Position Title
Assistant to General Secretary
Status
Full Time
Location
National Headquarters, New Delhi
Reports To
National General Secretary (NGS)
Relationship to Staff
· Works parallel to the National Administrative Officer, Administrative Secretary and other departments
· Coordinates as required but does not supervise unless responsibility is allocated
Working Hours
9:30 am – 5:30 pm, Monday to Friday (alternate Saturdays working). Additional hours as required for meetings, events and travel.
Nature of the Role
The Assistant General Secretary (AGS) is a generalist leadership development position created to build the next generation of senior leadership within the YWCA of India. The AGS works directly alongside the National General Secretary, taking on delegated responsibilities across governance, programme, member association management and external representation as assigned.
The AGS functions as an understudy to the NGS: working along with the breadth NGS’s responsibilities through delegated work. She carries her own portfolio of delegated responsibilities along with the other delegated work. The role is intentionally generalist: the work she handles will follow what the NGS is working on at any given time.
Core Responsibilities
1. Governance & Institutional Management
- Assist the NGS in managing the governance of the organisation, including National Executive, National Board, and Committee meetings which shall include minutes drafting, coordinating, dissemination of decisions and ensuring that action is taken on all points.
- Draft governance correspondence, NEC circulars, constitutional clarifications and formal communications to Member Associations as delegated.
- Track compliance matters, follow up on pending action points and monitor responses from Member Associations.
- Represent the NGS in internal governance processes, working groups and committee meetings when delegated to do so.
- Support the NGS in managing sensitive governance matters including disputes, complaints and constitutional issues as they arise by preparing case studies, consolidate information and create database for the organization.
2. Programme Oversight & Coordination
- Work across programme departments on specific projects/programmes as delegated by the NGS, providing coordination, follow-up and liaison support.
- Monitor programme implementation, gather progress updates and compile reports for the NGS.
- Support campaigns, advocacy initiatives and special events organised by the National Office.
- Liaise with project staff and Member Associations on programme matters under the NGS’s direction.
3. Member Association Liaison
- Serve as a first-level point of contact for Member Associations on matters delegated by the NGS.
- Draft responses to queries, correspondence and concerns from Member Associations for the NGS’s review and approval.
- Follow up on compliance, reporting and communication requirements with Member Associations.
- Support regional coordination with Vice Presidents and regional teams as required.
4. External Representation & Advocacy
- Represent the YWCA of India at external meetings, consultations, coalitions and events when delegated by the NGS.
- Support the NGS in preparing for external engagements drafting talking points, background notes, briefings and statements for the National Leadership.
- Contribute to advocacy campaigns, public communications and position papers as assigned.
- Assist in managing relationships with partner organizations, government bodies and World YWCA.
5. Research, Writing & Documentation
- Undertake research and prepare background notes, policy briefs and discussion papers to support the National Leadership’s work.
- Draft reports, articles, speeches, social media content and other written materials on behalf of the NGS as required.
- Document proceedings, decisions and outcomes of key meetings attended as the NGS’s representative.
6. Deputizing for the NGS
- Step in for the NGS at meetings, events and engagements when she is unavailable, with appropriate briefing and authority.
- Handle time-sensitive matters on the NGS’s behalf when she is travelling or otherwise engaged with due approval.
- Keep the NGS informed of developments and decisions taken during periods of deputizing.
7. Working between Departments
- Working with departments and getting updates to support with the functioning of the organization.
- Co-ordinate to get the reports and arrange interdepartmental meetings regularly.
- Manage and ensure that due approvals from committees and through NGS the NEC approvals on EoIs, contracts, agreements, lease updates along with the updates from the admin and projects.
Person Specification
Education:
- Postgraduate degree in Social Work, Development Studies, Management, Public Policy, Law, or a related discipline. Exceptional graduates with demonstrable leadership experience will be considered.
Experience
- 2–5 years of work experience in the development, civil society or public policy sector. Early-career candidates with strong demonstrated potential will be considered.
- Experience working with NGOs, women’s organisations, advocacy bodies or institutional governance settings is an advantage.
- Exposure to governance, policy drafting or organisational management is desirable but not essential.
Skills & Competencies
- Excellent written and spoken English; ability to draft formal correspondence, reports and governance documents with precision and clarity.
- Strong analytical and research skills; able to synthesise information and produce concise, well-argued written outputs.
- Comfortable working in a fast-moving, generalist environment where priorities shift and tasks are varied.
- Confident in representing the organisation in external settings with appropriate professionalism.
- Proficiency in MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and standard digital communication tools.
- Knowledge of Hindi is an advantage.
Personal Attributes
- Deep commitment to feminist values and the mission of the YWCA, with an understanding of issues affecting women and girls in India.
- High degree of discretion, integrity and judgement : able to handle sensitive governance and personnel matters with confidentiality.
- Intellectual curiosity and a genuine interest in learning the full scope of NGO leadership.
- Self-motivated, proactive and able to take initiative without waiting to be directed.
- Willingness to travel within India and, where required, internationally.
- A team player who can also work independently when required.
Terms of Appointment
- Reports to: National General Secretary.
- Salary: To be commensurate with experience, per organizational scale.
- Appointment: Duration / nature of appointment to be confirmed.
- Travel: Within India as required; international travel may be required for World YWCA or advocacy engagements.
- ·This position is suited to a young professional with high potential who is committed to the feminist values and movement work of the YWCA, and who aspires to senior leadership in the development or civil society sector.
Pay: ₹38,000.00 - ₹40,000.00 per month
Benefits:
Work Location: In person
