Programme Coordinator - India

Main purpose of the role

The role will provide comprehensive, proactive executive and administrative support to 2-3 India Directors and their teams while also contributing to programme coordination and delivery.

The position combines high-level Executive Assistant (EA) responsibilities with programme support activity, enabling the Directors and wider team to operate efficiently. This plays a crucial role in the Strategic Enablement of Programme Teams, by freeing up programme lead’s time to focus on content and strategy by taking charge of operational and coordination responsibilities, becoming a trusted partner in execution. The role requires strong organisational skills, discretion, and a proactive mindset, to contribute to CIFF’s missions

Role’s responsibilities

Programme Coordination & Support

• Operational Backbone for Programme Delivery – Take ownership of key systems (e.g., Flux) and processes that underpin program execution, ensuring smooth functioning, timely updates, and minimal exceptions. Assist in tracking programme milestones, deliverables, and reporting timelines using tools, budget trackers, and portfolio dashboards.
• Support on Grants & Partner Management - Support grant management processes including documentation, data entry, coordination with programme teams, milestone tracking, partner follow-ups, and ensuring timely disbursements, acting as a central point of accountability.
• Internal & External Coordination Leadership - Moves beyond scheduling to actively drive coordination: setting agendas, ensuring follow-through on action items, and maintaining momentum across internal teams and external partners. Manage basic communications and acknowledgements with Grantees and Partners and act as the first point of contact for external requests to partner with CIFF, to ensure these are dealt with in a professional and timely way. Support the India Directors in coordination, documentation and professional presentation of outputs from discussions where needed.
• Ecosystem Engagement Support - Play a proactive role in managing relationships and rhythms with ecosystem partners, facilitating regular touchpoints, curating discussions, and ensuring alignment.
• Documentation - Contribute to programme-related research, synthesis of notes, and preparation of briefing materials and support senior colleagues in the development of board reports, investment summaries, and programme documentation to a high standard.

Executive & Administrative Support

• Act as the central point of contact for India Directors in their relationships with internal teams, grantees, partners, and peer organisations.
• Manage complex calendars, ensuring strategic prioritisation of meetings and engagements.
• Coordinate domestic and international travel working with the travel spoc for travel documentation including visas, flights, accommodation, and ground transport for the respective Directors and support team travel when required.
• Plan and execute internal and external meetings, workshops, and team offsites.
• Undertake projects that support the Foundation’s agenda.
• Support Directors with meeting preparation, including agenda setting, document collation, and follow-ups.
• Work as a team with other EAs including assisting with high workloads and when there are absences.
• Support HR in onboarding new team members including coordinating interviews and on-boarding plans and induction.

Membership of the team

• This role does not hold line management responsibility, but we expect all employees to demonstrate good leadership behaviours; this includes adopting a coaching approach with colleagues to help build skills, confidence and capability in particular areas, processes or procedures.
• We operate a matrix structure so reporting lines can vary between specific aspects of the role.