Job Opportunity for State Head, Programs, At Quest Alliance In Ahmedabad, Gujarat

Job responsibilities: 

State Strategy

• Anchor the State strategy to ensure a balance between scale and depth, keeping the aspirations of young people in the region at the center and planning the work accordingly, across the school to work continuum.
• Support the team in expanding the work in the state and ecosystems based on the opportunities and potential for growth while keeping the balance with depth and impact first approach.
• Working with the ecosystem leads closely to bring about an integration of the strategic thought process around youth and schools ecosystem in the state. 
• Focus on KPs and Govt partnership possibilities. Help build partnerships which build future pathways for students – forums for recognition, internships, hackathon project showcase
• Look at strong advocacy efforts with the key stakeholders (SSA, SCERT, DET) as well as branding and visibility of our work in the region 
• Hold the innovation agenda for the region
• Program Design, Implementation and build a team culture embedded on Quest values
• Using a consultative approach, lead in designing and developing the state strategy in line with the organizational goals, national framework and donor requirement 
• Lead the development of systems and support to ensure high quality delivery of the program as well as career pathways and growth for the team members
• Ensure all the program priorities are incorporated into the work of the program overall and at the state level and how project funds help fulfilling the state plan and priorities.
• Support the ecosystem leads in Budget management for existing projects being run in the region and proposal writing for new projects. Ensure the expenditure across projects allocated for the region, in line with commitments to the donor. 
• Mentor the tech and data teams for the region and build a strong road map for the same.
   

Relationship Building and Management:

• Work on building the regional growth model towards development of the region and drive the thoughts process around that and along with driving engagement with partners.
• Represent Quest in all strategic forums in the state – state level NEP consultations, curriculum development spaces – engage with SSA and SCERT to build strategic relationships with Quest
• Strategically drive and actively contribute to conversations, ensure quarterly reporting of our activities to donors and govt participation in co-planning and delivering is adequately done
• Lead the design and development of systems, process and quality matrices for Partners management in the region in consultation with the Ecosystem teams
• Ensure the team keeps the sub grants committee informed about the performance of partners and support them in making informed decisions on new partner selection. 
• Building strategic relationships with the government to drive advocacy and system change by
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• Building ownership of Quest innovations and its mainstreaming within the system.
  Team Management
• Ensure that there are enough spaces created for dialogue and ongoing exchange between team members across the state on key learning, insights and best practices.
• Support, mentor and coach the team as part of their professional development and help them to be highly effective in their work. Serving as a role model at all times not just for the direct reportees but for the entire state team  
• Plan for the team learning calendar and other L&D initiatives for Team as required 
• Build a performance driven and impact driven culture in the team 
• Drive discussions and actively contribute to the program and org development spaces this year
• Ensure office and assets are safe and secure at all times  
• Actively support the recruitment and induction of new members to help their deeper integration with the team
• Reporting and Data Driven Decision Making
• Integration of output and impact lens in the way internal and external reporting is done. Drive the
• Data driven decision making, based thoughts process with the team and the partners
• Anchor the state review thought process, ensure reflection around data based insights which feed into improving on-ground implementation
• Making regular planned field visits and sharing observations and insights from those regularly 
• Work with the monitoring and evaluation focal persons to develop monitoring and reporting systems aligned with Strategic Framework and donor requirement for the region
• Ensure all the relevant data for the region is available on time and team is aligned to the thought process.
• Engage with monitoring and evaluation data to generate insights which contribute to improving program implementation.
• Build the same mindset in the team. 
   

Experience and Skills Required:

Strategic Leadership:

 Proven experience in anchoring state-level strategies, balancing scale and depth while keeping the aspirations of young people at the forefront. Demonstrated ability to plan and execute initiatives across the school-to-work continuum.

Partnership Development: 

Track record of building strong partnerships with key stakeholders, including government agencies, educational institutions, and NGOs. Ability to identify and leverage opportunities for collaboration, advocacy, and resource mobilization.

Program Design, Budget Management and Implementation:

 Extensive experience in designing and implementing programs aligned with organizational goals, national frameworks, and donor requirements. Ability to lead teams in delivering high-quality programs, ensuring alignment with program priorities and effective utilization of project funds.

Relationship Building and Management: 

Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to represent the organization in strategic forums and engage with government officials, donors, and partners. Experience in driving engagement, advocacy efforts, and system change initiatives.

Team Management and Development:

 Proven leadership skills with the ability to mentor, coach, and support team members in their professional development. Experience in fostering a culture of learning, collaboration, and performance excellence within the team.

Data-Driven Decision Making:

Proficiency in driving data-driven decision-making processes, monitoring and evaluation, and reporting systems. Ability to analyze data insights to improve program implementation and inform strategic planning.

Communication and Reporting: 

Strong written and verbal communication skills in English with the ability to articulate program impact, insights, and recommendations to internal and external stakeholders. Experience in developing and implementing reporting systems aligned with organizational and donor requirements.

Educational Background: 

A relevant postgraduate degree in social sciences, development studies, education, or a related field is preferred.

Additional Requirements:

 Demonstrated commitment to the organization’s mission and values, flexibility to travel extensively within the region, and proficiency in relevant languages and computer applications.

Contact
To Apply

Interested candidates are requested to apply for the role by filling up the application form given here.

At Quest Alliance, we pride ourselves on being an Equal Opportunities employer, embracing applications from all segments of the community. We are committed to ensuring that every applicant and employee is treated with fairness and respect, regardless of gender, sexual orientation, marital status, social status, caste, religious belief, age, or any other factor that is irrelevant to performance. Your individuality is valued and respected within our organization.