General Manager

Company Description

Neonates Foundation of India (NFI) is a Section 8 non-profit organisation registered under the Companies Act, committed to reducing neonatal mortality and morbidity in underserved communities across India. Through evidence-based programs, community outreach, and advocacy, NFI works to ensure that underprivileged newborns receive equitable, dignified, and life-saving care from the very first breath.

Role Description

The General Manager (GM) is a senior leadership role responsible for providing strategic and operational oversight across NFI's core functions, including programs, institutional growth, donor engagement, operations, governance, and team leadership.

The GM will work closely with functional teams, external partners, consultants, and leadership to ensure effective execution, operational excellence, and alignment with the organisation's strategic priorities. This role requires a strong leader who can drive cross-functional coordination, strengthen systems and processes, support organisational growth, and foster a collaborative, accountable work culture.

This is an opportunity to help shape the operational and institutional growth of a mission-driven organisation at an important stage of expansion.

Qualifications

Essential

· Postgraduate degree in Social Work, Development Studies, Public Health, Management, or a related field.

· Minimum 15 years of progressive experience in the development/non-profit sector, with at least 3 years in a senior leadership or operations role.

· Strong experience in organisational operations, program oversight, stakeholder engagement, and team management.

· Demonstrated exposure to fundraising, donor engagement, and institutional partnerships.

· Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English; proficiency in Hindi or a regional language is an advantage.

· Experience managing cross-functional teams and working in collaborative environments.

Desirable

· Prior experience in maternal and child health, neonatology, or public health programs.

· Familiarity with NGO compliance frameworks including FCRA and governance standards in India.

· Experience working with CSR partnerships, foundations, or healthcare ecosystems.

· Strong digital and systems orientation, including familiarity with CRM or project management tools.

Core Competencies

· Strategic Thinking & Operational Leadership

· Stakeholder & Donor Engagement

· Institutional Growth & Partnership Building

· Governance & Accountability

· Financial Oversight

· Communication & Relationship Management

· Team Leadership & People Development

· Problem-Solving & Decision-Making

· Collaboration & Cross-Functional Coordination

· Research, Learning & Knowledge Stewardship

· Adaptability & Mission Alignment

Key Responsibilities

1. Strategic & Operational Leadership

· Provide overall operational leadership and ensure alignment between organisational priorities, programs, and support functions.

· Strengthen organisational systems, processes, SOPs, and reporting mechanisms to improve efficiency and accountability.

· Oversee implementation progress across programs and operational functions, ensuring timely delivery and effective coordination.

· Support organisational planning, annual operating plans, and institutional growth initiatives in collaboration with leadership and the Board.

· Identify operational risks, implementation gaps, and process improvements, and guide corrective actions where required.

2. Fundraising & Donor Engagement

·  Lead and execute NFI's fundraising strategy across CSR partnerships, foundations, individual donors, high-net-worth individuals, and institutional grants.

· Build, nurture, and steward strategic relationships with existing and prospective donors, partners, and key stakeholders to strengthen long-term engagement and support.

· Lead the development and review of donor communication materials, concept notes, proposals, presentations, pitch decks, and impact reports to effectively communicate NFI's mission and impact.

· Drive resource mobilisation and partnership development efforts, working closely with the Chief Catalyst/ Director and Board to secure sustainable funding and achieve annual fundraising targets.

· Develop and maintain a robust fundraising pipeline, monitor donor engagement and conversion efforts, and provide regular fundraising performance updates to leadership and the Board.

3. Communications & Brand Management

· Provide strategic oversight for NFI's communications, branding, and visibility initiatives across digital, print, media, and stakeholder engagement channels.

·  Ensure consistency, quality, and alignment of organisational messaging, brand identity, and external communications with NFI's mission, values, and strategic priorities.

· Guide the development and dissemination of communication materials, including impact stories, reports, publications, donor communications, and media content, in collaboration with internal teams and external partners.

· Oversee communication strategies that strengthen stakeholder engagement, donor confidence, public awareness, and NFI's positioning within the healthcare and development sector.

· Build and maintain relationships with communication partners, media outlets, agencies, and consultants to enhance organisational visibility and thought leadership.

4. Events & External Engagement

· Provide strategic direction and oversight for NFI's events, awareness campaigns, donor engagements, field visits, health camps, and flagship organisational events.

· Ensure events and external engagements align with NFI's fundraising, visibility, stakeholder engagement, advocacy, and program objectives.

· Guide internal teams, consultants, and vendors in the planning and execution of events, ensuring quality, efficiency, and effective resource utilisation.

· Leverage events and external platforms to strengthen donor relationships, partnerships, organisational visibility, and stakeholder networks.

· Represent NFI at conferences, sector forums, donor meetings, healthcare platforms, and partner events to enhance the organisation's profile and influence within the neonatal health and development ecosystem.

5. Administration, Governance & Compliance

· Oversee administrative and operational systems including vendor management, procurement, documentation, and organisational coordination processes.

· Ensure compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements including Section 8, FCRA, audit, and governance-related obligations in coordination with relevant specialists and teams.

· Strengthen organisational policies, records management systems, and governance processes as the organisation evolves.

· Coordinate with finance and compliance functions to ensure adherence to approved budgets, operational controls, and reporting requirements.

6. Financial Oversight

· Provide oversight on budgeting, financial planning, expenditure tracking, and financial reporting processes.

· Work closely with the accounts team and external auditors to ensure accurate financial management and timely completion of audits and statutory filings.

· Review budget versus actuals, cash flow updates, and financial reports for leadership decision-making.

· Support the development of grant and project budgets and ensure financial accountability across programs.

· Strengthen internal financial controls and financial governance systems to ensure transparency and compliance.

7. Research, Learning & Program Innovation

· Provide thought leadership for organisational learning, research, and innovation to strengthen NFI's impact and influence in the neonatal health ecosystem.

· Foster a culture of evidence-based programming by ensuring program design, implementation, and decision-making are informed by data, research, field insights, and emerging best practices.

· Guide the development of new program models, pilot initiatives, and innovative approaches in collaboration with medical advisors, program teams, and external partners.

· Identify emerging trends, policy developments, and opportunities within neonatal and maternal-child health that can inform NFI's future direction.

· Build and strengthen partnerships with research institutions, hospitals, universities, and technical experts to advance learning and evidence generation.

· Oversee systems for knowledge management, documentation, and dissemination of organisational learning, ensuring that insights are captured and translated into improved program effectiveness.

· Encourage publication, presentation, and sharing of NFI's learnings, research findings, and program innovations to contribute to sector knowledge and thought leadership.

· Support the development of research agendas, studies, assessments, and evaluation initiatives that help demonstrate impact and inform strategic decision-making.

8. Board & Leadership Engagement

· Coordinate preparation of operational updates, board papers, presentations, and progress reports for Board and leadership reviews.

· Work closely with the Director/Chief Catalyst and Board to translate strategic priorities into operational plans.

· Keep leadership informed of significant operational, financial, programmatic, or reputational developments requiring attention.

9. People & Culture Leadership

· Lead and mentor a multi-functional team across programs, operations, fundraising, and support functions.

· Build a culture of collaboration, accountability, continuous learning, and ownership.

· Support performance management, team development, and organisational capacity-building initiatives.

· Guide recruitment, onboarding, and retention efforts in alignment with organisational growth needs.

·  Act as a culture champion and embed organisational values into ways of working.

What We Offer

· A high-impact leadership role with the opportunity to shape NFI's next phase of growth.

· Competitive compensation benchmarked to the non-profit sector.

· A collaborative and mission-driven work culture.

· Opportunities for learning, networking, and professional growth.