Reports to

Senior Policy Specialist

Location

Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh (Candidate should have work authorisation in India, preferably Indian citizenship or Overseas Citizenship of India)

The Centre for Social and Behaviour Change (CSBC), Ashoka University:

The Centre for Social and Behaviour Change (CSBC), Ashoka University – India’s leading LiberalArts University – is funded by a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF). The vision of CSBC is to establish an institution based out of India that is globally reputed for thought leadership and excellence in impactful behaviour change interventions for low-income and marginalised populations. The Centre is focused on bringing new capabilities such as behavioural science, design thinking, advanced data analytics, and responsive feedback to governments, practitioners, and donors to help design and optimise behaviour change interventions. We work closely with Central and State Governments and other stakeholders in nutrition, sanitation, financial inclusion, maternal & newborn care, data privacy and agriculture.

Project Context

This is an exciting opportunity to strengthen policy outcomes in Uttar Pradesh through the application of behavioural insights across key sectors such as health and nutrition, maternal and newborn care, water and sanitation, financial services, and education.

Roles and Responsibilities

The Associate will be responsible for supporting and coordinating major projects of the Behavioural Insights Unit. We are seeking someone with excellent communication and design skills who enjoys working with a diverse range of people, has an instinct for problem-solving, and is equipped to deal with complex and large projects. This is an opportunity to work to support the action of the UP BIU to institutionalise the use of behavioural insights in policy design for long-term changes in systems and outcomes. We need someone excited to apply determination and creativity to coordinate across partners and manage project execution in a complex environment.

Key Responsibilities

The Associate will be responsible for the deliverables of the State BIU team in the following areas:

• Communications: will develop reports, presentations and other materials to showcase the project to funders, partners and other members of the ecosystem;
• Design Assistance: will coordinate with vendors and other internal teams towards the creation of impactful Social and Behavioral Change Communication (SBCC) collaterals and independently create mock-ups / low-intensity creatives / audiovisual content using editing tools like Canva, Kinemaster, etc.;
• Partner relations: will work closely with partner organisations to ensure all key stakeholders are regularly briefed on progress and have clarity on the next steps;
• Project management: will produce regular project updates, stakeholder analysis, organise meetings and ensure information flow is timely and accurate for all key stakeholders;
• Scenario planning: will forecast scenarios, prepare risk analysis reports, and work with the team to plan to adapt in response to expected setbacks and challenges;
• Scale-up planning: will analyse government processes and structures to inform scale-up plans for effective interventions in UP;
• Financial: Manage financial reports, update forecasts and contracting requirements related to projects;
• Supporting the CSBC team to run field work in UP, as and when required.

Skills Required

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in economics, social sciences, communications, public policy, sociology or related fields;
• A minimum of 2 years of work experience in the development sector, preferably in Public Health
• Strong writing and documentation skills, especially the production of executive briefings and presentations;
• Expertise in crafting visually appealing graphics and audiovisual content, proficient in the utilisation of tools such as Canva.
• Experience working in Uttar Pradesh is an advantage, but not necessary;
• Fluency in English and Hindi (essential).

Compensation

Remuneration is competitive with the sector but may vary subject to the candidate’s professional qualifications and work experience.