Program Associate – Nutrition in Bhubaneswar | CEGIS

Centre for Effective Governance of Indian States (CEGIS)

CEGIS works with state governments in India to help them deliver better public services, so that people's lives improve. It was started in 2019 and now works with 9 states, including Odisha, along with national bodies such as the Ministry of Women & Child Development. CEGIS does not take money from the government, which helps it earn trust as an honest partner. Its team of 150+ people helps states use good data, plan budgets wisely and build the skills of their staff. This role sits within CEGIS's Odisha nutrition team, which supports the state's Women and Child Development Department to reduce wasting, stunting and underweight among children under 5.

Role

As Program Associate, you will work from inside a District Social Welfare Office (DSWO) in Odisha. You will test and improve CEGIS's approach in three areas: better data, better use of funds, and stronger skills for field staff. You will turn state plans into local action and share what you learn on the ground with the state team, so the model can grow across Odisha. You will report to the Nutrition Project Lead in Bhubaneswar and work with CEGIS colleagues across states.

Responsibilities

• Check Poshan Tracker dashboard entries against physical registers at sector and Anganwadi Centre level to find gaps in data.
• Analyse monthly district reports to spot low-performing blocks and share clear findings with the DSWO.
• Design simple data checking routines for Supervisors and Child Development Project Officers (CDPOs).
• Work with the district accounts team to track fund flow and find delays in schemes such as supplementary nutrition and flexi-funds.
• Support the DSWO office to prepare realistic annual and quarterly District Action Plans based on past spending and local needs.
• Streamline how Utilization Certificates (UCs) are prepared and tracked.
• Assess the skills of CDPOs and Supervisors against what their jobs require.
• Co-design and run local training on using data, tracking funds and managing operations.
• Mentor block and field staff so they use new tools in their daily work.
• Share weekly field insights and challenges with the state team.
• Document processes, success stories and roadblocks to build a guide for statewide scale-up.

Requirements

• Master's degree or equivalent in economics, public policy, social science, computer science or a related field.
• 1 to 3 years of work experience.
• Fluency in Odia (speaking and reading) and English.
• Willingness to work from a district office with frequent travel within the district.
• Experience working with government systems, public health or nutrition programmes, with ICDS or WCD experience preferred.
• Experience coordinating projects at the grassroots or district level.
• Experience with field studies, data collection, cleaning and analysis of large datasets.
• Skill in Python, R or STATA preferred, with strong Excel or Google Sheets skills also welcome.
• Understanding of India's nutrition system, including ICDS, Poshan Tracker, Anganwadi Centres and indicators such as wasting, stunting and underweight.
• Familiarity with government budgeting, fund flow and Utilization Certificates.
• Knowledge of district administration, including the roles of the DSWO, CDPOs and Supervisors and Clear writing and reporting skills.
• Ability to work with little supervision and find new ways forward when processes stall.

Benefits

• Learn alongside experts in governance, economics, public finance and research.
• Join a growing team of 150+ people working with 9 state governments.
• Help shape a nutrition model meant to reach children across Odisha.

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