Program Officer - Panipat

Jhpiego is an international, non-profit health organization and an affiliate of Johns Hopkins University, dedicated to improving the health of women and families in developing countries. For over 50 years, it has focused on providing high-quality, low-cost health care solutions, training health workers, and strengthening health systems.

Jhpiego has been working in India since the 1980s in close partnership with national and state governments. With deep technical expertise and strong on-the-ground execution, Jhpiego helps design, test, and scale practical solutions and innovations that fit real-world systems. Jhpiego currently works in over 14 states of India, focusing on women’s health — including maternal, reproductive, and women’s cancers — and provides technical assistance to governments on health systems, human resources, quality of care, health surveillance, digital health, and primary health care.

About the Program

SAAKSHI (Strengthening Access to Affordable and Quality Healthcare for Worker Communities through Awareness, Prevention, and Public Health Linkages) is a three-year initiative supported by the H&M Foundation, working in Panipat’s textile recycling ecosystem. The project will strengthen health, hygiene, and workforce stability for 1,500 migrant workers and their families by establishing integrated, community-owned primary healthcare access systems; strengthening preventive and occupational health practices at the workplace and in the community; and driving behavior change and facilitation support to increase uptake of Government health and social protection schemes, including PM-JAY and ESIC.

The project is organized around three sub-goals: (1) improving sustained access to preventive, occupational, and primary healthcare; (2) enabling behavior change and community ownership for long-term outcomes; and (3) strengthening local systems, governance, and frontline capacity to sustain impact.

About the Position

The Program Officer will hold overall responsibility for project deliverables at the city level in Panipat, driving on-ground implementation of health access, behavior change, and system-strengthening activities for migrant worker communities in the textile recycling ecosystem. The incumbent will lead advocacy and liaison with city-level government officials, health facilities, employers, and other stakeholders, and will coordinate closely with the Program Coordinator and community-level cadres to ensure timely and quality delivery of project activities. The incumbent will report to the State Program officer.

• Lead day-to-day implementation of project activities in Panipat, ensuring achievement of sub-goals related to healthcare access, behavior change, and system strengthening for migrant worker communities.
• Undertake advocacy and liaison with city government officials, public health facilities, PM-JAY/ESIC administrators, and other local stakeholders to facilitate coordinated action and institutional support for project activities.
• Support health risk and service mapping at the workplace and community level, including eligibility audits for ESIC and Ayushman Bharat PM-JAY.
• Facilitate community mobilization, health camps, occupational health screenings, and enrolment drives, and support structured referral pathways for early identification and management of health issues.
• Identify, engage, and support the capacity building of community and peer champions, frontline health workers, and outreach cadres to drive local ownership and sustained behavior change.
• Support the establishment and functioning of factory health and safety committees to strengthen workplace health and safety systems in recycling units.
• Coordinate with public health facilities, empaneled service providers, local NGOs, and community-based organizations to support effective and timely implementation of project activities.
• Support planning, monitoring, documentation, and reporting of project activities, including inputs to quarterly progress reports, learning briefs, and case studies.
• Contribute to programme learning and adaptive management by identifying implementation bottlenecks, documenting what works, and sharing insights with the State Program Officer and MEL Officer.
• Ensure gender and equity considerations, including prioritization of women workers and marginalized groups, are reflected in outreach, delivery, and reporting.
• Perform any other duties assigned by the supervisor.

Qualifications and Experience

• Graduate in Public Health, Social Work, Health Administration, or a related field; a Master’s degree is desirable.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in implementing community health, occupational health, or social protection programmes, preferably with migrant worker or informal-sector communities.
• Demonstrated experience in stakeholder engagement, government liaison, and coordination with public health systems and schemes such as PM-JAY and ESIC.
• Strong understanding of community mobilization and behavior change approaches; experience working with peer champions or frontline health cadres is an advantage.
• Prior experience working in Panipat or with textile/recycling sector worker communities will be desirable.

Skills and Competencies

• Strong coordination and communication skills for engagement with government counterparts, employers, and community stakeholders.
• Excellent documentation, reporting, and data management capabilities.
• Demonstrated skills in community mobilization, problem-solving, and multi-stakeholder engagement.
• Proficiency in MS Office and digital communication tools; familiarity with digital health or MIS tools is an added advantage.
• Strong organizational and multitasking abilities, with effective written and verbal communication skills in English and Hindi.
• Ability to work under tight deadlines, manage competing priorities, and adapt to evolving project needs.
• Proven capacity to build and maintain productive working relationships with government agencies, technical partners, and community-based organizations.
• Ability to work collaboratively with diverse technical teams.
• Sensitivity to gender and equity considerations while working with migrant and marginalized worker communities.
• Flexibility to handle a wide range of tasks and willingness to travel extensively within Panipat and, occasionally, to state-level meetings.

Jhpiego is an equal opportunity employer and offers a highly dynamic and enabling work environment.

Jhpiego offers competitive salaries and a comprehensive employee benefits package. Women candidates will be preferred.

Due to high volume of applications, only shortlisted applicants will receive a response from Jhpiego HR