CSR and development professional
Also called: CSR manager, Programme officer
Plans and runs programmes for education, health, livelihoods and the environment.
What the work is
Development professionals design, run and measure programmes that improve lives: schooling, health, women's livelihoods, water, climate and more. They work in NGOs, foundations, international agencies and company CSR teams. Under Indian law, larger companies must spend on CSR, which has created many roles.
Roles include programme officer, monitoring and evaluation analyst, fundraising and partnerships, and CSR manager.
A typical week
- Plan and run programmes with partners
- Visit field sites
- Measure results and write reports
- Manage budgets and donors
It suits people who
- Want their work to have social impact
- Are organised and practical
- Work well with communities and companies
Your path to get there
School (Class 8-10)
- Any stream; volunteer
Class 11-12
- Any degree; Social Work, Economics, Sociology are common
College or fresher
- Take fellowships like Teach For India or Gandhi Fellowship
- Do an MA Development Studies, MSW or rural management (IRMA)
Working or switching
- Corporate professionals move into CSR and NGO management with their business skills
- Start with a skills refresh of 6 to 12 weeks: one short course and one TalentMeter assessment to show where you stand today.
- Use returnship and second-career programmes; many large employers in India run them for people back after a break.
- Explain the gap in one honest line on your CV and LinkedIn, and list what you did in it (caregiving, freelancing, courses, volunteering).
- Contract, part-time and freelance roles are a common way back in; they turn into full-time offers often.
Exams and certifications
| Name | What it is for | When |
|---|---|---|
| TISSNET and IRMASAT | Development and rural management degrees | Once a year |
| Development fellowships | Field experience | Yearly cycles |
Exam names, eligibility and dates change. Always check the official website for this year's notice.
Job market
Job titles to search
Who hires
Where the jobs are
These buttons open a live search for "Programme officer" on each job site. TalentMeter does not list or vouch for the jobs there.
Know which careers fit you
Create a free account, take the Compass career assessment for your stage, and every cluster and career here will show how well it fits you.