Project Associate, Nashik District Transformation

Full-Time (Nashik ) 2-3 years Experience

**About Leadership For Equity (LFE)**:
Leadership For Skilled Education Foundation (branded as **Leadership For Equity,** LFE), is a non-profit (NGO) based out of Pune, Maharashtra.

We envision Public Education Systems That Refuse To Let Children Down

**APPROACH**: In our two-fold approach to change, we build the capacity of government system leaders and we influence system processes. In partnership with the local and state education bodies, we co-create programs that shift teaching-learning practices and improve student learning and well-being. This work coupled with our research and advisory support to influence policies, we hope to create an effective government education system.

Over the last 5 years, LFE has built the capacity of** 2100+** system leaders, and **40,200+** teachers to impact **8 million** students across Maharashtra. Additionally, LFE has recently expanded its operations and started working in another 3 states of India including Haryana, Tripura & Andhra Pradesh. In **Maharashtra,** LFE works with **5 districts** (Pune, Nashik, Nagpur, Satara & Akola), **3 municipal bodies** (Pune MC, Pimpri Chinchwad MC & Nagpur MC) & **5 state level education bodie**s (School Education Dept, SCERT, Samagra Shiksha, Tribal Development Dept, & TRTI). In **Andhra Pradesh**, LFE works closely with the Samagra Shiksha Office, **SCERT** & **The World Bank** on a multi-year strategic project to improve the quality of learning across 26 districts of the State. And lastly in **Haryana & Tripura**, LFE works with **SCERTs** of both states in setting up targeted program management units (PMUs) to strengthen delivery of large-scale academic programs.

**BELIEF**: We believe Public Education Systems are the gatekeepers of social EQUITY, especially when India's 120 million poorest-of-the-poor children continue to go to government-run schools. A multi-layered, complex, and systemic problem of educational inequity, will require a solution rooted in the SYSTEMS CHANGE approach. We believe that a COLLECTIVE effort by forging partnerships with governments, like-minded philanthropists, corporates, donors, nonprofits and grassroot organisations will help bring scalable and sustainable social change.

**Job Description and Responsibilities**:
We see the Project Associate role at LFE to be a highly aspirational role where the scope to learn about and create impact at a systemic level is immense. The Project Associate will work with the Project Manager to play a critical leadership role in ensuring planning for and execution of the responsibilities listed below. They include but are not limited to:
**Planning and Execution (60%)**:

- Work on planning/designing the overall project strategy in conjunction with the Project Manager
- Work with government stakeholders to design interventions that align with government needs as well as LFE’s project design.
- Work with government teachers/teacher mentors for their development as per the plan
- Execute the project strategy in coordination with government stakeholders at Zilla Parishad and DIET, Nashik.

**Stakeholder Management (20%)**:

- Work with government stakeholders right from the District education officer of Nashik Zilla Parishad, Principal of Nashik DIET to on-ground officers’ team of cluster heads, block education officers to build long-lasting relationships that aid project operations and expansion plans
- Manage a team of teachers, teacher mentors to execute the project and also bring about their professional development
- Plan and execute quarterly update meetings with stakeholders and provide progress towards goals of the project to all stakeholders

**Data analysis & Documentation (10%)**:

- Support manager/M&E team to implement tools platform partners to link created content based on requirements
- Analyse data from field
- Creation of reports for stakeholders and funders

**Monitoring & Evaluation (10%)**:

- Circulate tools to measure the effectiveness of ongoing projects
- Support team to analyze the data to provide ongoing insights to internal and external teams
- Support in compiling project impact reports from impact data

**Requirements**:
**Education & Experience**:

- Minimum of 2-3 years of experience in planning and executing projects
- Experience of working in Maharashtra with government stakeholders would be preferable
- Experience of designing and facilitating trainings
- A degree or experience in education sector

**Knowledge, Skills & Capabilities**:

- Excellent written and oral communication skills - and functional knowledge (oral and written) of **Marathi** would be highly preferred
- Strong facilitation skills to conduct engaging meetings and training sessions with government stakeholders
- Strong ability to create outstanding presentations, work with Microsoft Excel, Google Suite, and varied data sets
- Belief in the potential of the public sector and that government systems can and will change