Project Lead

Job Description About the job Project Lead - District Project Management Unit (DPMU) Job Title: Project Lead - District Project Management Unit (DPMU) - Medchal-Malkajgiri District, Telangana Organization: Central Square Foundation Department: Strategic Support States - Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) Location: Medchal-Malkajgiri District, Telangana Central Square Foundation: 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. Learn more about CSF by visiting our Website About the team: Strategic Support States (SSS) team at Central Square Foundation assists the States in designing and implementing the respective state FLN missions to ensure FLN learning outcomes for children. Spread across eight states, CSFs Project Management Units (PMUs) work closely with the state bodies in co-ideating goals for states FLN mission, driving critical workstreams, setting indicators of success across the workstreams, and reviewing mission progress. With key FLN mission building blocks established and rolled out at the state level, SSS has now set up District Project Management Units (DPMUs) in select project districts. These DPMUs are designed to strengthen the on-ground implementation of state-designed interventions, ensuring effective execution at the district level and accelerating progress toward improved learning outcomes. Currently, DPMUs are established in nine districts across Bihar, Odisha, and Telangana, working closely with the district education departments and middle management to drive effective FLN implementation. CSFs work in Telangana: CSF has been actively working with the Department of School Education, Telangana, to strengthen the FLN mission and enhance learning outcomes for Grades 1-5. Over the years, CSF has played a pivotal role in designing and supporting the rollout of critical FLN program components while establishing robust monitoring and implementation mechanisms at the field level. At the state level, CSF works closely with the academic and governance wings of the DepartmentSCERT and Samagra Shikshaengaging with key stakeholders such as the Secretary (Education), Commissioner (School Education), Director (SCERT), and the Additional State Project Director (Samagra Shiksha), among others. At the district level, CSF collaborates with District Collectors, District Educational Officers (DEOs), and Academic Monitoring Officers (AMOs) to support effective implementation. This engagement extends to middle-management officials such as Mandal Education Officers (MEOs), Complex Head Masters (CHMs), and Academic Resource Persons (ARPs) at both the mandal and district levels. These multi-tiered partnerships enable CSF to drive evidence-based interventions, ensuring sustainable improvements in foundational learning across the state. About the position: The Project Lead DPMU Mechal will be based in Medchal-Malkajgiri District. The role involves overseeing the District Project Management Unit (DPMU) in Medchal-Malkajgiri District, focusing on Academic and Governance components of the Telangana FLN mission. The DPMU unit of 2-3 Project Managers led by a Project Lead works with administrative and academic leaders in the district to build mission salience, set short term and mid term goals, build capacity, and undertake micro-innovations that assist student learning. The Project Lead, FLN DPMU project will lead the implementation of the project at the district level and will be responsible for managing a team. Key Responsibilities: 1. Driving implementation of FLN workstreams at district level a. Oversee the rollout of FLN initiatives in the district, b. Build and sustain teacher capacity for FLN, focusing on the quality of training and implementation. c. Strengthen middle management (MEOs, CHMs, and resource persons) to improve school visits, classroom observations, and teacher support. d. Undertake regular field travel to schools and clusters to observe classroom practices and provide onsite support. 1. Data-Driven Decision-Making: a. Enhance data collection processes, ensure data reliability, and promote its effective use for decision-making. b. Work with district, mandal and cluster level stakeholders to generate actionable insights. c. Visit mandals and clusters periodically to support and guide data use in local decision-making. 1. Strengthening District-State Coordination for Effective FLN Implementation: a. Engage regularly with District Collector (DC) and District Educational Officer (DEO) b. Collaborate with the State Project Management Unit (SPMU) to align district efforts with state policies. c. Lead pilot projects to address specific district challenges or test innovative approaches. 1. Leadership and Team Management: a. Mentor and guide the district team to achieve project goals effectively. b. Ensure timely reporting and documentation of project progress, challenges, achievements, and impact. 1. Documentation & Reporting: a. Ensure timely and accurate reporting on progress, outcomes, and financial utilization across districts. b. Document quantitative and qualitative impacts of district-level interventions. c. Capture field insights and translate them into programmatic improvements. Required Qualifications, skills and abilities - Masters degree preferred (education, development studies, public policy, social sciences). - 6 to 9 years of relevant work experience in the education sector, demonstrating project delivery and stakeholder management. - Prior experience with state and district-level Governments is highly desirable. - Proficiency in Telugu and English, with excellent communication skills. - Expertise in project management and large-scale project implementation. - Strong analytical, problem-solving, and stakeholder engagement skills. Location - :Based in Medchal-Malkajgiri district - .Requires significant travel to the field (around 10-12 days/month) .Reporting & team responsibilitie 1. sThis position will report to Senior Project Lead - DPMUs based out in Hyderaba 2. dThis role will need to work very closely with State Project Management Uni 3. tThis position will manage around 2-3 Project Manager sCompensation :Remuneration will be competitive and will depend upon the candidates experience levels . How to Appl - y:Fill out the application form her - e.Upload your resume on the application form (File Name: Firstname_Lastname_Resume).