Job Opportunity for Project Manager at Central Square Foundation in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India

## Project Manager, State Reform (Bhopal)

**About Central Square Foundation:**

Central Square Foundation (CSF) is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving learning outcomes for all school-going children in India through system-led reforms. Established in 2012, CSF focuses on driving learning impact at scale through initiatives spanning innovation, policy, and practice. 

CSF’s mission centers around Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN), collaborating with 11 state governments to design and execute statewide FLN Missions. The organization prioritizes EdTech integration, deploying digital solutions for in-class and at-home learning, and establishing evidence-based practices while leveraging AI to enhance learning outcomes. 

CSF is deeply committed to Early Childhood Education (ECE) reforms, recognizing its crucial role in laying a strong foundation for children’s learning journey and augmenting FLN outcomes. CSF also works in the area of School Governance, extending its system-level approach to children in both private and government schools to strengthen the country’s education landscape.

**”FLN State Reform” in Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, and Madhya Pradesh:**

Central Square Foundation has developed a comprehensive playbook to support state governments in undertaking large-scale reform initiatives. This playbook involves close collaboration with the State Project Directors’ offices and the development of a 5 to 7-year roadmap to fundamentally transform critical workstreams. 

Since 2019, CSF has been working closely with the education departments of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Haryana. A version of their initial playbook in these states has also been adopted by the Ministry of Education when they launched the NIPUN Bharat mission. 

**Project Manager Role:**

The FLN reforms in Uttar Pradesh (UP), Madhya Pradesh (MP), and Haryana are managed by a “State Reform Team” within the Central Square Foundation. This team operates from Delhi, Lucknow, Bhopal, and Panchkula. As CSF progresses further into the NIPUN Bharat mission in these states, they will also undertake assignments and projects based in districts.

A project manager works under a project lead and collaborates with other project managers to execute workstreams. These workstreams typically span multiple years and consist of sub-projects that require engagement with government stakeholders at the state, district, and block levels. In some cases, coordination with partner organizations in the coalition is also necessary. 

**Responsibilities:**

As a project manager, you may work on one of the following workstreams:

* **FLN Academic Materials and School-based Assessments:** Designing and managing the development, procurement, printing, and delivery of FLN materials for classrooms across the state.

* **Teacher Professional Development:** Designing and implementing FLN training programs for teachers, including face-to-face sessions and digital training on Diksha.

* **Mentoring Programs for Teachers:** Identifying, training, and managing mentors who provide regular support to teachers through monthly school visits.

* **System Assessment of FLN Outcomes:** Developing and conducting annual district-level baseline assessments of student learning outcomes related to FLN goals.

* **FLN Monitoring System:** Creating tech tools for collecting critical key performance indicators (KPIs) for the FLN mission and developing a dashboard to visualize the data for decision-making.

* **Managing FLN Fellow’s Projects:** Supporting FLN Fellows placed at the district level to execute project modules aimed at improving mission implementation.

* **Delivering CSF-led District Accelerator Programs:** Collaborating with district officials to devise plans for improving the adoption of mission activities and executing CSF’s playbook to enhance the governance structure.

* **Delivering Central Team Projects to Support State Teams:** Supporting central monitoring exercises, generating insights for advisory boards, donors, and state teams, and providing performance management support.

**Qualifications:**

* Bachelor’s degree from a reputed university is required; a master’s degree is preferred.

* Prior experience working with government stakeholders is required.

* 2 to 4 years of post-qualification work experience, preferably with a government entity, demonstrating a superb project delivery and management track record.

* Ability to analyze complex problems, develop possible solutions, and make recommendations.

* Action-oriented mindset with strong planning skills, ability to set priorities, plan, and meet deadlines.

* Excellent communication skills, both oral and written, in English and Hindi.

* Ability to build and maintain positive and collaborative relationships with government stakeholders.

* Ability to identify and address execution gaps in a timely manner, working closely with project leads to generate viable solutions.

* Prior exposure to the education sector, public/development sector, or consulting is preferred. However, individuals with corporate experience and a genuine interest in the education sector are also encouraged to apply.

* Mission-driven, optimistic, and enthusiastic, with a belief in achieving transformational change.

* Willingness to be based in Bhopal, with openness to regular travel to Delhi and different districts in Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Haryana.

**Job Location:** Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India

**Compensation:** Remuneration will be competitive with Indian philanthropy pay scales and will depend on the candidate’s experience levels.