Job Opportunity for Project Manager – State Reform at CSF in Delhi

Founded in 2012, Central Square Foundation is a non-profit philanthropic foundation working with 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 the learning outcomes of children, especially from low-income communities.  

We believe that effective foundational learning is essential for better learning outcomes for all children in school. Development of foundational literacy and numeracy skills by Class 3 can help children progress to higher levels of learning which is an essential building block for creating equal access to opportunities needed for leading a better life.

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 also collaborate with the ecosystem to leverage knowledge and create proven tools around critical issues such as early learning, technology in education, classroom instruction methods and governance. 

Position Summary

The State Reform Team (SRT) at CSF works with State Education Departments to reform education by implementing large-scale system-led projects with the goal of improving student learning outcomes. It, along with its partners, is currently supporting various states such Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Haryana to design and implement their state FLN (Foundational Literacy and Numeracy) Missions as part of the national NIPUN Bharat Mission. This position is a part of the Central Team based out of Delhi and reporting into the Project Director. 

The Project Manager will lead the strategic function and management of the State Reform Team’s portfolio states. They will ensure that the SRT works towards its mission in the most effective way possible, and has the right capabilities, resources and support to achieve it. Major work-streams will include designing and implementing a multi-year portfolio monitoring system; managing budgets and financial reporting; owning relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including donors, project team leads, other Project Directors at CSF; working on performance management of teams; and supporting the strategic communication of the work SRT does on various platforms. 

The Project Manager will play a central role in the effective governance of the portfolio teams, and support the Project Director in creating oversight as well as accountability mechanisms to monitor mission success in the various portfolio states. This role offers great opportunity to engage with multiple large-scale reform projects across India, and provide tactical support to their goals and function. As part of this role, the Project Manager might additionally take on special projects from time to time, and also have the opportunity to be entrepreneurial and develop these projects themselves. 

Key responsibilities include, but are not limited to: 

Portfolio Monitoring 

• Lead the development of M&E frameworks for effective mission implementation in portfolio states
• Engage with teams in each state to contextualize monitoring activities, develop operational plans for data collection and oversee operationalisation 
• Orient state teams in MEL execution activities, track progress and provide feedback and support
• Analyze data, develop key insights and synthesize results and implications for project team leadership 

Financial Management and Project Reporting

• Support the Project Director in tracking budgets and utilization of various portfolio states 
• Write reports, develop presentations for updates to the Board, donors, prospective donors and other stakeholders

Performance Management 

• Support the Project Director in developing a personal development plan for the State Reform Team. Assist in developing and executing plans for skills development and personal development for individual and team growth

Strategic Communications

• Support the Project Director in synthesizing the work of the State Reform Team into accessible communications for internal and external audiences 
• Take the lead in processing complex workstreams in portfolio states into blogs, internal notes, white papers, playbooks, etc. on a need basis 

Required Qualifications, Skills, and Abilities

• Bachelor’s degree required, from a reputed university with a strong record of academic performance; Master’s degree in management or public policy or related field preferred
• 2 to 6 years of work experience, demonstrating project delivery and stakeholder management
• Good problem-solving and strategic thinking skills, ability to analyze data, craft possible solutions, and recommend actions
• Good writing and presentation skills (ability to communicate complex ideas in a meaningful way)
• Ability to build and maintain positive and collaborative relationships both within and outside the organization
• Ability to work independently and proactively, without support staff and with little supervision
• Strong planning and organizational skills, and an ability to be able to set priorities, plan timelines and meet deadlines
• High level of spoken and written fluency in English. Fluency in Hindi desirable

Desired Qualities

• Hardworking, determined and action-biased
• Mission driven, optimistic and enthusiastic, must believe in achieving transformational change 
• Ability to handle multiple tasks at once and prioritize as required
• High ability to collaborate and actively listen, understand and value team members’ views

Compensation

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