Looking for a Technology Lead to vision and execute a societal platform for water

You are looking at a unique opportunity where technology and domain expertise can come together to create powerful demonstrable use cases for water solutions at scale. 

Arghyam has been focused on safe and sustainable water for the last 13 years. It has three focus areas in water – groundwater, springs and water quality. All the 3 areas have built up momentum and created significant impact. But the need is to do much, much more - quicker, cheaper and better. 

If you are motivated by new learning and new technology and have a deep desire to break into the world of social justice and create impact for many million vulnerable and marginal citizens of India please write in with your interest and resume to jobs@arghyam.org immediately but not later than 31 Mar 2018.

This will be a lifetime opportunity for a passionate technologist and platform builder with the following skills, experience and aptitude:

• 15-20 years in building Internet scale, data driven, API based, cloud native platforms built on open source.
• Strong understanding and reasonable experience with technologies such as Linux, Java, Javascript, SQL and No-SQL databases, Kafka, Docker, Elastic Search, Web and mobile apps, Git, DevOps, test/process automation, etc.
• Embraces challenges, willing to be guided, and takes complete ownership for delivering the technology platform.
• Ready to coach, manage, mentor, and guide the team towards the larger goal.
• Innovator and entrepreneurial but comfortable working solo or in a small team
• Engages with partners to understand platform needs and translates these needs into executable solutions.
• Aids with driving the program 
• Solves resourcing needs with minimal full-time staff and using third party staff augmentation
• Establishes strong relationships with key internal stakeholders, partners (NGOs etc.), and other technology and non-technology stakeholders 
• Establishes the technical direction for the team, working closely with implementation and support partners

Here is an example of the need and the impact you can make. Arghyam’s Water Quality journey started some five years ago with the seeding of 2 networks of organizations to solve for 2 of the biggest chemical contaminants affecting India’s drinking water security – Arsenic and Fluoride. Between them, we could argue that half of India’s population is “at risk”. We have seen significant success in the last five years with many individuals and institutions emerging and forging partnerships that have successfully translated to safer water for many people on the ground. However there are many still left out.

The question is simple. How can solutions for Fluoride mitigation that has worked for say 500 people in a particular village be made accessible to all the other 55 million people who are vulnerable to Fluorosis? 

From the places where the interventions have worked, we are able to abstract some common processes. In all cases, we need data on the water sources – where is the drinking water coming from, what levels of fluoride does it have, what alternative water sources exist, who are the people dependent on this water, who are the people already affected, what are the protocols for treating those affected and preventing others from being affected. 

So collection and layering of this data, creating modules for treatment and prevention protocols and creating user interfaces with apps and dashboards for the last mile- water champions, health workers, doctors, Govt officials etc who will use this data and modules for decision making and implementation are seen as a big enabler and catalyzer for faster and better action.

We believe this will need the help of current technology. Infrastructure and tools that can “un scarce” resources- like for example, enabling easier collection of near real time granular water data that when analyzed and visualized using Artificial Intelligence and advanced data analytics can significantly cut the time to diagnose issues as well as monitor progress of appropriate solutions.

Thus, we are looking to launch a Societal Platform for water. This is a revolutionary new approach, disrupting the way we think about how social welfare organizations bring about change. The big thinkers, and the best minds are coming together to transform the way change can happen in social sector. This is the beginning of a transformational journey and you now have a chance to actively shape its evolution. 

Arghyam has chosen to make this investment because we feel the time is now. Coupled with Arghyam’s active experience in water for the past 13 years is the fact that there is a rich, multi-sectoral technology eco-system that is already in existence and is scaling societal platforms in education, health, nutrition making this moment in time ripe and ready for disruptive solutions in water.