Application Guide
How to Apply for Senior Manager – Programme MIS
at Breakthrough Trust
🏢 About Breakthrough Trust
Breakthrough Trust is a human rights organization working to make violence and discrimination against women and girls unacceptable, with a focus on India. The organization uses innovative campaigns, community mobilization, and strategic partnerships to drive social change, making it unique for its grassroots impact and advocacy approach. Working here offers the chance to contribute directly to gender equality initiatives with measurable social outcomes.
About This Role
As Senior Manager – Programme MIS, you will oversee the Management Information System for multi-state programs, ensuring accurate data collection, analysis, and reporting to track implementation progress and impact. This role is impactful because it directly informs program strategy, donor reporting, and resource allocation, enabling Breakthrough Trust to demonstrate effectiveness and scale its gender equality initiatives across India.
💡 A Day in the Life
A typical day involves reviewing state-level data submissions in MS-Excel or SPSS, updating the Project Implementation Plan (PIP) to track progress, and preparing monthly reports for stakeholders. You might coordinate with state teams to resolve data discrepancies, collaborate with the Resource Mobilization team on donor updates, and document program learnings to inform future strategies.
🚀 Application Tools
🎯 Who Breakthrough Trust Is Looking For
- Has 8–12 years of experience in program MIS, monitoring & evaluation, or data management within the development/NGO sector, preferably on gender or social justice programs.
- Expert in handling large-scale datasets with advanced MS-Excel (e.g., pivot tables, macros) and statistical tools like SPSS, capable of interpreting data to derive actionable insights for program improvement.
- Proven track record in collating progress reports, managing donor reporting, and documenting project learnings, with experience coordinating between central and state-level teams.
- Strong stakeholder management skills to raise concerns and keep Project Implementation Plans (PIPs) on track, ensuring alignment with Breakthrough Trust's mission.
📝 Tips for Applying to Breakthrough Trust
Tailor your resume to highlight specific experience with program MIS in the NGO sector, quantifying achievements like 'managed data for X states' or 'improved reporting efficiency by Y%'.
Include a portfolio or examples of past reports, dashboards, or PIPs you've created, emphasizing how they informed program decisions or donor communications.
Research Breakthrough Trust's current campaigns (e.g., 'Bell Bajao') and mention how your data skills could support their impact measurement in your cover letter.
Demonstrate familiarity with both quantitative (SPSS, Excel) and qualitative analysis, as the role involves interpreting diverse data for program learning.
Highlight any experience with resource mobilization or donor coordination, as the role requires working with the Resource Mobilization team on reporting.
✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter
['Explain how your 8–12 years of experience align with managing state-level program data and MIS for gender-focused initiatives, referencing specific tools like SPSS or advanced Excel.', 'Describe a past project where you collated progress reports or maintained a PIP, emphasizing how it kept programs on track and raised stakeholder concerns effectively.', "Connect your skills to Breakthrough Trust's mission by suggesting how your data interpretation could enhance their program implementation or donor reporting.", 'Mention your ability to coordinate between central and state teams, as the role involves monthly collection and presentation of progress reports from all states.']
Generate Cover Letter →🔍 Research Before Applying
To stand out, make sure you've researched:
- → Explore Breakthrough Trust's key programs and campaigns (e.g., their work on gender-based violence or adolescent girls) to understand their implementation scope across India.
- → Review their annual reports or donor updates online to identify how they currently use data and reporting, noting gaps your role could address.
- → Learn about their partnerships and funding sources to grasp the donor reporting requirements mentioned in the job description.
- → Study India's social development landscape, especially gender issues, to contextualize how MIS supports Breakthrough Trust's advocacy goals.
💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics
Based on this role, you may be asked about:
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Submitting a generic application without mentioning Breakthrough Trust's focus on gender equality or how your experience relates to NGO program MIS.
- Overemphasizing technical data skills without examples of applying them in program contexts, such as report collation or stakeholder coordination.
- Failing to address the requirement for 8–12 years of similar work experience, or not detailing specific achievements in handling large-scale datasets or donor reporting.
📅 Application Timeline
This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.
Typical hiring timeline:
Application Review
1-2 weeks
Initial Screening
Phone call or written assessment
Interviews
1-2 rounds, usually virtual
Offer
Congratulations!
Ready to Apply?
Good luck with your application to Breakthrough Trust!