Job Openings Head - Strategic Public Finance

About the job Head - Strategic Public Finance

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 well-functioning governments share at least four features with high-performing organisations: (a) measuring outcomes through reliable, high quality data that enables goal setting and monitoring progress towards these goals; (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 is based on evidence and cost-effectiveness; (d) and creating efficient systems to leverage external actors (including for-profit and nonprofit organisations). At CEGIS, we support the state governments to build these foundations so that they can deliver development outcomes more effectively.

CEGIS works closely with the political and bureaucratic leadership in the states to achieve transformational change. We are currently present in 9 states - Assam, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh. We also partner with union agencies/ministries such as Capacity Building Commission, Ministry of Women & Child Development (MoWCD), Ministry of Statistics & Programme Implementation (MoSPI) to provide technical support for strengthening foundational systems and reflect insights from CEGISs work at the state-level into national level initiatives and guidelines. We also collaborate closely with academics and research institutions to ensure our work is grounded in rigorous research and evidence-based practices.

CEGIS Approach and Model of Functioning

Our solutions to enhance governance are co-created with state governments in a state-led way, where we focus on deep partnerships with states with 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 our founder Prof. Karthik Muralidharan's book (Accelerating India's Development), and these solutions are constantly being 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.

To further explore the mission of CEGIS and the impact we hope to have, please take a look at this video of our CEO, Dr Vijay Pingale.

About the Strategic Public Finance (SPF) vertical

The Strategic Public Finance (SPF) vertical anchors CEGISs work on strengthening state fiscal systems through institutional design, data-driven governance, and reform implementation. Analytics is a cross-cutting foundation across all our workstreams. SPF focuses on:

  • Financial Analytics Units (FAUs): embedding analytical and decision-support capacity within state Finance Departments focusing on macro fiscal projections and modeling.
  • Revenue augmentation: enhancing both the quantity and quality of tax and non-tax revenue collections through improved design, implementation, and system reforms.
  • Expenditure quality: improving allocative and operational efficiency through evidence-based and outcome-linked budgeting.
  • Fiscal exchange systems: modernizing fund-flow, cash management, and reporting mechanisms - often in collaboration with GovTech partners.

SPF operates at the intersection of public finance, institutional reform, and fiscal systems design, helping states move from isolated interventions to sustained fiscal transformation. As can be imagined, while our projects can be of a wide variety, analytics and research are the unifying thread. Our projects can also involve synthesizing evidence to make recommendations, policy implementation and evaluation, and active support to line departments in reforms adoption.

Position Summary

The Vertical Head – Strategic Public Finance (SPF) will play a pivotal role in contextualising and executing CEGISs vision on public finance. The role requires operating at two interconnected levels: (a) externally, as a partner to state governments driving fiscal reform implementation, and as a thought leader in the broader intellectual ecosystem of public finance in India; and (b) internally, as a solutions head advancing SPF frameworks and solutions, building teams across CEGIS states, and contributing to CEGISs knowledge and learning agenda. The role reports to the Chief of Solutions and is part of the extended leadership of CEGIS.

Reporting to the Chief of Solutions, you will oversee a diverse portfolio of projects, ensuring methodological rigor, quality, and alignment with strategic objectives, while fostering cross-learning and innovation. You will also be expected to work closely with CEGIS Founder and Scientific Director (Prof. Karthik Muralidharan) to understand the intellectual vision behind proposed reforms and work closely on refining them, and with PhD holding economists in the CEGIS Economics and Statistics Unit (ESU) to stay abreast of current research and methods.

Roles & Responsibilities

Solution Leadership and Design

  • Apply CEGISs six-stage Solution Maturity Model (SMM) to design, assess, and evolve SPF interventions - from diagnostic pilots to institutionalised systems—ensuring replicability and continuous improvement across states.
  • Head the design of fiscal analytics architecture, including data pipelines, forecasting models, dashboards, and reporting systems to strengthen evidence-based decision-making within Finance Departments and Financial Analytics Units (FAUs).
  • Synthesize research and analytical findings into clear, actionable insights and outputs policy briefs, presentations, and reports - tailored for senior decision-makers in government and partner institutions.
  • Foster creative problem-solving and solution design by combining rigorous analytical methods with deep operational understanding of state systems.
  • Codify SPF learnings into playbooks, diagnostics, and maturity rubrics that support cross-state replication and feed into CEGISs broader knowledge pipeline.
  • Build a presence in the broader public finance ecosystem in India and work closely with the ESU to identify domain experts who can be consulted as needed for solutions to specific technical problems.
  • Be a force multiplier across CEGIS: Partner with other CEGIS verticals and embed SPF inputs into solution design (ex-ante), implementation (in-flight), and institutionalization (ex-post), aligning with state capacity building and government processes.

