Senior Project Manager/Project Manager - Partnerships and Strategic Initiatives

About Central Square Foundation (CSF)

Founded in 2012, Central Square Foundation (CSF) is a non-profit philanthropic foundation working on the vision of ensuring quality school education for all children in India. We are driven by our mission to transform the school education system with a focus on improving learning outcomes of children, especially from low-income communities.

We believe that ensuring Universal, Early, Conceptual and Procedural Mastery of Foundational Skills is absolutely essential for the overall success of the education system. In order to achieve this, we partner with individuals and social impact organizations to bring innovative solutions in education, as well as work with the government to drive systemic impact. We collaborate with the ecosystem to leverage knowledge, build evidence and create proven tools around critical issues such as early learning, EdTech, classroom instruction methods and governance.

We also support exceptional social entrepreneurs with powerful ideas, undertake application-oriented research, provide a platform for sharing of innovation, and collaborate with other stakeholders in the ecosystem to find policy solutions - all towards enabling sustained change in Indias educational system.

CSFs team members bring a deep sense of commitment and passion towards our collective vision that every child deserves quality education. We strive for excellence in everything we do and collaborate to create an impact as we move closer to achieving our mission. We encourage an entrepreneurial outlook that evokes new and bold ideas along with taking smart risks. CSF provides a dynamic, learning and positive environment that is driven by our strong sense of values.

About Partnerships and Strategic Initiatives Team

At CSF, Partnerships and Strategic Initiatives Team supports multiple central government agencies to plan, design and implement large scale education reform initiatives. This involves the co-creation and implementation of comprehensive project plans, providing technical support in the areas of project planning, and coordinating with other agencies involved in the implementation of a program. This demands efficient management of multiple, ambiguous work-streams with tight deadlines, and consistent engagement with government officials at various levels of seniority.

Position Summary

CSF has started a new workstream focused on identifying and nurturing high-potential students (students who demonstrate academic promise) from underserved communities. These students often do not receive the support or opportunities they need to realize their full potential. Our aim is to bridge that gap by creating a targeted support model that helps them thrive. CSF will be closely working with the Education Department in Telangana, to strengthen its model schools.

Based out of Hyderabad, the Project Manager (PM) / Senior Project Manager (SPM) will play an important role in ensuring that ambitious reform initiatives are implemented in an efficient and effective manner. The PM/SPM is expected to thrive in dynamic and ambiguous environments, effectively responding to evolving government and stakeholder needs. The role is implementation-heavy and requires strong and strategic coordination skills, a consistent field presence, and regular engagement with government officials and technical partners.

Key responsibilities include but are not limited to

• Build and manage relationships with diverse stakeholders, including state government representatives, programme partners, educational nonprofits, and community leaders.

• Plan, design, and execute key strategic initiatives to strengthen stakeholder relationships and outcomes.

• Coordinate stakeholder convenings, collaborate closely with programme partners, and provide regular updates to the department to facilitate reviews and decision-making.

• Engage and onboard existing and new CSF vendors for seamless and efficient execution of project priorities.

• Conduct targeted field visits to gather operational and academic insights and gauge the impact of the programme at the State level.

• Contribute to strategic planning by sharing field insights and recommending scalable solutions for systemic reform.

• Identify, assess, and mitigate risks, ensuring proactive issue resolution.

• Manage timelines and deliverables to ensure initiatives are on track and aligned with project objectives.

• Collaborate with internal teams to ensure strategic alignment and smooth project delivery.

• Provide regular updates to CSF management on progress, insights, opportunities, and areas for course correction.

Skills and Qualifications

• 2 to 7 years of post-qualification work experience, preferably in the education sector

• Strong project management skills with proven program implementation experience

• Excellent writing and oral communication skills with proficiency and fluency in English and Telugu

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

• Ability to derive insights from large datasets for informing data-driven decision-making

• Prior hands-on experience in the Indian education sector and with government stakeholders

• Strong growth and learning mindset

Compensation

Remuneration will be competitive with Indian philanthropy pay scales and will depend upon the candidates experience levels.