Job Opportunity for Manager, Government Relations at Teach for India in Chennai

Position Summary

The  Government Relations (GR) Manager, will be a part of the Regional Partnerships Vertical, leading Teach for India’s (TFI) initiatives with the government towards a sustainable systemic impact on educational equity within the region. The role involves working closely with government stakeholders at all levels, and social organizations in the region as well as working with Fellows and students within our TFI intervention schools, to create the necessary conditions for students to receive an excellent education.

Team Overview

The City Operations, Chennai team is operating in 21 schools with 80+ Fellows impacting the lives of 2500+ students in our schools. Our mission is to work collectively with love to transform the lives of 1 in 10 children within the region with an education that unleashes the potential of Self, Others and India. 

The GR Manager will be a part of the  Regional Partnerships Vertical consisting of the Senior Manager Regional Partnerships (SMRP) and the Network, Learning and Collaboration (NLC) Manager.  The team along with you will drive partnerships with the government, our 400+ Alumni in the region and various national and regional verticals operating in Chennai.

Responsibilities

The  GR Manager role is a dynamic role that gives you the opportunity to work with key stakeholders across levels within the local government, NGOs, CSOs and our Alumni.  Your major responsibility will be to foster an ecosystem of support and collaboration to achieve Teach For India’s mission and vision within the region.  Your roles and responsibilities are as follows:

Government Relations

• Creating long and short-term strategies with M&E and sustainability parameters in accordance with the national strategy and the regional vision. 
• Build and sustain relationships with key stakeholders in the local government, state government, NGOs and other political & community leaders to influence policy, systems and processes that will create enabling conditions for educational and social equity
• To effectively manage existing government projects, consistently follow through with rigorous monitoring and evaluation. Also, ensure accountability and optimize the project outcomes.
• Lead the creation of opportunities for systemic impact in the region through internship/career opportunities in the government for our Fellows and Alumni, and special projects to work with representatives of the government, to expand impact beyond Teach For India schools and classrooms, towards all children achieving an excellent education
• Foster champions of the movement and our impact model among government stakeholders and partners to influence impact and integrate progressive strategy into the current ecosystem
• Design, promote and execute spaces/projects for collective action beyond Teach For India schools towards excellent education for all children, between key stakeholders in the educational landscape

Additional Responsibilities

• Collaborate with the city events committee to increase the visibility and interaction with government stakeholders and other key partners in all city-led events.
• Support in the selection of beneficiaries, Matriculation, based on interest and skills, to infuse the most promising talent into the Fellowship
• Support the City Child Protection Committee, to focus on child safety and well-being for all students in the city 

Minimum Qualifications, Experiences and Expectations

• 3+ years of work experience managing teams and projects to excellent outcomes at scale
• Strong sense of possibility with what is possible for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS)
• Strong competence in negotiating with a diverse set of stakeholders towards Teach For India’s vision and desired outcomes
• Strong BRIO [Building Relationships and Influencing Others] and stakeholder management skills
• Strong problem-solving, critical thinking and decision-making skills 
• Ability to adapt to change and work through unstructured environments
• Ability to manage self, team and time amidst multiple priorities

Preferred Qualifications, Experiences and Expectations

• Familiarity and/or experience working with government systems
• Working knowledge of the local language Tamil would be an asset but not necessary.