Project Manager, Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning

Job Description Nature of employment: Full-time Reporting to: (Sr.)Programme Manager Location: Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh About Peepul Peepul is an education-focused non-profit organisation committed to transforming India's education system and enabling every child to reach their full potential. We work closely with national, state, and local governments to transform government schools and government systems. Currently, we work with governments in Delhi and Madhya Pradesh to meaningfully have an impact across 325,000 teachers and 9.75 million+ students across 100,000+ schools. At Peepul, we collaborate with school systems to build the capacity of leaders, teachers, and institutions. We advocate for policy improvements, support mentoring and monitoring, and enhance student-teacher engagement in classrooms. Our work has been recognised internationally, including receiving the Commonwealth Education Awards for Innovation and being featured in reports by respected organisations like the UN and the National Ministry of Education, India, and we are well-funded by both Indian CSR and prominent international Foundations working toward a common purpose of excellent education for the most disadvantaged sections of society. Driven by our core values of impact, excellence, and leadership, we are a restless, resilient, and reflective organisations. Our team of 200+ employees is passionate about creating lasting change and is rewarded competitively for their dedication. Join us in our mission to create a world where every child has equal access to high-quality education. Learn more about our transformative work at http://peepulindia.org. Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) Overview Our organisation has successfully established a sophisticated Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) function in the past two years, utilising cutting-edge tools like Alteryx and PowerBI to handle large-scale data. We have collaborated closely with various programs to co-design and implement effective impact measurement tools. Our approach includes developing comprehensive Theories of Change for the organisation and its programs, allowing us to seamlessly connect various experiences and insights. In the next three years, we plan to leverage our impact track record and learnings to be a leading thought leader in the sector and a role model of impact measurement. We are involved with one of the early Development Impact Bonds in education in India, are working on large-scale programmes, and are staying deeply rooted in our exemplar schools as innovation grounds all of these pioneering initiatives come together to form a strong MEL launchpad for the organisation. About the role The Project Manager at Peepul is purpose-driven, actively sharing the organisation's values and accommodating diverse working styles to enhance team performance. They serve as an impact-oriented individual contributor or team manager, leading program components independently with high-quality output. Taking ownership of the workstream process, the Project Manager thinks entrepreneurially, seeks opportunities to broaden impact, and fosters organization-building events. They develop expertise through research, leverage organisational resources, and contribute to valuable knowledge assets. As a leader, the Project Manager communicates openly, builds rapport across the organisation, energises the team, and effectively manages their energy levels. The Project Manager will lead the Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning (MEL) function for specific programs/interventions in Delhi and Madhya Pradesh. Measuring impact is in the DNA of our organisation, especially as we grow and scale our work. This is an exciting opportunity for an individual who wants to take up a leadership role, bring rigour to our program evaluation, and ensure that we are iterating on program design and course-correcting, where necessary, using data and evidence. Responsibilities would include (including but not limited to): - Contribute to the organisation's MEL design and strategy to become a sector leader in impact measurement. - Create frameworks for the design and execution of the organisation-wide MEL strategy and collaborate with the MEL lead on monitoring and impact evaluation internally or collaborate with external agencies, analyse findings from such evaluations, and use learnings to inform program design. - Evaluate the performance of all core programs of Peepul through tools defined in the M&E Framework, particularly for our assessment reforms program in Bhopal. - Implement systems and processes to improve MEL and program cycles. - Drive data-based decision-making within the organization. - Lead the design of the monitoring and evaluation framework and the tools for different Peepul programs in Bhopal, particularly involving assessment reforms. - Ensure timely implementation of monitoring projects with a strong focus on execution and quality assurance including data validity checks, analysis/interpretation, and editorial support. - Build the capacity of the different program teams to define impact, interpret and use data to drive programmatic decision-making. - Shape thought leadership of Peepul in the sector. - Collaborate with the MEL lead, communication team, and senior leadership teams to build Peepul into a thought leader in the sector. - Contribute to research projects to collect and analyse data from organisations across India and abroad to build evidence that can be used to inform practitioners, funders, and policymakers within the education sector. - Produce high-quality, periodic evaluation reports for internal use and funder reports. Qualifications and Role Requirements: At Peepul, we seek talented professionals passionate about driving educational transformation and making a positive impact. We are looking for individuals who possess the following qualifications and meet the role requirements: - Educational Background: A relevant educational background in international development, statistics, education, public policy, economics, or a related field. - Work Experience: We value both professional and personal experience. Candidates with 6-8 years of experience in the private/public sector with successful research management and monitoring/evaluation in the development sector. Prior education sector experience, especially in assessment-informed instruction, is a plus. Expertise in designing, implementing, and executing MEL systems, including indicator selection, data collection, reporting, and database management. - Other Skills: Excellent quantitative, qualitative, problem-solving, analytical, and statistical analysis skills (including advanced Microsoft Excel skills and experience with analytical tools such as SPSS, Stata, R, Alteryx, or Python) - Language Proficiency: English and Hindi How to apply To apply for a position, click on the application link here. You will be required to upload: - Your CV: Please ensure that your CV provides relevant information about your professional and personal experience and details of your academic qualifications. CVs can be one to two pages in length. - A cover letter: We highly encourage you to use your cover letter to showcase your specific interest in working for Peepul and demonstrate how your qualifications align with the role you are applying for. A tailored cover letter holds significant importance in Peepul's recruitment process as it enables us to comprehend your motivations for the position, your relevant skills, and the clarity of your writing. For any further queries related to our hiring process and timelines, please contact us at [Confidential Information].