Associate Director - Safe Water Operations (EAII Advisors)

This position is with EAII Advisors, Evidence Action’s technical partner in India.

About EAII Advisors

EAII Advisors, Evidence Action’s technical partner in India, supports state governments in delivering evidence-based public health programs, including safe drinking water initiatives and school and Anganwadi-based National Deworming Day and iron and folic acid supplementation. Operating across 10 states, EAII Advisors provides technical assistance to ministries of health, education, water, and women and child development, reducing health burdens in impoverished communities and improving the long-term wellbeing of children and families.

For more information, read about our work here: About Evidence Action and EAII

About Evidence Action

At Evidence Action, we deliver data-driven interventions that transform lives at an unprecedented scale. We identify neglected global health issues and deploy proven solutions, forging healthier futures for generations.

Our model operationalizes leading academic research (including from Nobel-winning economists). We measure progress and outcomes at every stage to ensure we’re making a real impact for people living in poverty and suffering from preventable or treatable health issues. Operating across 11 countries, our team of 900+ has reached over 500 million people, working closely with governments to scale these interventions.

• Our Deworm the World program has delivered over 2 billion treatments, significantly reducing worm prevalence and generating more than $23 billion in lifetime productivity gains.
• Through Safe Water Now, we’ve saved the lives of over 15,000 children.
• Our Accelerator explores untapped opportunities in global health, testing low-cost interventions with the greatest potential to save and improve lives.

At Evidence Action, your colleagues are your greatest asset. You'll partner with high-caliber colleagues in an environment blending innovation, autonomy, and teamwork. Our team excels in disruptive thinking and believes in rolling up our sleeves to get things done. If you're looking to work flexibly and with purpose, join a team that delivers measurable change for millions.

The Role

EAII Advisors is seeking a seasoned and strategic leader to join our India Safe Water Expansion team as Associate Director – Safe Water Operations (SWO). Reporting to the Program Director, this role will be responsible for overseeing programmatic operations across multiple states and for leading cross-functional teams focused on the learning agenda and market shaping.

This is a high-impact leadership role where you'll be responsible for ensuring that both the program and team are operationally ready to scale and consistently meet key milestones. We're seeking a seasoned operations leader with a strong track record of managing complexity at scale — someone energized by the opportunity to drive meaningful, systems-level change and deliver transformative work.

Responsibilities

Program Implementation and Team Leadership

• Lead national operations and scale-up of water treatment devices across multiple intervention states, ensuring smooth day-to-day program functioning.
• Build a SWO team at the national, state, and field levels that is staffed, trained, and equipped to oversee exponential growth of device installations and advising to the government. 
• Maintain a strong focus on scale and develop systems and processes that are executed by the program operations team and transferable to the government.
• Oversee rapid response in the event of operational challenges within the program. Provide implementation and policy recommendations to prevent and resolve challenges.
• Identify and oversee the development and implementation of guidelines, trackers and tools to be used by national, state, and field teams for program implementation and monitoring. Identify mechanisms to transfer systems to the government.
• Jointly conduct monthly state reviews with AD (Programs) to identify and correct performance issues. Establish and hold teams to milestones.
• In conjunction with the EAII procurement team, lead vetting of contractors and suppliers. Travel within India as required to visit suppliers, their devices, and sites.

Learning Agenda

• Oversee the development of a programmatic learning agenda encompassing technology, community engagement, and market shaping among others
• Guide the refinement, testing, and iteration of water treatment devices by setting strategic priorities, staffing appropriately, and establishing systems
• Oversee field installations for the learning management team and relationship with IIT-Kanpur.
• Proactively identify potential bottlenecks and contingencies in program implementation, and collaborate with the learning management team to identify, test, and execute mitigation plans.
  

Market Shaping

• Oversee programmatic market shaping team and identify mechanisms to accelerate national adoption of chlorination technologies
• Lead team and resources responsible for drafting pro-forma tender and other contracting guidelines shared with national and state governments. Coordinate with program management units and state leadership for distribution.
• Plan and oversee the execution of events at the national and state level to bring together government, private sector, and industry stakeholders.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in Management or a relevant field, with 12–15 years of progressively responsible professional experience. A technical background in Engineering or Science is preferred but not mandatory.
• Demonstrated experience in scaling operations teams and programs across multiple states.
• Demonstrated experience forecasting challenges, opportunities, and bottlenecks and implementing solutions 
• Experience in leading new technology or product testing, assessing risks, and enabling informed decision-making.
• Demonstrated experience of advising senior business or government leaders
• Ability and willingness to operate in time constrained and uncertain environments;
• Excellent spoken and written English, with the ability to synthesize complex information clearly and produce high-quality documents under tight deadlines.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to engage with internal and external stakeholders across India and globally.
• Willingness and availability to travel within India up to 40% of the time. Travel will primarily be on business days, with occasional weekend engagements expected.
• Technical expertise, while helpful, is not mandatory. We welcome candidates from diverse backgrounds, including the private sector, startups, and supply chain/logistics domains.

Additional Instructions: All candidates applying for this position are required to upload a resume and complete the application questions as part of their submission.

Benefits

EAII provides a comprehensive benefits package for employees. Benefits include:

• comprehensive health insurance,
• retirement savings options,
• life insurance,
• generous leave,
• avenues for engagement and recognition.

Compensation:  Competitive and commensurate with the individual's credentials, experience, and previous pay scale. 

All contracting arrangements will be made through EAII Advisors Private Limited. EAII is an equal opportunity employer. Employment at EAII is based solely on an individual's merit and qualifications directly related to professional competence. EAII does not discriminate against any employee or applicant because of race, caste, creed, colour, religion, gender, origin, disability, marital status, or any other basis protected by law.