Director of Operations

Fortify Health plans to expand its programs significantly, reaching further groups of India’s population. The Director of Operations will play a vital role in this stage of Fortify Health’s development, laying the foundations for Fortify Health’s growth and ensuring that the organisation scales sustainably. The Director will be responsible for leading, implementing and innovating on Fortify Health’s operational and administrative processes, and managing the operations teams. Their focus areas will predominantly be human resources, operational stakeholder relationship management, information management, and legal compliance. The Director will also assist with procurement, finance and donor finance reporting, but those aspects will not form the core of the Director’s role, particularly in the longer term.

The Director of Operations will ideally have a background in people operations, with administration and logistics experience. They will also have experience of project management, line management, and setting/communicating clear goals for their team.

Responsibilities and activities

1. Develop and maintain a high performing team with a strong team culture
   1. Developing a culture throughout the department of: frequent feedback, high-quality performance reviews and an inclusive team culture.
   2. Provide guidance and mentorship to each team member within the Operations team to ensure their growth and continued development
   3. Clarify roles and responsibilities, and establish clear ways of working in the team that promote efficiency and wellbeing of team members
   4. Manage the work allocation, training and performance evaluation processes for direct reports in the operations team
2. Develop strategic plans for the Operations team and lead the team in executing those plans
   1. Develop and operationalise targets for the operations team with the COO and communicate those targets to the operations team and wider organisation
   2. Lead quarterly reflections of progress and provide necessary updates to the Sr. Leadership team
   3. Monitor implementation of the Ops strategic plan, and make adaptations as required in concert with the COO.
   4. Proactively identify any challenges within their department and then come to COO with a range of solutions, pros / cons of those solutions and a recommended approach
3. Oversee and guide all aspects of the Operation teams work
   1. Ensure all outputs coming from different teams meet the standard expectations of quality and attention to detail.
   2. Provide a detailed review and approvals of key decisions coming out of the HR, Admin and Finance teams
   3. Ensure all departmental trackers are updated and provide any necessary updates and information to the COO as requested
   4. Manage Departmental Budgets including a monthly review of expenditure, 6 monthly budget refreshes and annual budget preparation activities
   5. Provide leadership on all matters relating to Hiring or HR matters pertaining to the Operations team
4. Oversee Fortify Health’s HR and hiring processes and manage any changes to those processes
   1. Develop a HR and hiring strategy that caters for Fortify Health’s current and future needs
   2. Monitor, adapt and implement all of Fortify Health’s key HR systems, including for Hiring, Performance Evaluations, On-boarding, Off-boarding, Contracting and more
   3. Work with team mates across Fortify Health to ensure that HR systems are understood, valued and implemented
   4. Lead the ongoing development of Fortify Health’s operational manual and ensure that all Operations HR Policies are easily accessible
5. Work with the executive team to design and adapt the legal structure of Fortify Health and ensure that Fortify Health complies with applicable laws and regulations
   1. Assist or oversee others to complete NGO registrations where necessary
   2. Work with internal stakeholders and external advisors to ensure that Fortify Health complies with the requirements of its registrations or licences
6. Oversee procurement within Fortify Health to ensure that Fortify Health’s programmatic teams have the equipment and materials they need
   1. Set the organisation’s procurement policy and SOPs with regards to supply chain and equipments
   2. Oversee procurement and supply chain needs with support from Operations team members and inputs from the Programmes team
   3. Oversee Fortify Health’s office management for the current and future Fortify Health offices
7. Help the Finance team to operate FH’s finance and accounting systems, making changes where appropriate
   1. Monitor, oversee and optimise Fortify Health’s cash flow and projected expenditure through its different entities with the COO and Finance team
   2. Working with the COO to support the rest of the leadership team to develop budgets, monitor progress against those budgets and advise on mitigating actions

Please note that this job description is a guide to the work you will initially be required to undertake, but does not cover all of the duties the post holder may have to perform. Responsibilities will evolve over time, in discussion with the COO.

Skills, Knowledge and Expertise

Requirements

1. At least 6-8 years experience working in a management role in human resources, operations or logistics
2. Emotional intelligence and communication skills: You will need to work closely with a range of people across Fortify Health, explaining policies and processes in a way which is sensitive, patient and tailored to the audience
3. Organisation, pro-activity and independence: You will manage multiple projects at once, balancing multiple competing priorities. You will drive projects forward independently with limited direction
4. Attention to detail: You will monitor the work of others to identify any mistakes and ensure that key documents are high quality, even within tight deadlines
5. Analytical skills: The Director will process and analyse new information quickly to make well-informed decisions, taking into account Fortify Health’s activities and mission
6. Fluency in English
7. Ability (and the right) to work in a country in a timezone that is the same as or between GMT and IST, although we have a strong preference for a candidate who will be based in India

Desirable attributes

1. Experience working in India or with teams based in India
2. Experience working in the development sector or in a growing startup
3. Systems thinking: An ability to think holistically about Fortify Health’s systems, and how to improve those systems
4. An understanding of impact measurement and the principles of effective altruism
5. Knowledge of NGO regulations and compliance, ideally in a US or India context
6. Proficiency in Hindi

Benefits

1. Strategic Role in Organisational Growth
   1. The DOO will play a pivotal role in shaping how Fortify Health scales over the next few years, building and improving systems and processes to support sustainable, high-impact growth across India.
2. Ownership of Core Operations
   1. The role offers significant autonomy to lead and innovate across HR, compliance, information management, and stakeholder coordination — ideal for a systems thinker who enjoys building from the ground up.
3. People-Centered Leadership
   1. With an emphasis on people operations, this role is a strong match for someone with HR, team management, and project coordination experience, who thrives in mission-driven work environments.
4. High-Trust, Remote-First Culture
   1. Fortify Health offers flexible, remote-first working, empowering leaders to drive change while working collaboratively with diverse, international teams.
5. Real-World Public Health Impact
   1. The DOO will directly support the infrastructure behind Fortify Health’s work to combat iron deficiency — making this a uniquely impactful leadership opportunity in global health.
6. Career growth and learning
   1. Fortify Health invests actively in team development. The DOO will benefit from personalised learning opportunities and mentorship while expanding leadership capabilities.

Compensation: INR 324,106 per month (includes TDS, but excludes GST)