State Head - Program Manager - Consulting Firm

Key responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

1. Support the state government in working towards and achieving milestones outlined in National Education Policy 2020, particularly around Foundation Literacy and Numeracy

2. Direct and indirect engagement with senior political, bureaucratic and education leadership in the states to ensure alignment, focus and action on achieving mission goals

3. Ensuring all the major workstreams and interventions get activated in the states and get implemented in consultation with stakeholders

4. Support and undertake baseline, diagnostic and review of status (for e.g. learner outcomes), capacity of stakeholders (including teachers and district and state officers) and monitor progress continuously

5. Lead and guide a team of 3-5 Project Consultants and manage their work and performance

6. Continuous programme monitoring and reporting to key stakeholders

7. Support capacity building activities including workshops, learning modules/capsules for different stakeholders

Required Qualifications, Skills and Abilities:

- Bachelors or equivalent degree required

- 10+ years of relevant work experience

- Strong written & verbal communication skills and presentation skills

- Data analysis and presentation

- Team Management

- Fluency in English as well as the state/regional language

Desired Qualities :

- Strong academic background from a reputed institute with a Masters degree (preferred) in social sciences, management etc.

- 12+ years of progressive hands-on work experience in a demanding corporate or non-profit workplace in leading projects end-to-end, managing diverse teams and influencing multiple stakeholders

- Experience of implementation of School Education sector projects with state governments involving capacity building, teaching-learning improvements and assessments

- Experience of managing diverse and senior stakeholders in the state such as Secretaries, State Project Directors, Directors, Academicians, Consultants, NGOs etc.

- Strong action-bias, influencing & communication skills - ability to synthesize technical insights into actionable program agendas, facilitate conflicting points of view, drive collective decision-making

- Excellent people and project delivery skills, including ability to create project plans, drive execution, manage multiple projects at a time and maturity to influence multiple internal and external stakeholders

- Entrepreneurial spirit and - can-do- attitude & hands-on operating style suited to working in a small organization setting, where teamwork and resourcefulness are highly valued

- Willingness to adapt to dynamic nature of work and travel