Project Associate

**Position: Project **Associate, Partnerships and Strategic Initiatives**

**Location: Delhi**

Founded in 2012, Central Square Foundation is a non-profit philanthropic foundation working with 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 the learning outcomes of children, especially from low-income communities.

We believe that effective foundational learning is essential for better learning outcomes for all children in school. Development of foundational literacy and numeracy skills by Class 3 can help children progress to higher levels of learning which is an essential building block for creating equal access to opportunities needed for leading a better life.

In order to achieve this, we partner with individuals and social impact organizations to bring innovative solutions in education, as well as work with the government to drive systemic impact. We also collaborate with the ecosystem to leverage knowledge and create proven tools around critical issues such as early learning, technology in education, classroom instruction methods and governance.

**Position Summary**

CSF supports multiple central government agencies to plan, design and implement large scale education reform initiatives. This involves the co-creation and implementation of comprehensive project plans, providing technical support in the areas of project planning, and coordinating with other agencies involved in the implementation of a program. This demands efficient management of multiple, ambiguous work-streams with tight deadlines, and consistent engagement with government officials at various levels of seniority.

Based out of New Delhi, the Project Associate (PA) will play an important role in ensuring that ambitious reform initiatives are implemented in an efficient and effective manner. The PA will be expected to adapt to ambiguous circumstances, effectively respond to government requests, and strengthen CSF’s strategic goal of improving foundational learning outcomes.

Key responsibilities include but are not limited to:

- Support the team in the partnerships with multiple central government agencies to plan, design and implement large scale education reform initiatives.
- Build and maintain relations with key government officials and other relevant stakeholders in the ecosystem.
- Engage and coordinate with multiple government and non-government agencies (NGO, NPOs and multilaterals), as part of different project implementation initiatives.
- Draft project reports, pitch decks and concept notes to support different Government stakeholders.
- Ensure timely implementation of research projects with a strong focus on execution and quality assurance - including data validity checks, analysis / interpretation and editorial support.
- Provide regular updates to CSF management on progress, insights, opportunities and areas for course correction.

**Required Qualifications, Skills and Abilities**
- Masters or equivalent degree required (background in business, economics, education, public policy preferred)
- 0-2 years of relevant work experience in project management / management consulting / government consulting
- Strong project management skills including an ability to be able to set priorities, plan timelines and meet deadlines for multiple projects simultaneously
- Ability to build and manage relationships with multiple stakeholders
- Excellent research skills and the ability to analyze complex qualitative and quantitative data, craft possible solutions, and recommend actions
- Strong written, verbal communication skills and presentation skills

**Desired Qualities**
- Experience in the education sector would be preferred
- Entrepreneurial spirit and ‘can-do’ attitude
- Operating style suited to working in a small-organization setting, where teamwork, collaboration and resourcefulness are highly valued
- Critical thinking and analytical skills
- Outcome-oriented and thrives in a team environment
- Ability to adapt to emerging situations and multitask efficiently
- Excellent management skills including attention to detail, ability to organize/present information and ability to multitask

**Compensation**

Starting compensation for this role will be 9 LPA

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