Job Opportunity for Technical Lead (Early Years), Enable Program at Pratham in New Delhi/Mumbai

About Pratham:

Pratham was founded in 1995, to provide pre-school education to children in Mumbai slums. Over the last 27 years, Pratham has grown to be one of the largest non-profit organizations working to provide quality education to children and youth in over 20 states and union territories across the country, through a range of interventions.

Pratham is a widely recognized organization, having received notable awards such as the Yidan Prize, Lui Che Woo Prize, WISE Prize for Innovation, Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship, the Henry R Kravis Prize in Leadership, and the CNN-IBN Indian of the Year for Public Service. For more details, refer to www.pratham.org.

About the ENABLE Program

The National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 emphasizes the fundamental importance of universal foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN). But, children, especially those with special needs and disabilities, face significant barriers hindering their acquisition of foundational skills. In India, an estimated 7.8 million children and young individuals had disabilities in 2019. Alarmingly, a large proportion of them do not attend educational institutions, and 45% struggle to attain foundational literacy. ENABLE’ or ‘Equity in Accessing Numeracy And Basic Literacy Education’, is a multi-pronged intervention to strengthen the quality of education for 3-9 year olds with disabilities. The 3 key objective of this program is to:

• Strengthen Government’s mainstream service delivery mechanism to ensure foundational learning outcomes for learners with disabilities (LwD)
• Identify, address and overcome attitudinal barriers and stereotypes towards learners with disabilities in families and communities
• Facilitate partnership between relevant government departments, civil society, private sector and communities in support for learners with disabilities

Position Summary:

The Technical Years (Early Years) will be responsible for enhancing the quality of education for children, with special focus on children with disabilities. This role involves providing guidance and training to educators, integrating a gender perspective into project activities, collaborating on inclusive curriculum design, and applying expertise in early childhood education to tailor interventions to individual needs, ensuring equal opportunities and inclusive learning environments.

Key responsibilities:

• ++++ means day to day high frequency tasks which may usually be process oriented
• +++ means weekly tasks/milestones that may require a bit of cognitive load
• ++ means the task have to be accomplished once a month
• + means the task needs attention once per quarter that may require creativity, cognition etc.

1)Technical Leadership and Strategy Development –

• Lead and manage the early years r component of the project, overseeing all activities related to the project. (++++)
• Develop and implement a strategic plan, and provide vision, direction and guidance to the project team, to on early years education (++)
• Develop course curriculum and coordinate with academic committee to validate and create teaching learning packages for the project (+++) . (+++)

2) Program Implementation –

• Provide guidance and training to teachers, facilitators, and educational staff, with a focus on implementing inclusive education practices for children with disabilities. (+++)
• Develop content and curriculum design based on Universal Design of Learning principles (+++)
• Organise workshops, mentor educators, and provide educational resources to enhance their skills in creating inclusive and supportive learning environments. (++)
• Develop training modules for practitioners and teachers on early detection of delays and importance of early intervention (+++)

3) Designing inclusive curriculum –

• Collaborate with educators, curriculum developers, and special education experts to design curricula that accommodate the diverse learning styles and abilities of children with disabilities. (++++)
• Ensure that teaching materials, activities, and assessment methods are adaptable to provide all students with effective access to the curriculum. (++++)
• Apply in-depth knowledge of early childhood education methodologies to tailor educational interventions for children with disabilities. (++++)
• Develop age-appropriate teaching techniques and curricula that align with the developmental stages and individual needs of young learners, recognizing the importance of a strong foundation in early childhood education. (++)

Required Skills and Knowledge :

• The ability to lead and manage the early years and gender component of the project.
• Proficiency in project management to ensure the successful execution of the program.
• Ability to provide guidance, training, and mentorship to teachers, facilitators, and educational staff
• The ability to collaboratively design inclusive curriculum and TLMs for children.
• Ability to conduct literature review, desk research, summarise and condense information, academic writing, creative writing

Knowledge

• In-depth knowledge of early childhood education and gender inclusive education practices.
• Knowledge of project management principles and practices.
• Knowledge of how to provide guidance, training, and mentorship to teachers and educational staff, especially in the context of inclusive education.
• Knowledge of curriculum design principles and the ability to work with educators, curriculum developers, and special education experts to create inclusive curricula.
• Knowledge of educational research methods, social science statistics, instructional design

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree in a relevant field (Education, Management, Social Work, Social Sciences, etc). Master`s degree is preferred.
• 10+ years of leadership experience in PM roles, preferably in education or social advocacy.
• Teaching experience is necessary
• Willingness to promote innovation and adapt to change.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work collaboratively and independently, with a strong commitment to inclusivity and diversity.
• Willingness to travel.

Working Location: Mumbai/ Delhi.

Application Process

Please send the following to recruitment@pratham.org. We will reach out to you to set up the application process. To participate in the process, kindly submit the form available at https://forms.gle/Rnzh52x1cWCeTXxm7.

Your resume should contain –

• Contact information
• Academic background: Universities attended and degrees acquired with academic record (Marks or GPA, if applicable)
• Past work experience, highlighting relevant skills
• Relevant Coursework: List Courses in Development, Management, and Education
• Experiences in development, teaching and/or education (if applicable)
• Interest areas/hobbies
• Languages spoken

Note: Pratham is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to creating an inclusive and diverse workforce and consider all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age or disability. We encourage individuals from underrepresented groups, especially persons with disabilities to apply.