Senior Programme Manager

1. POSITION VACANT: Senior Programme Manager, Pure Earth India, Delhi

2. ORGANIZATION BACKGROUND:

Pure Earth is a global leader in improving public health and development outcomes by reducing exposure to lead and other toxic pollutants. We work closely with governments to embed evidence-based, sustainable solutions into public systems at national scale.

Pure Earth partners with governments, public health institutions, researchers, and local organisations to identify sources of toxic exposure, generate actionable evidence, and implement interventions that reduce poisoning risks, strengthen public systems, and improve long-term health outcomes.

Lead poisoning is one of the world’s most significant yet solvable environmental health challenges, disproportionately affecting children and vulnerable communities. Pure Earth is internationally recognised for its leadership in preventing lead exposure and supporting durable government-led systems for long-term lead poisoning prevention.

Pure Earth India (registered as PE Lead India Pvt. Ltd.) leads the organisation’s India portfolio, working closely with national and state governments to identify, reduce, and prevent toxic lead exposure and related environmental health risks.

Pure Earth India is currently in a phase of significant growth and expansion, supported by strategic partnerships with governments, philanthropies, and development institutions. This includes major multi-year support from Bloomberg Philanthropies and The Audacious Project to accelerate and scale lead poisoning prevention efforts in India and globally.

Pure Earth India currently partners with state governments including Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, and Bihar, with emerging engagements across additional states.

Pure Earth India’s work is inherently cross-sectoral, requiring engagement across public health, environment, pollution control, manufacturing, industry, consumer safety, and regulatory ecosystems. Its work directly contributes to reducing toxic exposure, particularly among children, improving long-term developmental and health outcomes, and enabling safer, healthier communities.

Please visit https://www.pureearth.org/india/ to learn more about Pure Earth India.

3. JOB DESCRIPTION / RESPONSIBILITIES:

Pure Earth India is seeking a Sr. Programme Manager to provide strategic and operational leadership across its multi-state programme portfolio.

This role will lead programme delivery across western and southern Indian states (including Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh and other states as assigned), ensuring high-quality design, implementation, and impact in a complex, multi-stakeholder environment.

This is a senior programme leadership role (not a technical specialist role) that requires translating organisational strategy into effective, on-ground execution, while building strong partnerships with government, donors, and ecosystem stakeholders.

The role reports to the India Country Director, with functional engagement with headquarters, and serves as a key bridge between strategy, state-level execution, internal strategy and external engagement.

Key Roles and Responsibilities:

(A) Strategy, Program Quality and Growth:

(1) Support the Country Director in developing and executing India Country Strategy aligned with global priorities

(2) Lead programme implementation across assigned states, ensuring successful delivery of project activities, outcomes, timelines, and budgets.

(3) Drive programme quality through strong design, M&E systems, accountability, and learning frameworks

(4) Identify and pursue opportunities for programme expansion and growth, including in-country funding opportunities

(5) Contribute to positioning Pure Earth as a partner of choice with donors, institutions, and government stakeholders

(B) Team Leadership & Development

(1) Lead and manage programme teams across states, building a high-performance and collaborative culture

(2) Serve as the first line of review and support for state teams to ensure delivery excellence and problem resolution.

(3) Mentor and develop staff, including performance management and capacity building

(4) Strengthen second-line leadership across state teams

(5) Ensure compliance with HR policies, contracts, and statutory requirements

(C) Financial, Operational & Risk Management

(1) Oversee programme budgets, ensuring financial discipline, transparency, and compliance

(2) Monitor programme delivery against targets, timelines, and budgets

(3) Identify risks and implementation challenges and drive mitigation strategies

(4) Ensure compliance with donor requirements, contracts, and reporting obligations.

(D) Representation, Influence and Partnership

(1) Build and sustain strong partnerships with government departments, donors, and local organisations

(2) Represent Pure Earth in national and state-level forums, networks, and platforms

(3) Engage and navigate multiple Ministries and government systems (Health, Environment, Industry, Pollution Control, etc.) relevant to programme implementation

(4) Support development of proposals, publications, and external communication outputs.

4. QUALIFICATIONS, EXPERIENCE, AND COMPETENCIES:

Qualifications

A postgraduate degree in a relevant discipline such as Environmental Science, Public Health, Development Studies, Environmental Engineering, Social Sciences, or a related field is required

Experience:

Essential:
(1) Minimum eight to 10 years of relevant experience in programme management within public health, environment, development, or related sectors
(2) Experience in leading large-scale, multi-state or national-level programs

(3) Proven track record managing a portfolio of donor-funded projects in a multi-donor environment.

(4) Demonstrated experience in strategic planning, resource mobilization, proposal development, and budgeting.

(5) Proven experience leading and managing multidisciplinary teams across geographies

(6) Strong stakeholder management experience across government, donors, and partners

(7) Experience engaging with and navigating government systems at State and National levels, including multiple Ministries relevant to environmental health and toxic exposure.

(8) Experience in resource mobilisation and contributing to programme growth.

Preferred:

(1) Familiarity with environmental health, pollution control, or related domains

(2) Experience contributing to organisational strategy and programme growth

(3) Experience translating evidence and research into intervention strategies and driving implementation at scale

(4) Experience designing, or executing research studies/ assessments.

Skills and Competencies

(1) Strong programme leadership and execution capability

(2) Ability to operate at both strategic and operational levels

(3) Strong analytical, problem-solving, and financial management skills

(4) Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills

(5) Ability to manage multiple priorities in complex environments.

5. COMPENSATION OFFERED:

Gross compensation has been budgeted in the range of Rs 24 to 36 lacs per annum. The offer made to the selected candidate shall be based on experience, suitability and salary history.

6. IDEAL CANDIDATE:

The ideal candidate is a seasoned programme leader with experience managing complex, multi-stakeholder programmes at scale. They should be comfortable wearing multiple hats and dealing with a variety of programmatic aspects.

They should be comfortable translating strategy into execution, building partnerships, and driving measurable impact across geographies.

This role is best suited for candidates who thrive in dynamic fast-paced environments and are motivated to deliver large-scale public health impact.

Candidates with purely technical or laboratory-based backgrounds without programme leadership experience are unlikely to be suitable.

7. NUMBER OF VACANCIES: One

8. LOCATION: New Delhi (Hybrid), with significant travel across programme states

9. REFERENCE: PL-PEI

10. CONTACT INFORMATION:

Team SAMS
Strategic Alliance Management Services Pvt. Ltd.
1/1B, Choudhary Hetram House, Bharat Nagar,

New Friends Colony, New Delhi 110025
Tel: 011-011- 4081 9900; 4081 9926

11. APPLICATION PROCESS:

Eligible candidates interested in this position are requested to apply online at https://www.samsstc.com/Jobs/job-description/senior-programme-manager-pure-earth-india-new-delhi/547 by or before May 22, 2026.

Pure Earth India provides equal opportunity for all qualified persons and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, religion, sex, gender or gender identity, age, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation or any other protected status.