Job Opportunity for Program Associate at ChangeInkk in New Delhi

About ChangeINKK

As humans, we are genetically different in terms of our race, gender, and ethnicity, among other things, but also in the way our brains are wired. Neurodiversity is the concept that diverse neurological conditions impact the way our brains are wired, and neurodivergent individuals possess a variety of diverse skills that can drive innovation and creativity.

Our aim at ChangeINKK is to remove the stigma around neurodiversity and learning disabilities, starting with dyslexia. Approximately 1 in 5 people globally are dyslexic; they have average or above average IQ but struggle with reading, writing, spelling, and sometimes maths. In India alone, over 35 million children struggle with a learning disability and there is strong social stigma around learning disabilities. Children are accused of being lazy, are bullied, and have low self-esteem and motivation, leading to high dropout rates from school. We believe that early identification is the key to success in education, in preserving a child’s self-esteem, and in ensuring viable higher education and employment opportunities later in life.

ChangeINKK is a new organisation committed to working on causes of inclusion of persons with disabilities, gender equality, and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. We collaborate with diverse stakeholders including youth, parents, educators, private sector, civil society, and government to ink sustainable change.

ChangeINKK will be led by Noopur Jhunjhunwala, a parent advocate, who has 20 years of experience working with the government, private sector, and development agencies across policy, implementation, and monitoring and evaluation. The organisation is being incubated by The Convergence Foundation, which is a grantmaking-incubation organisation that builds institutions in key white spaces of the development sector in India. The Convergence Foundation’s portfolio includes Ashoka University, Central Square Foundation, India Leaders for Social Sector, and other organisations working on system-reform.

Position Summary

We are looking to hire a passionate and exceptional Program Associate PA to join the School Education team, which works on improving inclusion of children with learning disabilities across different teams. The Associate will work directly with the Department of School Education on policy interventions and implementation of projects / programs. The role will include leading workshops for teachers, educators, and parents to help create the ecosystem for screening and diagnostic of children, creating awareness campaigns and advocacy, and providing policy and other inputs to the Centre of excellence for SLD in Kohima to support their work on inclusion of children with specific learning disabilities (SLDs) in the school education ecosystem.

This is a great opportunity for those who like working in a start-up environment, enjoy building and scaling organisations, and care deeply about removing the stigma around learning disabilities in the education space. This role includes working with stakeholders in the government, CoE, schools and other areas, and engaging with them on projects that have the potential to improve the lives of students.

Roles and responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Support the leadership team with research and insight, recommending an appropriate approach
• Act as a resource person to principal director; research, coordination and managing external communications are core primary areas
• Work directly with the Department of School Education on policy interventions in updating curriculum, textbooks and other learning material.
• Implementation of high-impact projects/ programs:Pre-screening of at-risk students (online tool).
• Coordination of diagnosis, certification, and remedial support.
• Information dissemination and awareness building.
• Access to national resources, experts, and support groups
• Design and lead capacity building workshops for teachers, educators, and parents to conduct tests and aid in creating screening and diagnostic of children and engage with experts.
• Develop and implement awareness campaigns and advocacy.
• Design bite sized modules for sensitization workshops across all programmes from School Education, Vocational training to Workplace inclusion
• Support the work of inclusion of children with specific learning disabilities
• Take on diverse operational tasks to ensure organisational success.

Required qualifications, skills, and abilities

• Undergraduate degree/Master’s degree or equivalent preferred) in Economics, Public Policy, Social Science or related fields from a reputed institution
• 0 to 3 years work experience in India with organizations working in related fields of work i.e. research agencies, policy think-tanks, government or private sector organizations working on government advisory or consulting
• Excellent problem-solving skills, with an aptitude for research to formulate solutions
• Fluency in English and excellent writing and communication skills (ability to communicate complex ideas in a meaningful way and across different audiences)
• Ability to be able to set priorities, plan timelines and meet deadlines
• Ability to think creatively, willing to take risks to experiment with new ideas and the ability to turn ideas into action
• High ability to collaborate and actively listen to others, understanding and valuing others’ views
• Operating style suited to working independently and in a small- organization setting, where teamwork and resourcefulness are highly valued

Remuneration

Remuneration will be competitive with Indian philanthropy pay scales and with organisations working with a similar mandate

Location

Delhi NCR