre-joining support for new joiners like -- relocation & accommodation/travel arrangements
• Planning & coordination of On-boarding and orientation of new joiners with internal teams and managing exit formalities
• New office space set up/coordination with vendors and internal teams
• Day-to-day management of operational issues related to IT/admin/logistic
• Internal coordination with teams for meetings/ review
• Check all the expense bills raised by employees
• Being able to translate Kannada documents into English

Desired Skills

• 5-9 years of experience in relevant work experience

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, management, or a related

• Exceptional time, task, and resource management skills

• Strong problem solving, critical thinking, and verbal and written communication skills.

• Proficiency with computers, especially MS Office

• Ability to plan for and keep track of multiple projects and deadlines

• Familiarity with budget planning and enforcement, human resources, and customer service procedures

• Proficient in MS Office

Location and Compensation

The candidate must be based out of Bangalore should be willing to travel, when needed. Remuneration will be competitive with Indian philanthropy and social sector pay scales and will depend on the candidate’s experience levels.

Pre-reads for the application process

To learn more about the type of reforms CEGIS is seeking to implement in states, please go through the following materials before sending in your application:

​Concept note on CEGIS

• Podcast episodes with Prof. Karthik Muralidharan one each on education and healthcare in India.
• Collection of Prof. Karthik Muralidharan’s work here.