Principal Manager, New Program Development (EAII Advisors)

About the role

Evidence Action's Accelerator is a venture-style, stage-gated pipeline that turns promising health interventions into programs ready to scale. The New Program Development (NPD) team sources and vets ideas, builds partnerships with researchers, governments and implementers, and tests concepts in the field. This Principal Manager leads the development of early-stage interventions, driving them from research insight to a program that is proven, fundable and ready to scale, or to a reasoned decision to stop. The role reports to the India Country Lead with a dotted technical line to the Accelerator Director.

Key responsibilities

• Own a portfolio of pipeline interventions end to end, moving candidates through the stage-gate process and deciding what advances, reshapes or exits.
• Assess each intervention's evidence base critically, including effect sizes, quality, external validity, variability, negative or contradictory findings and gaps.
• Partner with the Cost-Effectiveness team to build and pressure-test cost-effectiveness analyses, making clear go/no-go implications.
• Design and run lean field learning such as scoping, formative research and pilots with the MLE team.
• Build evidence-grounded investment cases and align researchers, implementers, governments and donors.
• Work with the Growth team on resourcing and funding, and with Program and Country teams on implementation and policy partnerships.
• Lead conversations independently with study authors, implementing organizations, government officials and funders.
• Strengthen the Accelerator's methods and quality bar, and mentor analysts and interns.

Required profile

• Bachelor's degree and 6-10 years of experience in quantitative social science, program management, international development or global health in a cross-country setting.
• Experience working in an international setting with diverse teams.
• Legal authorization to work in India; the employer cannot sponsor an Indian employment visa.

Required skills

• Critical reading of primary research and synthesis of large, conflicting evidence bases.
• Building or interpreting cost-effectiveness, epidemiological or statistical models.
• Designing and delivering lean learning activities on schedule.
• Communicating complex technical findings clearly to non-technical audiences.

What we offer

• Health insurance with IPD and OPD provisions, life and accidental insurance.
• Pf, ESIC and gratuity as per statutory requirements, plus mental and physical well-being benefits.
• Learning and development benefit and generous leave.
• Avenues for engagement and recognition.