Position| COOWork Location | LucknowReports to: CEO/ FounderOrganisation:Medha better prepares youth for life after school. Our combination of 21st-century skills training, career counseling, and alumni support propels young people onto rewarding career paths of their choice. Since 2011, we have improved workplace engagement, income growth, and female labor force participationfor over 200,000 students across more than 1,000 educational institutions. Today, we are partnering with multiple state governments to bring our programming and approach to millions more. We are supported by leading corporations and global foundations such as JP Morgan, Mulago, and Axis Bank Foundation; and have received numerous awards and recognitions for our work.Where does this role fit in the big picture?The COO is a dedicated leader ready to drive change, guide teams, and deliver impactful results. As part of the senior leadership team, you shall support and complement the CEO in building institutional credibility, strengthening programme delivery and supporting fundraising efforts, when necessary. This role offers an opportunity to be the backbone of an organization working across HR, Finance, Administration, and Internal Controls.What would you be responsible for:Financial Management- Create financial strategy, ensuring transparency, sustainability, and efficiency in all financial operations. - Oversee budgeting, forecasting, and fund utilization; track financial metrics and cash flows for informed decision-making. - Maintain meticulous documentation and liaise with auditors, funders, and stakeholders to ensure compliance. - Identify potential risks and develop strategies to mitigate them.Admin, Legal & Regulatory- Manage governance processes, including board meetings, regulatory filings, and legal compliance to uphold organizational integrity. - Create cost-effective procurement strategies, ensuring smooth operations and facility management across all office locations. - Oversee organizational compliance with policies, government regulations, and donor requirements while proactively identifying and mitigating risks. - Lead & coordinate audits to ensure transparency and accountability in all operational practices.People & Culture Leadership- Oversee recruitment strategies to attract and hire top talent, ensuring alignment with organizational needs and culture. - Supervise payroll, benefits, compliance, and employee records with adherence to policies and labor laws. - Work closely with L&D to build employee capabilities, promote professional growth, foster continuous learning, and measure the effectiveness of L&D initiatives. - Promote well-being, engagement, and an inclusive, high-performing workplace culture.Strategic Leadership & Organizational Development- Work with the CEO to develop and execute strategic plans that drive organizational growth and impact. - Set up a communication and knowledge transfer process between the departments and ensure collaboration among them. - Translate high level strategies into operational plans ensuring alignment across departments focusing on organisational goals. - Foster a culture of innovation, inclusivity, and high performance across the organization.Who we are looking for:- Strategic Leadership: Ability to design and execute organizational strategies that drive growth, operational efficiency, and long-term impact. - Operational Expertise: Proficiency in managing cross-functional operations, including HR, Finance, Compliance, and Administration, with a focus on scalability and excellence. - Risk & Compliance Acumen: Strong capability to identify, mitigate, and manage risks while ensuring adherence to regulatory and governance standards. - Financial & Analytical Skills: Expertise in budgeting, forecasting, and financial management with data-driven decision-making. - Collaboration & Influence: Exceptional interpersonal skills to foster relationships, build consensus, and inspire high-performing teams across diverse functions.Whom will you work with:These are some people you will closely be working with as members of Data & Impact and the Leadership team. The descriptions indicate the peer’s & team member’s ‘superpower,’ not their designation :)- Co-founder, changemaker, shaking up the status quo: Christopher Turillo - Natural leader and chaos tamer: Shubhra Gupta - Connector, problem-solver, and architect of scalable impact: Saurabh Rai - Innovative finance partner for precise budgeting, reporting & grant management: Syed AfzalMahmoodIf this role interests you, please share your CV resume@All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, pregnancy, disability, age, veteran status, or other characteristics. Medha complies with all fair employment practices.
Job Title
Chief Operating Officer