Pooja Moitra

About the Candidate

•       Program officer, experienced in project management and end-to-end program coordination.

•       Successful track record of working on a wide range of social issues involving diverse communities and age groups.

•       Experienced in working on multiple initiatives with international organizations including Asia Pacific Research Network, United Nations Food Systems Summit (UNFSS), World Forum of Fish Harvesters and Fish Workers (WFF), Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC).

EDUCATION

Calcutta University, Department of Anthropology
Kolkata, India
Master of Science, Human Rights

• Passed with First Class

June 2015 – Sep 2017
Calcutta University, Department of Zoology
Kolkata, India
Bachelor of Science, Zoology

• Passed with First Class

June 2012 – June 2015
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Institute for Motivating Self Employment                                                                                           Kolkata, India

Program Officer                                                                                                                         Dec 2017 – Aug 2023

•       Responsible for monitoring, evaluation and learning activities for three European Union and IFAD funded projects empowering 100,000 small scale farmers and fishers. The projects focused on policy advocacy, capacity building, knowledge management and ensuring sustainability.

•       Responsible for coordinating collection of gender disaggregated data from the communities, performing in depth data analysis, implementation of project work plan and ensuring effective  project outcome.

•       Responsible for supervising and recruiting staffs for several government funded projects including trainings funded by the Integrated Child Development Scheme (ICDS) to address the challenge of providing pre-school education and breaking the vicious cycle of malnutrition, morbidity, reduced learning capacity and mortality.

•       Responsible for supervising the pre-primary schools run by the organization. Planning academic programs, hiring and managing staff, monitoring student progress, regular meetings with students’ parents for feedback and suggestions and balancing school budgets.

•       Represented the organization on more than 5 international platforms and delivering presentation on the organization’s current projects and philanthropic activities globally.

•       Executed the orchestration of 3 international seminars including the National dialogue of United Nations Food System’s Summit (UNFSS).

•       Responsible for training youths, young professionals and social media users on the responsible use of social media through 45 workshops reaching out to more than 10000 youths pan India.

•       Conducted 200 rural workshops on grassroots governance, women empowerment, youth employment, sustainable agricultural practices, climate change etc. managing both outdoor and in-house sessions. Also ensuring seamless logistics coordination, budgeting and organizing  award ceremonies and high-level meetings.

•       Organized the “We are Watching” international campaign aiming COP26 bringing together ministers, high level government officials, academicians, NGOs and social activists to engage in a dialogue on climate change.

•       Organized more than 30 workshops (with participation of 1000 people offline and 3000 people online), conferences, numerous info-tables and leading campaigns for the organization’s visibility. Maintained meticulous records through note-taking, drafting meeting minutes, press conferences, press briefing and pictorial documentation.

•       Developed and implemented innovative program strategies to increase program visibility and program funding. Successfully increased workshop attendance by 30% through targeted community engagement.

•       Contributed to the organization’s professional image by preparing and proofreading diverse documents such as e-newsletters, correspondence, budgets, invoices, brochures, manuals, and annual reports. Experienced in drafting funding proposals and leading on behalf of the organization during supervision and implementation support mission visits by the funding agency.

•       Responsible for overseeing office operations, coordinating appointment schedules, communication with internal and external contacts, maintaining data integrity, performance appraisal, ensuring timely tracking of several projects running simultaneously across geographical locations to ensure meeting deadlines and execution of tasks on behalf of the Executive Director and delegating tasks to staff as and when required.

•       Responsible for induction , on-boarding support and mentoring for the new recruits, interns and volunteers at the organization. Trained existing 52 employees at the head office with office procedures and softwares like Microsoft Office , PowerPoint, Excel, SharePoint, Canva etc.

•       Fostered a collaborative work environment by organizing more than 20 recurring team-building activities to enhance trust, empathy and coordination among staff members.

•       Demonstrated ability to build strong and lasting client relationships through personalized engagement and a genuine commitment to understanding their needs.

•       Committed to upholding company values of trust, teamwork, and accountability, integrating them into daily interactions to foster a culture of excellence and integrity.

 

TRAININGS AND CERTIFICATIONS
Gender Based Analysis Plus                                                                                                           Toronto, Canada

Certification                                                                                                                                                 June 2024

•Gender Based Analysis Plus training by the Ministry of Women and Gender Equality and Youth, Government of Canada

Training on Cyber Hygiene for Emerging Youths                                                                               Kolkata, India

Certification                                                                                                                                                   Feb 2023

•Training on Cyber Hygiene by the Department of IT and Electronics Government of West Bengal.

Audio visual communication tools Training – PRAVAH and European Union                                Kolkata, India

Certification                                                                                                                                                  Sep 2021

•       Visual Communication Training on audio visual tools by PRAVAH, co-funded by European Union and Welthungerhilfe at Golpark, Ramakrishna Mission Institute Of Culture.

 

Author of Policy Research Paper – Asia Pacific Research Network                                                 Kolkata, India

Publication                                                                                                                                                    Sep 2021

•       Author of published research paper funded by European Union.

 

International Certified Trainer of Advocacy and Engagement –  APRN                                    Bangkok, Thailand

Certification                                                                                                                                                  Nov 2019

•       Training of Trainers on Advocacy and Engagement 2.0 by Asia Pacific Research Network (APRN)

Advanced Diploma in Information Technology Application (ADITA)                                               Kolkata, India

Certification                                                                                                                                                  Sep 2016

•       Advanced Diploma in Information Technology by M/s Hewlett Packard Enterprise India Pvt.Ltd.,Government of West Bengal.

 

VOLUNTEERING EXPERIENCE
Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Toronto (CCAT)                                                            Toronto,Canada

Project Assistant                                                                                                                            May 2024- Present

•       Assisting the management team with program activities.

•       Working closely with the Executive Director.

 

West Bengal Election Watch (WBEW)                                                                                        West Bengal, India

Programme Coordinator                                                                                                                             2018-2023

·         Planning, budgeting, report writing and coordinating program activities.

·         Organizing grassroots campaigns, awareness programs on becoming responsible citizens by making an informed choice, youth training and workshops on democracy and cyber hygiene.

·         Coordinating volunteers

·         Drafting press briefings, organizing press conferences

 

National Service Scheme (NSS), Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, GOI                                   Kolkata, India

Active Member                                                                                                                                                       2012-2014

·         Identifying the needs and problems of the community and engaging in problem solving.

·         Developing capacity to meet emergencies and natural calamities.

·         Practicing national integration and social harmony.

SKILLS AND INTERESTS
Technical Skills: MS Office, MS Excel (Advanced), MS PowerPoint, Outlook, SharePoint, Zoom, Google Meet, Canva (Certified).

Soft Skills : Office procedures, Data management, Computer proficiency, Customer service, Calendar management, Time management, Problem solving, Event Coordination , Logistics Management, Calendar Management, Volunteer Coordination, Conflict Resolution, Empathy and Compassion

Interests: Traveling (5+ countries),Swimming, Food blogging, Painting, Gardening, Google Local Guide.