Director, Child Protection and Social Resilience - India

About the role

Main purpose of the role As a recognized leader and subject-matter expert in social protection, economic resilience, and child vulnerability, the Director will lead the development and execution of innovative, evidence-based strategies and investments that address structural drivers of vulnerability, strengthen household resilience, and reduce risks faced by children and adolescents. Through a combination of strategic investments, ecosystem partnerships, and government engagement, the Director will drive sustainable systems change and measurable improvements in outcomes for vulnerable children and families in India, advancing CIFF's Ending Violence Against Children (EVAC) Mission. The role requires a leader who can operate effectively in complex and ambiguous environments, identifying and reframing challenges, uncovering root causes, and translating insights into clear strategic priorities and actionable plans. The Director will ensure that CIFF adopts a long-term, systemic approach to addressing child vulnerability, while building and strengthening a high-impact ecosystem of partners capable of delivering sustainable change at scale. Combining deep execution experience with strong analytical capability and systems thinking, the Director will design practical, scalable solutions and drive delivery with pace, rigour, and accountability. Equally important, the Director will be an effective convenor and influencer-bringing together government, civil society, philanthropy, and other stakeholders around a shared vision, fostering collaboration across sectors, and building the alignment, momentum, and collective ownership required to achieve lasting impact. The Director will remain adaptive and opportunity-oriented, responding to evolving contexts while maintaining disciplined execution and a strong focus on outcomes. They will proactively identify emerging risks, navigate trade-offs, and support high-quality decision-making across the portfolio. A key responsibility of the role will be to identify opportunities to shift existing interventions from fragmented, delivery-focused approaches towards scalable, system-led models capable of delivering population-level impact. Success in this role will be measured by the ability to shape and deliver a credible and impactful Child protection and Social resilience strategy for India; develop a strong pipeline of high-quality investments; influence government systems and ecosystem actors to adopt and scale effective approaches; and demonstrate measurable improvements in economic resilience, child protection, and long-term outcomes for vulnerable children and adolescents. Additionally, this role will: Lead an ecosystem level engagement within India with a wide range of government and non-government stakeholders, building deep, aligned partnerships, and leveraging resources to achieve the Mission. Oversee a high-quality portfolio of investment proposals and active programs that deliver CIFF's India priorities and meet the corporate objectives of the CIFF Board. This role will have strategic ownership and be accountable for the design and delivery of CIFF's Social Protection strategy in India. Role's responsibilities Strategy & Portfolio Leadership Lead the design, development and delivery of CIFF India's Social Protection strategy as a core pillar of the Ending Violence Against Children (EVAC) Mission. Shape investment priorities by identifying the structural drivers of child vulnerability and opportunities to strengthen household resilience, prevention, and protection outcomes at scale. Lead the design, development and review of the medium-term EVAC strategy, investment priorities, and annual business plans, ensuring resources are focused on the highest-impact opportunities. Apply first-principles thinking and systems analysis to identify the underlying drivers of child vulnerability and violence, and design investment strategies that address root causes rather than symptoms. Contribute to the development of CIFF's global EVAC strategy and priorities, bringing insights from India and helping shape cross-country learning, partnerships and investment approaches. Provide strategic advice and recommendations to the India Leadership Team, Executive Team, and Board on social protection, economic resilience, and child vulnerability. Investment Development, Delivery & Portfolio Performance Build and manage a high-quality pipeline of investments and partnerships aligned with CIFF's EVAC strategy and impact objectives. Oversee the design, approval, and implementation of investments, ensuring strong strategic alignment, delivery quality, value for money, and measurable outcomes. Actively manage the portfolio as an integrated set of investments, using evidence, performance data, and emerging opportunities to inform decisions and maximise impact. Ensure robust programme governance, risk management, due diligence, and compliance across the portfolio. Drive continuous improvement in progra

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