| Detail | For this role |
|---|---|
| Department | NGO and Social Sector |
| Level | Manager |
| Reports to | CSR Head |
| Direct reports | CSR Executive |
| Experience | 5 to 9 years in CSR or development projects |
CSR Manager job description template
Copy this job description, replace the text in square brackets and post it on your careers page or a job portal.
Job title: CSR Manager
Department: NGO and Social Sector
Reports to: CSR Head
Location: [City], [office, branch or site]
About the role
A CSR Manager runs the company's CSR projects on the ground, from partner selection and agreements to disbursement, monitoring and reporting. They manage a set of projects within the CSR budget, track deliverables and utilisation, visit sites, and prepare the reports the CSR head takes to the committee. The role reports to the CSR Head. A good CSR manager keeps projects delivering to plan, funds moving on schedule with clean documentation, and impact evidence ready for audit and disclosure.
Key responsibilities
- Manage a portfolio of CSR projects against their plans, budgets and milestones.
- Appraise and onboard implementing partners and prepare project agreements with clear deliverables.
- Release funds to partners against milestones and collect utilisation certificates on time.
- Visit project sites to verify progress, quality and community benefit against the plan.
- Track project indicators and prepare progress reports for the CSR head and committee.
- Coordinate employee volunteering events and record participation and outcomes.
- Maintain complete project documentation for audit, disclosure and the annual report.
- Flag delays, risks or misuse of funds to the CSR head with a corrective plan.
- Support due diligence and compliance checks on new and existing partners.
- Collect stories, photographs and data from the field for impact reporting.
Requirements
- Postgraduate in social work, development or management
- MSW or MBA is an advantage
- Field project experience in the development sector
- 5 to 9 years in CSR or development projects
KRAs and KPIs for a CSR Manager
Key result areas for the appraisal form, each with a KPI you can measure every month or quarter.
| Key result area | How to measure it |
|---|---|
| Project delivery | CSR projects meeting milestones on at least 90 percent of the portfolio each year |
| Fund flow | Disbursements and utilisation certificates completed on schedule for every project |
| Monitoring | Every active project visited and verified at the planned frequency |
| Documentation | Project files audit ready with no missing utilisation or compliance record |
| Volunteering | Employee volunteering events run to the annual calendar |
| Reporting | Progress and impact reports submitted to the CSR head on time |
Skills and tools
Tools used day to day: MS Excel and PowerPoint, Project trackers, Utilisation certificate formats, Field visit checklists, Photo and video capture.
Reporting line and career path
Next roles: Senior CSR Manager, CSR Head, Programme Manager
Interview questions for a CSR Manager
- How do you monitor a CSR project run by an implementing partner in another state?
- What do you check before releasing the next milestone payment to a partner?
- How do you verify that a project is actually benefiting the community?
- How do you keep project documentation ready for a CSR audit?
- How do you handle a partner that is behind on deliverables?
- Tell me about a CSR project you managed end to end and its outcome.
Managing a CSR Manager in ZeniaHR
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What does a CSR manager do?
A CSR manager runs a company's CSR projects on the ground. They appraise and onboard partners, prepare agreements, release funds against milestones, visit sites, track indicators, and prepare progress and impact reports. They keep documentation audit ready and make sure projects deliver real benefit to the community within the CSR budget.
What is the difference between a CSR manager and a CSR head?
A CSR head sets the overall CSR strategy, chooses focus areas, and answers to the CSR committee and board. A CSR manager runs the projects that deliver that strategy, managing partners, funds, monitoring and reporting. The manager executes on the ground, while the head owns direction, governance and board reporting.
What qualifications do you need to be a CSR manager?
Most CSR managers hold a postgraduate degree in social work, development or management, such as an MSW or MBA. Employers value field project experience, the ability to manage implementing partners and budgets, careful documentation for audits, and skill in monitoring and impact reporting. Willingness to travel to project sites is important.