Job Opportunity for Senior Associate, M&E at Leadership For Skilled Education Foundation (LFE) in Pune, Maharashtra

## Associate / Senior Associate – Monitoring and Evaluation

 

**Leadership For Skilled Education Foundation (LFE)**, a non-profit organization based in Pune, Maharashtra, is dedicated to transforming public education systems in India. We envision a future where education systems refuse to let children down. Our approach involves building the capacity of government system leaders and influencing system processes. We partner with local and state education bodies to co-create programs that improve teaching-learning practices, student learning, and well-being. 

 

Over the past five years, LFE has impacted millions of students across Maharashtra and has recently expanded its operations to Haryana, Tripura, and Andhra Pradesh. We believe that public education systems are the gatekeepers of social equity, and we are committed to bringing about systemic change through collective efforts with governments, philanthropists, corporates, donors, nonprofits, and grassroots organizations.

 

**Job Description and Responsibilities:**

 

The Senior Associate, M&E will play a crucial role in ensuring the effectiveness of LFE’s programs by providing data analysis, monitoring expertise, and mentorship to a team of M&E Associates. Reporting to the Head of M&E, you will collaborate with program and project managers to ensure project goals are achieved. You will also work closely with government stakeholders, providing insights from program data to shape the future direction of government programs.

 

**Key Responsibilities:**

 

* **M&E Planning for Projects (30%):**

    * Develop detailed operational plans for the M&E function of projects, breaking down yearly targets into monthly milestones.

    * Provide inputs on M&E planning and methodology to ensure projects are designed for measurable outcomes and impact.

    * Design and contextualize M&E tools.

    * Design and maintain project trackers to monitor performance and progress.

    * Build relationships with key government stakeholders for effective data management and sourcing.

    * Create process monitoring checks, rubrics, and frameworks to ensure smooth program implementation.

    * Coordinate with other teams and operations counterparts for seamless implementation.

* **Ongoing M&E Support to Program Teams (35%):**

    * Conduct school and training venue visits to monitor the implementation of M&E structures.

    * Modify M&E structures and delivery based on field insights.

    * Troubleshoot data-related issues arising during implementation.

    * Implement monitoring systems.

    * Support program teams in developing and configuring data collection tools (ODK/Google/MS Office).

    * Monitor project activities, outputs, and progress towards anticipated results.

    * Work with data platforms, databases, and select technologies to capture and organize data.

    * Train field staff in monitoring and evaluation processes and provide ongoing coaching.

* **Analysis, Reporting, and Knowledge Management (35%):**

    * Clean, sort, categorize, and organize data to enable teams to generate actionable insights.

    * Analyze quantitative and/or qualitative program data to inform policy and program recommendations.

    * Manage external evaluation consultants/technical partners and oversee the delivery of their scope of work.

    * Create engaging reports, data visualizations, and presentations as required.

 

**Requirements:**

 

* **Education & Experience:**

    * Degree or relevant coursework in statistics, data science, program evaluations, or a related discipline. Masters’ degree preferred.

    * 1-3 years of experience leading large-scale program monitoring involving large data sets, specifically in the development sector.

    * Proven experience in program monitoring and evaluation.

    * Experience working with education programs is highly desirable.

* **Knowledge, Skills & Capabilities:**

    * Excellent written and oral communication skills in English. Functional knowledge of Hindi is preferred.

    * Strong data analysis and management skills, including proficiency in Excel/Google Sheets. Knowledge of R, SQL, and SPSS is beneficial.

    * Ability to deliver high-quality work within tight deadlines.

    * Ability to coach and mentor team members.

    * Ability to take initiative and work independently in a semi-structured environment.

    * Belief in the potential of the public sector and its ability to overcome systemic inequities.

    * Working experience or knowledge of program evaluations and data management is highly preferred.

    * A basic understanding of social equity, development discourse, and education policy in India.

    * Adaptability to changing responsibilities and resourcefulness in responding to them.

    * High openness to learning and collaboration.

    * Strong ability to create outstanding presentations and work with Microsoft Excel & Google Suite.

    * Patience and resilience to persevere through setbacks and uncertainties.

 

**Location and Compensation:**

 

* **Location:** Pune, Maharashtra.

* **Compensation:** A competitive salary will be offered, commensurate with the individual’s prior experience and qualifications. The current compensation band offered, based on fit and experience, is 5-7 lakh INR per annum CTC.

 

**Leadership For Equity is an Equal Opportunity Employer and Prohibits Discrimination and Harassment of Any Kind. We do not discriminate on the basis of caste, race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, or any other non-merit factor.**