Government Engagement and External Partnerships

  • Build and sustain trusted, long-term partnerships with senior bureaucratic leadership and key departments across state governments, especially Finance Departments and Treasuries.
  • Co-create reform roadmaps with state counterparts, aligning SPF solutions with state priorities, budget cycles, and institutional constraints.
  • Cultivate and manage partnerships with philanthropic donors, research institutions, and technical collaborators to co-develop fiscal reform initiatives and align external expertise with CEGISs strategy and state needs.
  • Own proposal development, pitch preparation, and scoping conversations for new SPF engagements with donors and state departments.
  • Represent CEGIS and the SPF vertical in external meetings, conferences, and events; contribute to public discourse through presentations, publications, and thought pieces showcasing SPF work and learnings.

Delivery, Portfolio Management, and Quality Assurance

  • Oversee end-to-end delivery of a portfolio of SPF projects across multiple states, ensuring clarity of objectives, well-structured workplans, and disciplined execution.
  • Provide strategic and technical guidance to project teams on diagnostics, modeling, analytics, and implementation challenges; troubleshoot bottlenecks proactively.
  • Ensure that project designs and deliverables are tightly aligned with CEGISs Theory of Change (ToC) and sector/state strategies.
  • Establish and oversee quality control (QC) processes for analytical outputs, dashboards, and policy products, maintaining high standards of rigour and clarity.
  • Work with internal functions (Finance, HR, Operations) to ensure that SPF projects are adequately resourced and compliant with organisational processes.

People Leadership and Capability Building

  • Build, mentor, and retain a high-performing, multi-disciplinary SPF team—including economists, data scientists, public finance specialists, and programme managers. The SPF team consists of ~18 members working across states and union agencies
  • Provide regular coaching to managers on stakeholder management, prioritisation, and communication with government counterparts.
  • Design and lead knowledge sessions, mentorship programmes, and training initiatives to deepen technical skills in public finance, analytics, and reform implementation.
  • Support capacity-building of government-facing support units such as FAUs and state teams through embedded mentoring, training, and joint problem-solving.
  • Embed knowledge management practices into project workflows so that insights, tools, and templates are systematically captured, shared, and reused.

Knowledge, Learning, and Organisational Contribution

  • Collaborate with ESU (Economics and Statistics Unit), MEL (Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning), KCM (Knowledge Creation and Management), and L&D (Learning and Development) teams to integrate measurement, learning, and communication into SPF interventions.
  • Contribute to cross-vertical initiatives where public finance is a key lever for sector outcomes (education, health, nutrition).
  • Champion a learning-oriented culture within the SPF vertical by generating and sharing insights from implementation, including what does not work and why.
  • Contribute to CEGIS-wide strategic discussions on portfolio design, resourcing, and state expansion from a public finance lens.

Required Qualifications, Skills, and Abilities

Educational Qualification

  • Masters degree in Economics, Public Finance, Public Policy, Statistics, Social Sciences, Development Studies, or a related field. A PhD in a relevant discipline is an advantage but not mandatory. What is essential is the ability to read, understand, and synthesize primary research with adequate judgment to assess the quality and generalizability of evidence.

Professional Experience

  • 15–20 years of relevant work experience in public finance, development sector, consulting, think-tanks, or government advisory roles, with significant exposure to Indian state governments.
  • Deep understanding of public finance concepts, policies, and practices; familiarity with public financial management (PFM) systems, budget workflows, and state-level fiscal institutions.
  • Demonstrated experience in fiscal modelling, forecasting, cost-effectiveness analysis, or expenditure tracking; comfort working with large administrative datasets.
  • Strong quantitative skills and comfort with tools such as R (strongly preferred), Stata, or Python for data management and analysis (or the ability to guide teams that use these tools).
  • Excellent problem-solving and strategic thinking skills, with the ability to synthesise complex quantitative and qualitative evidence into clear recommendations.
  • Outstanding written and verbal communication skills in English, with the ability to communicate complex ideas in a meaningful way across diverse audiences; proficiency in one or more Indian languages is an advantage.
  • Demonstrated ability to build and manage high-trust relationships with senior government officials and partner organisations.
  • Strong planning and organisational skills, with the ability to set priorities, manage multiple workstreams, and deliver against tight deadlines.
  • Alignment with CEGISs mission and values, including a strong commitment to improving the effectiveness of Indian states and a hands-on, problem-solving mindset.

Personal characteristics & Interpersonal abilities

  • Operating style suited to working in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment where teamwork, resourcefulness, and ownership are highly valued.
  • Ability to think creatively, take calculated risks, and translate ideas into action.
  • High ability to collaborate and actively listen, valuing and integrating diverse perspectives.
  • Versatility and comfort in taking on new problems and quickly diving into unfamiliar sectors or contexts.

Location and Compensation

Location: The role can be based out of Delhi/ Mumbai/ Chennai/ Hyderabad/ Bangalore. Travel to other states will be required.

Remuneration will be competitive with Indian philanthropy and social sector pay scales and will depend on the candidate's experience levels.

Interested candidates are requested to submit their applications by clicking the apply button below

Note: CEGIS has zero tolerance for sexual harassment. We therefore expect each applicant to self-declare related to the same. CEGIS could, if required, initiate a prevention of sexual harassment-based background verification. If an applicant is reported for misconduct, appropriate action that may include employment termination would be taken. Please complete the details for self-declaration on the application form.

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