Job Opportunity for Team Lead – Higher Education at ChangeINKK in New Delhi

About ChangeINKK

Humans 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 that impacts 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 math. 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 organization 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 an exceptional Team Lead to join the Education team, which will work on improving outcomes for children with learning disabilities in the higher education system. The Team Lead will work directly with the Ministry of Education, various regulators and higher education institutions to support their work on inclusion of individuals with specific learning disabilities (SLDs) in higher education. This is an opportunity to work on strategic projects with the ministry and ecosystem; you will be responsible for creating policy documents, support implementation of schemes, advocacy, working with key stakeholders in the ecosystem, and developing material to further the cause.

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

Key responsibilities

• Working with stakeholders in the Ministry of Education and the broader ecosystem to further the cause of inclusive education for children with learning disabilities
• Working with ChangeINKK leadership to define targets and goals for the project and execute against those
• Support the Ministry with research and insight, including engaging in secondary research, speaking with experts and synthesizing data from multiple data points to recommend and advocate for an appropriate solution
• Oversee the creation and dissemination of knowledge products or toolkits across multiple areas of the Education system (e.g. government, universities, parents, etc.)
• Take on diverse operational tasks to ensure organizational success
• Assist the leadership team with creating and maintaining deep engagement with government, technical experts, and others
• Maintain and grow the existing champion / advisor network for learning disabilities/dyslexia, and initiate/participate in a wide range of interventions, not limited to one-to-one meetings, proposals, events, intermediary networks and personal networking
• Work cross functionally across the organization to develop the activities and programs as needed, so as to build coalitions and collaborations with the intention to build a high-performing and execution focused team

Required Qualifications, Skills and Abilities

• Undergraduate degree from a top tier institution; while there is no preference for a particular major or specialization, we expect to see a high degree of intellectual curiosity and sophistication
• 5-7+ years of work experience in a challenging/ high growth environment.
• Excellent analytical, critical thinking and problem-solving skills
• Solid planning and organizational skills with high attention to detail, accuracy, protocol and deadline
• Excellent writing ability that is clear, concise and analytic in style
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and stakeholder-facing skills including solid presentation and facilitation skills
• High level of flexibility and responsiveness with the ability to shift priorities quickly and as organizational demands require

Desired Qualities

• Understanding of education sector and/or needs of students with learning disabilities
• High level of discretion in maintaining confidentiality of sensitive materials and issues
• Ability to take initiative and develop solutions quickly and effectively
• Ability to understand and consider organizational culture and change
• Ability to function and interact in a professional level capacity to sustain the mission, culture and best interests of the respective organizations
• Ability to adapt and exhibit confidence in a highly evolving, agile, and fast paced work environment
• Ability to do research and distill important concepts in a structured, concise, yet comprehensive manner
• Broad and strategic mindset, creative aptitude and effective use of independent judgment
• Operating style suited to working in a small-organization setting, where teamwork and resourcefulness are highly valued

Compensation

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

Location

New Delhi, India