About the job State Lead (Education) - Patna, Bihar
Role: State Lead (Education) - Patna, Bihar
Experience: 6 to 8 years
Salary: Up to 15 LPA
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About the Project:
We work as a technical partner with the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT) and the Bihar Education Project Council (BEPC) to strengthen FLN implementation across Bihar. The program focuses on: Strengthening teacher professional development systems. Improving classroom practices and learning outcomes. Building sustainable academic and program management systems within the government. In addition, the project supports demonstration districts to develop scalable models of high-quality FLN implementation.
About the Role:
The State Lead (serving operationally as the State Program Coordinator) will serve as a central anchor for program planning, coordination, and execution at the state level. The role requires strong program management, stakeholder engagement, and cross-team coordination skills to ensure that our technical support is effectively implemented across the state and demonstration districts. This role goes beyond coordination and requires active problem-solving, deep ownership of outcomes, and the ability to work dynamically across complex government systems and internal teams.
Roles and Responsibilities:
- Strategic Program Planning & Execution: Lead the development of annual, quarterly, and monthly implementation plans aligned with government priorities. Ensure timely execution of agreed plans across the state and districts while tracking key milestones, deliverables, and timelines. Proactively identify operational risks and implementation bottlenecks to drive on-ground solutions.
- Government Coordination & Stakeholder Engagement: Build and maintain strong working relationships with SCERT, BEPC, DIETs, and District and Block-level officials. Ensure alignment, ownership, and active participation of government stakeholders. Represent the organization in State-level meetings, review forums, and coordination platforms while facilitating clear communication between government and internal teams.
- Demonstration District Management: Lead planning and implementation of demo district interventions, ensuring timely execution of activities, adequate resource allocation, and regular monitoring. Support these focus districts in becoming models of effective FLN implementation. Document field learnings, innovations, and success stories to inform eventual state-wide scale-up.
- Cross-Team Coordination & Monitoring: Facilitate smooth coordination between the Academic team, District implementation team, and Central team members to ensure design matches execution. Establish strong systems for progress tracking, review, and data-driven decision-making using insights from field visits and assessments. Organize state/district review meetings and ensure robust compliance, documentation, and high-quality program reporting.
Skills & Qualifications Required:
- Education: Master's degree in Education, Social Sciences, Public Policy, or a related field.
- Experience: 6–8 years of experience in program management within the education/development sector, with a proven track record of working closely with government systems (SCERT, DIETs, districts). Experience managing state-level or multi-district programs is required.
- Core Operations Expertise: Strong program planning, milestone tracking, and execution skills. Proven ability to lead cross-functional teams, manage multiple priorities under deadlines, and navigate complex bureaucratic structures.
- Sector Knowledge: Preferred experience in FLN (Foundational Literacy and Numeracy) programs and deep familiarity with NIPUN Bharat or similar state initiatives. Previous experience working within the education ecosystem of Bihar or similar socio-economic contexts is highly desirable.
- Technical Skills: Strong problem-solving, decision-making, and relationship-building ability. High proficiency in documentation, progress tracking, and translating field data into actionable program shifts.
- Travel: Willingness to travel extensively across various districts of Bihar as per program deployment needs.