Senior Program Manager

A. About the Organisation

It was founded in 1995, to provide pre-school education to children in Mumbai slums. Over the last 27 years, the organisation has grown to be one of the largest non-profit organizations working to provide quality education to children and youth in over 20 states and union territories across the country, through a range of interventions.

The organisation is widely recognized, having received notable awards such as the Yidan Prize, Lui Che Woo Prize, WISE Prize for Innovation, Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship, the Henry R Kravis Prize in Leadership, and the CNN-IBN Indian of the Year for Public Service. For more details, refer 

B. About the Program

The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 emphasizes the fundamental importance of universal foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN). But, children, especially those with special needs and disabilities, face significant barriers hindering their acquisition of foundational skills. In India, an estimated 7.8 million children and young individuals had disabilities in 2019. Alarmingly, a large proportion of them do not attend educational institutions, and 45% struggle to attain foundational literacy. ENABLE' or 'Equity in Accessing Numeracy And Basic Literacy Education', is a multi-pronged intervention to strengthen the quality of education for 3-9 year olds with disabilities. The 3 key objective of this program is to:

1. Strengthen the Government's mainstream service delivery mechanism to ensure foundational learning outcomes for learners with disabilities (LwD)

2. Identify, address and overcome attitudinal barriers and stereotypes towards learners with disabilities in families and communities.

3. Facilitate partnerships between relevant government departments, civil society, private sector and communities in support of learners with disabilities

C. Position Summary:

The Senior Program Manager is responsible for providing strategic leadership to the project team and ensuring smooth end-to-end project deliverables, including project planning, stakeholder management, data management, resource allocation, and monitor progress to enhance educational outcomes for children with disabilities and ensure timely donor reporting and sufficient documentation of project activities.

D. Key responsibilities

1. Manage day-to-day high-frequency tasks which may usually be process-oriented

2. Manage weekly tasks/milestones that may require a bit of cognitive load

3. Manage the task which to be accomplished once a month

4. Manage the task that needs attention once per quarter that may require creativity, cognition etc.

1) Program Management and Leadership

•  Proactively have a 360 degree view of all aspects of the program, including- human resource, finances, project activities, strategic communication, partnerships, policy advocacy and educational technology 
• Provide strategic direction and leadership to the program and project teams.
• Ensure alignment with the program project's goals and objectives for enhancing education for children with disabilities. 
• Manage project resources, including budget, personnel, and materials.
• Ensure efficient and effective implementation of project activities. 
• Direct activity management team efforts to provide day-to-day support to field teams 
• Provide strategic direction to project start-up and close-out activities including the development, and refinement of project management tools, resources, and processes 
• Oversee the development and implementation of annual work plans, ensuring timely and high-quality reviews and submissions 

2) Reporting and Communication

• Facilitate clear communication within the project teams (may be cross-functional)
• Maintain communication with external stakeholders, sharing updates, achievements, and challenges. 
• Ensure timely reporting both within and outside the organisation. 

3) Program Implementation and Stakeholder Engagement

• Oversee the planning and execution of project activities.

• Ensure activities are carried out according to the project plan and timeline. 

• Foster collaboration and coordination among different stakeholders. 

4) Facilitating Operations:

• Regular liaison and communication with state/program and central teams concerning the emerging needs and demands at any point in time and facilitating processes. 
• Internal coordination, communication, documentation and planning
• Collaborate with relevant teams across the organization (Pedagogy, M&E, finance etc.) as required to ensure smooth operations and timely implementation. 
• Provide oversight on all aspects of financial management of assigned projects including the development, tracking, and updating of budgets; monitoring monthly projections and actuals 

E. Skill and Knowledge

• Ability to develop and align strategies with the project's goals and objectives
• Expertise in understanding the education sector. Knowledge of an inclusive education landscape is preferable.
• Familiarity with relevant education policies and regulations, and the ability to guide policy development and implementation.
• Expertise in project planning and execution
• Familiarity with project management software
• Ability to lead and think strategically
• Knowledge to think and lead strategically, informed decision-making, and strong leadership.
• Strong written and verbal communication and ability for editorial reviews
• Knowledge of writing styles, relevant style guides, and an understanding of language and grammar.
• The ability to collect and analyse data to deliver meaningful results
• Research methods and data collection techniques
• Team building and conflict resolution
• Understanding of team development, team dynamics, mediation and negotiation.

F. Required Qualifications :

• Bachelor's Degree in a relevant field (Education, Management, Social Work, Social Sciences, etc). Master`s degree is preferred.
• 5-7 years of program management or related experience.
• Willingness to promote innovation and adapt to change.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work collaboratively and independently, with a strong commitment to inclusivity and diversity.
• Willingness to travel.

G. Working Location: Mumbai/ Delhi.

Your resume should contain

• Contact information

• Academic background: Universities attended and degrees acquired with academic record (Marks or GPA, if applicable)

• Past work experience, highlighting relevant skills

• Relevant Coursework: List Courses in Development, Management, and Education

• Experiences in development, teaching and/or education (if applicable)

• Interest areas/hobbies

• Languages spoken

Note: The organisation is an equal-opportunity employer. We are committed to creating an inclusive and diverse workforce and consider all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age or disability. We encourage individuals from underrepresented groups, especially persons with disabilities to apply.