Senior Project Lead - District Project Management Units (DPMUs)

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About the Organization

Founded in 2012, Central Square Foundation (CSF) is a non-profit philanthropic foundation working on 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 children's learning outcomes, especially in low-income communities.

Job Description

The Senior Project Lead (SPL) will be key to designing and implementing CSFs district focused theory of change. SPL will drive district‐level education reform by leading a DPMU portfolio to strengthen foundational literacy & numeracy (FLN) outcomes. You will translate policy into practice, shape strategy, coach field teams, and partner closely with senior government officials to create a data‐driven, high‐accountability and support implementation culture.

Job Responsibilities

Strategic Direction & Planning

• Co-design goals, implementation plan, and performance metrics for DPMU team
• Craft annual & quarterly roadmaps anchored in the NIPUN Bharat mission design
• Align priorities across central, district & block tiers and ensure effective implementation

Build and Manage High Performing Field teams

• Support hiring, onboarding and induction processes for the DPMU teams to increase team preparedness
• Build capacity through structured support mechanisms, create culture of support, learning, and accountability
• Setting performance benchmarks, proactively identify gaps, and implementing plans to address them.

Setting district level strategy and roadmaps

• Work closely with District Leads to design and rollout FLN initiatives in districts
• Conducting regular field visits to gain insights on progress, opportunities, and bottlenecks in implementation and resolving them
• Setting success metrics on inputs and outputs, and periodically evaluating the progress.

Data-Driven Decision-Making

• Enhance data collection processes, ensure data reliability, and promote its effective use for decision-making.
• Engage with district and state level stakeholders to generate actionable insights.

Strengthening District-State Coordination for Effective FLN Implementation

• Engage regularly with District Magistrates (DMs), Chief Development Officers (CDOs), and Basic Shiksha Adhikaris (BSAs) to share updates, progress and ways to improve student learning
• Collaborate with the State Project Management Unit (SPMU) to align district efforts with state design.
• Lead pilot projects to address specific district challenges or test innovative approaches.

Documentation & Reporting

• Ensure timely and accurate reporting on goals, progress, and outcomes, across districts.
• Document quantitative and qualitative impacts of district-level interventions.
• Promote collaboration and knowledge sharing among district teams to enhance outcomes.

Education Qualification/Required Skills & Experience

• Bachelors degree is required. Masters degree preferred (education, development studies, public policy, social sciences, MBA).
• At least 9 years of experience, demonstrating team management, project delivery and stakeholder management.
• Prior experience with managing field teams, state, and district-level Governments is highly desirable.

Core Competencies & Mindsets

• Systems Thinking: sees connections from classroom to policy; designs interventions that respect local nuance
• Bias for Action & Ownership: moves quickly from insight to implementation; holds self and others accountable
• Coaching Orientation: develops people through constructive feedback and stretch assignments
• Data‐Driven Rigor: insists on evidence before judgment; comfortable challenging assumptions with facts
• Inclusive Leadership: fosters psychological safety, values diverse voices, and champions equity
• Collaboration : Being able to drive coordination within and outside CSF teams. Actively engage with multiple government departments to align and implement the mission workstreams
• Setting-up team : Being able to set up a high performing team, set structures for learning and growth, and manage performance
• Entrepreneurial : Being able to ideate solutions independently, ensure effective utilization of bandwidth and resources, and persist towards generating outcomes.

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