The Cardiovascular Health (CVH) unit at RTSL provides technical assistance in developing cardiovascular disease prevention programs to help countries improve their people's heart health. Working with our partners to improve the control of high blood pressure, reduce salt intake, and eliminate transfat from the global food supply, the CVH team has helped save countless lives from cardiovascular disease.

Position Purpose

The goal of RTSL India is to prevent premature mortality from stroke and heart attack by improving blood pressure control to at least 50% at the community level. The Technical Director at RTSL India provides strategic and technical leadership to the organization’s growing cardiovascular health (CVH) portfolio to achieve this ambitious goal. Reporting to the Executive Director, the Technical Director is responsible for advancing the implementation and scale-up of India’s national hypertension and diabetes control program, leading RTSL’s support to the Government of India and subnational health systems, and spearheading thought leadership, innovation, and private-sector engagement. The Technical Director will also collaborate closely with and receive technical guidance from RTSL’s Global Hypertension Director.

This position demands strong technical leadership, relationship-building with national and state-level stakeholders, and effective management of a multidisciplinary technical team. It also requires the ability to synthesize learnings from implementation to influence national policy and adapt emerging global CVH strategies to the Indian context.

Core Duties and Responsibilities

Technical and Strategic Program Leadership

• Provide strategic and technical leadership to guide the design, high quality implementation and national scale-up of CVH programming, with a focus on hypertension and diabetes management across public and private health systems.

• Apply a forward-looking, innovation-driven approach, incorporating combination pills, updated treatment regimens, and digital adherence tools to improve blood pressure control.

• Provide technical oversight for all hypertension programming and advocacy efforts, including review and refinement of technical content and communication products developed by RTSL India and partners.

Team Management and Talent Development

• Lead and manage a high-performing technical team, providing oversight for program development, data analysis, policy briefs, and supply chain planning.

• Promote a culture of collaboration, feedback, and professional growth within the team.

• Oversee recruitment, performance management, and succession planning for technical roles.

• Provide strategic and technical inputs to RTSL India’s communications and strategic partnership efforts by working with the Communications Manager and Strategic Partnerships Advisor on the development of high-quality knowledge products, donor proposals, and reporting deliverables.

Government & Stakeholder Engagement

• Lead and sustain strategic relationships with the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (MoHFW) and allied central government institutions, providing trusted technical counsel, supporting policy formulation, and aligning RTSL’s CVH priorities with national health agendas.

• Proactively engage with senior ministry leadership to translate implementation evidence into policy decisions, guidelines, and national program refinements.

• Serve as the primary technical liaison to MOHFW, state NCD cells, WHO India, ICMR, and other key stakeholders.

• Navigate complex institutional landscapes using strong relationship-building and influencing skills.

• Represent RTSL India in national and international forums, donor meetings, and technical working groups.

Implementation Oversight and Program Learning

• Support partners and government counterparts to ensure quality implementation of the 5-pillar hypertension control strategy.

• Conduct regular field visits for supervision, mentoring, and real-time performance feedback.

• Address operational bottlenecks through timely, solution-oriented course correction.

Innovation, Evidence Generation & Thought Leadership

• Foster a learning culture across RTSL and its partners, driving operations research and cross-state knowledge sharing.

• Document and disseminate successful models and innovations through global platforms and publications.

• Lead and contribute to high-quality operations research, scientific writing, including peer-reviewed manuscripts, technical reports, policy briefs, and evidence summaries, translating program data and research findings into credible publications and policy-relevant outputs.

• Collaborate with RTSL’s global CVH team to adapt and contextualize emerging strategies and share India’s experiences globally.

Program Management & Resource Alignment

• Ensure strong alignment between technical priorities, donor expectations, and RTSL India’s strategic direction.

• Provide inputs for grant proposals, budgets, donor reports, and strategic reviews.

• Participate in senior management decision-making to guide institutional growth and performance.

Qualifications

Education

• Medical degree (e.g., MBBS or MD) – required.

• MPH or related degree in public health, epidemiology, or management – strongly preferred.

Experience

• At least 15 years of progressive experience in public health program design, implementation, and leadership.

• Proven experience managing government partnerships, multisectoral programs, and national-level public health efforts.

• Technical expertise in hypertension and cardiovascular disease control preferred; experience in NCDs, health systems, or strategic purchasing also relevant.

Skills & Attributes

• Strong technical, analytical, and strategic planning skills.

• Excellent leadership, people management, and team-building skills.

• Demonstrated ability to navigate political situations and maximise and leverage relationships to achieve program goals.

• Exceptional communication skills – written and verbal.

• High emotional intelligence and ability to work across diverse settings.

• Ability to manage multiple priorities under pressure.

Other

• Willingness to travel up to 20% within India and occasionally internationally.

• Language: Fluent in English and Hindi; knowledge of other regional languages preferred.

Compensation and Benefits

Resolve to Save Lives prides itself on cultivating a supportive, connected remote team doing work that matters. We do everything possible to ensure our employees are connected and set up for success.

The salary for this role is competitive and set according to national labor rates for the NGO sector in India. The exact offer will be determined by various factors, such as the candidate’s skills and experience relative to the requirements of the role.

In addition to a competitive salary, Resolve to Save Lives provides a generous package of benefits, including:

• Health insurance for you and your dependents

• Contributions toward retirement

• Paid annual leave and sick leave, in addition to public holidays

• Two paid, week-long organization-wide breaks at mid-year and end-of-year

• Professional development and home office setup benefits

• Up-to-date computer equipment

RTSL accepts and reviews applications on an ongoing basis. We are grateful for your interest in our work and for your application. Unfortunately, due to the volume of applications, we are unable to respond to every applicant. Someone from our talent team will contact you if your qualifications match the role.