About the job Senior Program Associate - Learning & Development
About CEGIS
Centre for Effective Governance of Indian States (CEGIS – pronounced See-Jis) aims to improve lives by helping Indian state governments deliver better development outcomes. We believe that the most impactful lever for accelerating national development is to improve governance and state capacity to better deliver core public services at scale.
Informed by cutting-edge research and evidence as well as a practical orientation toward implementable ideas, CEGIS works with state governments in India to enable a transformative improvement in their functioning. CEGISs vision and Theory of Change (ToC) are an outcome of extensive research done by Prof. Karthik Muralidharan (CEGIS Co-Founder and Scientific Director) and outlined in his multiple award-winning, national bestselling book Accelerating India's Development, and enabled by strategic philanthropic support provided by Ashish Dhawan (CEGIS Co-Founder).
CEGIS Approach and Model of Functioning:
CEGIS's solutions to enhance governance are co-created with state governments in a state-led way, where we focus on deep partnerships with states using an iterative cycle of think-demonstrate-document-transfer. We work closely with the top bureaucratic leadership, front-line workers and public officials in Finance, Planning, Human Resources and a few other priority line departments. Many of our solutions reflect ideas outlined in the book Accelerating India's Development, and these solutions are constantly refined based on real-time feedback and are designed to both be customized to the contexts we are working in, and to create templates that can provide the starting point for replication across contexts.
Our focus areas reflect evidence that key characteristics of high-performing organisations include (a) measuring outcomes through reliable, high quality data that enables goal setting and progress monitoring; (b) strategic use of personnel – 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 and revenue collection are based on evidence and cost-effectiveness; (d) and creating efficient systems to leverage external actors (including for-profit and nonprofit organisations). CEGIS partners with states to improve capacity by focusing on these pillars of State effectiveness, and aims to also integrate these horizontal governance improvements into integrated sectoral roadmaps to accelerate the achievement of state and national development outcomes.
Internally, CEGIS is organised into solutions teams that lead the design and technical quality control of our research and evidence-backed approaches to improving governance and state capacity; delivery" teams that lead state-facing work to contextualise the solutions, and support governments in implementing them; and enablement teams that enable the organisation to function smoothly.
CEGIS@6 to CEGIS@10: Building on momentum to catalyse national development
Since its incorporation in 2019, CEGIS has gained significant momentum in building strong collaborations with state government(s) as a trusted partner who can provide both thought leadership and implementation support on key governance reforms. CEGIS position as a non-profit that does not take any funding from the government (other than in-kind contributions of office space/staff) has been a key enabler in earning this trust.
Beginning with 1 state government engagement in 2019, today CEGIS is working across 9 Indian states (Assam, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and Uttar Pradesh). We also partner with union agencies/ministries such as Capacity Building Commission, Ministry of Women & Child Development (MoWCD), and Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation (MoSPI) to share insights from our state-level work to inform national-level guidelines and dissemination to other states. Finally, we also take on selected work at the district level to design and test implementation templates.
From a small group of founding members, we have grown to become a team of 150+ members located across the country, and expect to grow to over 200 in the coming year. Led by a former senior civil-servant with deep governance experience; state and solution team leads with decades of domain expertise; and enabling functions led by professionals with considerable corporate experience, the team at CEGIS brings together knowledge and experience that spans various sectors – from development economics, research, governance, management consulting, and social entrepreneurship.
Over the last 6 years, CEGIS has also garnered support for our vision and theory of change from several foundations and philanthropists whose partnership has enabled us to build our organisational capacity as well as continue to experiment and improve our solution design to augment state capacity and governance. With the rapidly growing demand for CEGISs offerings, CEGIS is well-positioned to play a key role in accelerating India's development.
To explore what the mission of CEGIS is and the impact we hope to have, please take a look at this video of our CEO, Dr Vijay Pingale.
About the Team
L&D at CEGIS functions as a core institution-building capability focused on systematically strengthening organisational capacity. It works across the employee lifecycle to ensure teams and leaders are equipped with the skills needed for effective delivery, while aligning with leadership priorities, organisational goals, donor expectations, and the broader governance ecosystem. Positioned within People & Culture, L&D operates as a structured, disciplined function that goes beyond training to build processes, shared learning foundations, and capability systems across levels. This includes supporting new hires and newly promoted staff, linking learning to measurable outcomes, embedding shared intellectual frameworks such as Accelerating India's Development, aligning on strong OKR practices, addressing critical capability gaps, and coordinating with MEL, Communications, and KCM teams to drive coherent organisational learning priorities.
Position Summary (Role Purpose)
As CEGIS builds state capacity, this role helps CEGIS's capacity to learn better. The Associate will be central to this effort, working closely with the L&D Lead across a live portfolio of initiatives. Over the next year, this role will work on two critical bets: building a rigorous, experience-rich induction and onboarding programme and designing end-to-end learning programmes that actually shift behaviour, not just check boxes. You will spend most of your time thinking about how adults learn, designing for that, and facilitating spaces where it happens. Coordination will be in the service of design.
Roles & Responsibilities
This role calls for three core capabilities. The individual need not have mastered them fully but should demonstrate strong early ability along with clear intent to deepen these skills over time.
