Chief Program Officer – Family Strengthening Program (CPO – FSP)

Follow us@ngobox

About the Organization

SOS Children’s Villages of India are an independent, non-governmental and non-profit organization working for the holistic development of parentless children as well as women and children from vulnerable families. For over 60 years, we have reached over 65000 children through our 32 SOS Children’s Villages and 28 community projects in India positively impacting over 83000 lives. We continue to provide children without parental care or at the risk of losing it, a value chain of quality care services that goes beyond childcare alone, to ensure comprehensive child development as well as ways to strengthen communities and families as a preventive measure in the fight against abandonment and social neglect.

Job Description

The Chief Programme Officer – Family Strengthening Programme (CPO – FSP) provides strategic and operational leadership for the planning, implementation, monitoring and impact measurement of SOS India’s Family Strengthening Programme (FSP) across the country. The CPO ensures that vulnerable families and communities are empowered to care for and protect their children, thus preventing family breakdown and institutionalisation.

The role ensures the integration of rights-based, community-driven, and sustainable approaches to improve child well-being and family resilience, in alignment with SOS India’s mission and national child protection priorities.

The role also focuses on Youth Development through Education and Skill Development to equip youth with employability skills for sustainable livelihood and independent living.

Role is envisioned as a programmatic innovator with field-based experience, particularly in humanitarian, climate change and youth-focused contexts.

Strategic stakeholder engagement :

The CPO is responsible:

• Building and maintaining strategic partnerships with international organizations, governments, and private sector actors.
• Enhancing the visibility and influence of SOS CVI through proactive engagement.

Program leadership :

The role emphasizes:

• Innovation in program design and delivery.
• Pragmatic leadership in implementing a CSR project.

Alignment with mission and values :

The CPO must ensure that all programmatic efforts:

• Are aligned with the mission and values of SOS CVI.
• Prioritize child-centred, rights-based approaches.
• Translate strategic intent into measurable program outcomes.

Role identity and operational clarity :

The job profile should clearly define:

• Areas of accountability, particularly in safeguarding and digital services.
• Boundaries to avoid overlap with the CEO’s role.

Impact orientation :

The CPO should be accountable for:

• Delivering measurable impact through defined KPIs.
• Ensuring cost-effectiveness and value-for-money in all initiatives.
• Leading with a results-based, data-informed mindset.

Organizational development and entrepreneurial experience :

Given the evolving structure of the federation, the CPO should bring:

• Experience in founding or scaling new entities.
• Entrepreneurial skills to lead in start-up or transformation contexts.
• Adaptive leadership to navigate uncertainty and drive innovation.

Ethical standards and professional integrity : The role requires:

• A clear commitment to ethical leadership and personal accountability

Job Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Program Design:

• Lead the national strategy for Family Strengthening in line with SOS India’s Strategy 2030, the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and government schemes (e.g., ICPS, ICDS, NHM, NEP, Skill India, NSDC, MSDE).
• Design innovative and scalable models for poverty alleviation, parental capacity building, livelihood support, and child protection.
• Drive the integration of skills, employability, vocational training, digital empowerment and entrepreneurship within the framework of Youth Development.
• Ensure community ownership, gender inclusion, and child participation in program planning.
• Identify industry trends and needs and update and design policies.

Program Implementation and Operational Oversight:

• Provide guidance to regional teams to effectively implement FSP across urban and rural locations.
• Ensure standard operating procedures, program guidelines, and tools are followed.
• Oversee program expansion and closure strategies based on evidence and needs.
• Ensure risk management and crisis response mechanisms are in place

Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning and Quality Assurance:

• Ensure high-quality service delivery aligned with Policies, Processes and Values of the organization.
• Lead the development and implementation of MEAL frameworks tailored to FSP.
• Ensure data-driven decision-making and program reporting.
• Promote a culture of learning, impact documentation, and innovation.

Stakeholder and Government Engagement:

• Strengthen partnerships with government departments (Social Welfare / Justice, Education, Health, Labour), CSR partners, community stakeholders, academic institutions, corporates, placement agencies and NGOs.
• Advocate for family strengthening and community-based child protection with state and national stakeholders.
• Represent SOS India in national and international forums on child and family welfare, youth and skilling.

Donor and Resource Development Support:

• Collaborate with the fundraising team to conceptualize and pitch high-impact FSP projects for CSR and institutional donors.
• Ensure effective donor communication, impact visibility, and compliance.

Capacity Building and Team Leadership:

• Lead and mentor a team of program managers, zonal teams, and field staff through a well-defined result-based monitoring system.
• Develop capacity-building plans for staff, community facilitators, and partners.
• Promote leadership, motivation, and retention within the program team.

Education Qualification/Required Skills & Experience

• Master’s degree in Social Work, Rural Development, Public Policy, Child Rights, or related fields.

Experience:

• Minimum 15-17 years of experience, with at least 5 years in a leadership role managing large-scale child/family/youth/community development programmes.
• Prior experience working with urban and rural poverty reduction, child protection, women’s empowerment, or livelihoods is essential.
• Experience in working with government schemes, and CSR-funded programmes is preferred.

Skills and Competencies:

• Strong understanding of child rights, community development, and social protection mechanisms.
• Strategic thinking, planning, and budgeting expertise.
• High-level communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Analytical mindset with familiarity in using program data and MIS systems.
• Financial Acumen and Resource Management
• Fluency in English and Hindi; knowledge of other regional languages is an asset.

Personal Attributes:

• Strong commitment to the mission and values of SOS Children’s Villages.
• Integrity, compassion, and child-centric thinking.
• Ability to work under pressure, travel frequently, and lead diverse teams.
• Emotionally intelligent, inclusive, and adaptive leadership style.

Key characteristics expected:

• Field-based program experience, particularly in emergency response, climate change and humanitarian contexts.
• Proven ability to develop and scale innovative programs, especially in youth and crisis-affected areas.
• Understanding of Programme locations context
• Service-oriented leadership, with a business mindset and focus on value creation for internal stakeholders.
• A strong commitment to human rights, equality, diversity, and cultural adaptability.

Third Sector Partners is a pioneering cause-connected executive search firm and has been retained for this position. Interested candidates can send in their CVs along with three references and a cover note to chiefprogramofficer2025@gmail.com.

Tags Jobs in Delhi Jobs in New Delhi Jobs in Agriculture Jobs in Livelihoods