About the job

About Milaan

Milaan is a girl-centered nonprofit working to enable young people, especially adolescent girls, to shape their own lives and communities. Through our flagship program, the Girl Icon, we have empowered over 100,000 adolescent girls to become leaders driving gender justice and systemic change. As we embark on the next phase, we are designing a scalable, systems-based model to reach 2 million girls across India by 2030 through direct engagement, innovation, and government partnerships.

Position Summary

The Director of Programming will serve as a key member of Milaan’s senior leadership team and lead the strategic visioning, design, and implementation of its program. This role will be responsible for driving excellence across three key programmatic verticals:

1. System Strengthening – Deep engagement with government systems (ICDS, education, health) for scale and sustainability

2. Direct Programming & Innovation Lab – Piloting new interventions and developing scalable models grounded in community insights

3. Monitoring, Evaluation, and Research – Building evidence to validate impact, inform scale, and influence policy

This is a leadership role requiring someone who is not only a strong program strategist and systems thinker but also a thought leader with a deep commitment to gender justice and adolescent girls’ empowerment.

Key Responsibilities

1. Program Strategy & Leadership

● Lead the overall strategy and execution of the Girl Icon Program 3.0, ensuring alignment with Milaan’s mission and 2030 vision

● Guide the design of scalable models that integrate girl-centered programming with government platforms.

● Work closely with the Country Director, and other senior leaders to drive long-term impact and innovation.

● Manage/oversee program budgets, including donor compliance and financial reporting.

● Contribute to donor proposal development and participate in funding pitch meetings as required.

2. Systems Strengthening

● Lead the design and implementation of Milaan’s government engagement strategy across health, education, and child development systems

● Build partnerships with key ministries, state and district governments, and technical partners to co-create solutions for adolescent girls.

● Support the design of capacity-building programs for Anganwadi workers, frontline staff, and district officials.

3. Innovation Lab & Direct Programming

● Oversee the piloting of new interventions and learning labs in selected geographies.

● Facilitate design sprints and cross-team ideation to evolve adaptive program models

● Use insights from pilots to inform scale pathways, partnerships, and implementation frameworks.

4. Monitoring, Evaluation & Research

● Build a robust MEL framework to measure social norm change, girl agency, and systems impact

● Partner with academic institutions and research firms for longitudinal studies and impact evaluations

● Ensure data-driven decision-making across all programmatic interventions

5. People & Team Leadership

● Lead and mentor a cross-functional team of program managers, research specialists, and implementation staff

● Build a culture of collaboration, curiosity, and continuous learning

● Drive performance management, capacity building, and cross-team alignment

Qualifications & Experience

● 15+ years of progressive experience in nonprofit or social impact programming, with at least 5 years in a senior leadership role.

● Proven experience in designing and scaling gender-focused programs, especially for adolescent girls

● Deep understanding of systems thinking, social norm change, and government engagement models

● Track record of managing multi-layered teams and cross-sector partnerships

● Experience working with monitoring, evaluation, and research frameworks — both quantitative and qualitative

● Postgraduate degree in Social Work, Public Policy, Development Studies, or a related field

Desired Attributes

● Strategic thinker with the ability to translate vision into scalable program design

● Deeply aligned with feminist values and grounded in intersectional, community-based approaches

● Strong communication and storytelling skills – both internal and external

● Adaptive leader comfortable working in complex, fast-paced environments

● Passionate about centering girls’ voices and lived experiences in all aspects of programming

What We Offer

● Opportunity to lead one of India’s most ambitious girl-centered system change initiatives

● Collaborative and values-driven work culture

● Competitive compensation and benefits

● Platform to engage with global thought leaders and practitioners in gender equity

To Apply:

Please share your resume along with a cover letter at careers@milaan.in. The CTC for this role ranges between ₹25–30 LPA, depending on your relevant skills and years of experience. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

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Director-Programs