Instructional and Learning Experience Design (Core)
Co-design end-to-end learning journeys for cohort-based and blended programmes
Contribute to Training Needs Analysis (TNA) through stakeholder interviews, gap mapping, and synthesis into clear design briefs
Develop learning materials including facilitator guides, learner workbooks, activity kits, assessments, and toolkits
Design learning experiences across modalities (workshops, async content, reflection tools, peer learning structures), applying adult learning principles such as experiential design, spaced retrieval, and cohort accountability
Work with internal SMEs to extract, structure, and translate expertise into content that is learnable, not just accurate
Translate program goals into clear, measurable learning outcomes at the module level
Facilitation
Facilitate induction and onboarding sessions for new hires at CEGIS
Design and hold reflection spaces (structured debriefs, peer learning circles, after-action reviews)
Build and close feedback loops by synthesising inputs from learners and stakeholders
Iterate program design based on feedback and observed learner engagement
Program Coordination & Execution
Manage end-to-end program logistics: scheduling, communications, pre-work, follow-ups, and closure
Maintain trackers, attendance logs, and session notes across initiatives
Coordinate with internal SMEs, Leads, and external vendors, managing briefs, content readiness, and delivery quality
Track participation, completion, and early behaviour change signals across programs
Identify and surface potential blockers or risks early, with clear visibility on impact and mitigation plans
Evaluation & Learning Measurement
Design evaluation tools using the Kirkpatrick framework
Build post-session surveys, pulse checks, and 30/60/90-day follow-up instruments
Track observable behaviour change indicators
Create and maintain dashboards in Google Sheets to support internal reviews and decision-making
Required Competencies
Domain
Instructional Design and Learning Experiences: Ability to design structured learning experiences grounded in how adults learn - sequencing content, enabling retention, and building practice loops. Translates abstract goals into clear learning outcomes and journeys.
Facilitation: Ability to effectively hold learning spaces — driving engagement, reading the room, adapting in real time, and creating psychological safety for reflection and participation.
Measurement & Evaluation: Ability to design and use evaluation frameworks (e.g., Kirkpatrick), track participation and behaviour change, and translate data into actionable insights for iteration.
Functional
Program Management: Ability to manage end-to-end execution across multiple programs—planning, tracking, coordinating stakeholders, and ensuring high-quality delivery without drop-offs.
Stakeholder Engagement: Works effectively with SMEs and different leads at CEGIS to extract insights and translate them into structured, learnable outputs.
Communication: Thinks clearly and communicates with precision, especially in writing and learner-facing materials.
Ownership: Anticipates risks, surfaces blockers early, and drives solutions independently with strong follow-through.
Vendor & Partner Coordination: Supports coordination with external vendors and partners by sharing briefs, tracking timelines, and following up on deliverables. Ensures basic alignment on requirements and flags gaps or delays for course correction.
Tools
Must have on day 1:
Google Workspace - CEGIS lives here
Canva or something similar for designing learning materials and toolkits
Google Forms, Kahoot and Menti-meter for surveys and feedback collection
Good to have
Familiarity with any LMS platforms (Moodle, Google Classroom, or similar)
eLearning authoring tools (Articulate 360, Captivate, etc)
Notion, Slack, or similar collaboration and project management tools
What this role is not
This is not a glorified calendar management role. While coordination and administration are part of the work, the role carries meaningful ownership of design and development, along with opportunities for strategic thinking, and direct stakeholder engagement. You will work closely with the L&D Manager, P&C and enabling teams, and engage directly with the leadership. The role offers high visibility, along with strong support.
Education & Experience
Bachelor's or master's degree in HR, Organisational Psychology, Education, Learning Sciences, Instructional Design, Public Policy, Development Studies, or related social sciences. Candidates from liberal arts or management backgrounds with a strong interest in adult learning and capability building are also suitable.
1–3 years of experience in L&D, curriculum design, training, teaching, fellowships, consulting, or program management roles involving structured learning design. Exposure to instructional design, facilitation, or adult learning (through coursework, certifications, or hands-on work) is preferred.
Strong writing, facilitation comfort, and the ability to translate concepts into structured learning experiences are more important than any specific degree.
Role Logistics
Location - Bangalore (Preferred), Hyderabad, Chennai, Delhi
Pre-reads for the application process
Please go through the following materials before sending in your application:
A glimpse into life at CEGIS - CEGIS Retreat 2024
State Capacity, Governance, and Public Systems — Prof. Karthik Muralidharan on Seen & Unseen with Amit Varma – on education, healthcare, federalism and state capacity, and bureaucracy in India.
You are also strongly encouraged to read Prof. Karthik Muralidharan's book Accelerating India's Development: A State-Led Roadmap for Effective Governance (especially Chapters 1, 4, 5, 6, 10, and 11), which informs much of CEGIS's work and theory of change.
Recommended listening:
Karthik Muralidharan Episodes on SparX by Mukesh Bansal: Podcast Episode 1, Podcast Episode 2, Podcast Episode 3.
Karthik Muralidharan: India's Roadmap for Effective Governance — FED Dialogues: Podcast Episode.
Karthik Muralidharan on Making Governance More Effective — Sushasan | Podcast.