Associate Program Manager

Role Overview:

We are seeking an agile, results-driven Associate Program Manager to lead the end-to-end management of a high-priority, strategic digital governance initiative: the State Data Integration Platform (SDIP).

Anchored within a key state department in Punjab, this interdepartmental data consolidation initiative aims to establish a secure, standardized, and governed framework for data exchange across various line departments. 

Operating with a high degree of autonomy, you will serve as the primary on-ground anchor and liaison between senior government bodies—specifically the Department of Good Governance & IT (DGG&IT), the Punjab Development Corporation (PDC), the Project Management/Implementation Units (PMU/PIU), and technical system integration partners. The role will cover day-to-day Program coordination, implementation tracking, stakeholder liaison, and driving timely progress against workplans and outcomes.

Employment Type: Full-Time Consultant (Initial 6-month contract, with potential for extension/absorption based on mutual agreement and project evolution)

Key Responsibilities

1. Program Management & Government Liaison

• Act as the primary bridge between technical delivery teams and senior State Government stakeholders to translate technical architecture into actionable implementation steps.
• Drive alignment across participating line departments on program priorities, deliverables, and tight timelines, actively unblocking bureaucratic or operational delays.
• Develop, monitor, and execute a detailed program plan for the pilot PoC, maintaining strict decision logs, action trackers, and governance documentation.
• Coordinate closely with vendors, technology partners, and System Integrators (SI) assigned to the rollout.

2. Implementation & Infrastructure Support

• Coordinate with the State Data Centre (SDC) to ensure hosting environments are provisioned, configured, and ready for deployment.
• Support the finalization of PoC use cases, data exchange journeys, and reference data requirements alongside technical architects.
• Work with line departments to ensure the functional readiness of technical teams and the seamless availability of required datasets.

3. Documentation & Strategic Scaling

• Document meeting minutes, high-level governance notes, and stakeholder consultation summaries for external leadership reviews.
• Synthesize ground-level implementation insights and establish onboarding playbooks to inform the blueprint for a eventual state-wide scale-up.

Required Qualifications & Experience

• Education: Master's degree in Public Policy, Management, Development Studies, Technology, or a related field.
• Core Experience: 4 to 6+ years of proven experience in program management within digital governance, digital transformation, data governance, or Public Finance Management (PFM).
• Government Fluency: Strong, practical track record of working directly with government departments and navigating complex, multi-stakeholder bureaucratic environments. Prior on-ground experience working within Punjab or North India is highly preferred.
• Domain Knowledge: A solid grasp of Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI), data integration platforms, or the "Data & AI for public good" ecosystem. (Note: Pure Public Finance expertise is nice-to-have, but strong program management and government navigation are the primary requirements).
• Language: Professional fluency in English and Hindi is required; a strong control of Punjabi is highly preferred.
• Mindset: Highly polished diplomatic skills, comfort engaging with senior bureaucrats, and the agility to deliver results against tight, politically driven timelines.

What's in it for You?

• Population-Scale Impact: The opportunity to anchor a foundational digital infrastructure project impacting millions of citizens.
• Senior Visibility: Direct exposure to state leadership, multilateral ecosystem partners, and sector champions.
• Path to Longevity: While initially structured as an urgent 6-month consulting sprint, exceptional performers will be positioned for potential absorption into broader, long-standing public sector transformation portfolios in the region.