Program Lead

About the Organisation:

SVATAH Education Foundation works to foster financial literacy among students and adults from marginalized communities, believing it to be one of the most critical skills of the 21st century. Our mission is simple yet powerful: to empower individuals and communities to make informed financial decisions, leading them towards a life of stability for themselves and their families.

In just a few years, through our programs, we have -

• Directly engaged with 2,500+ students and 1,000+ women a year
• Trained 650+ teachers in personal finance
• Reached multiple states and districts.

We've been proud to be incubated by I
nnovatED
and 
IIM-B's NSRCEL
, and to collaborate with partners such as 
Zerodha, Zomato, L&T,
DIET & Zilla Parishad (Nagpur), 
Teach For India, Samagra Shikshana-Karnataka
, among others. As we continue to grow, our vision is clear: to become 
India's leading not-for-profit in financial literacy
.

Ready to lead this movement?

At SVATAH, we believe money shouldn't be a mystery. We're teaching school kids, women in self-help groups and communities, teachers, and blue-collar workers to not just learn about money — but to live it.

Our work has reached classrooms, community halls, and corporate boardrooms. Now, 
we're looking for our next Program Lead
— someone who can take our following flagship programs to the next level:

• Bhavishya
  – Financial literacy for students
• Pragya
   – Empowering women and communities through money skills
• Shikshak
   – Equipping teachers with personal finance knowledge
• Vikas
   – Supporting blue-collar workers with financial literacy

This isn't just a job
 — it's your chance to shape how young people think about money and themselves, to lead and mentor a driven team, and to be part of an organisation that experiments, innovates, and never settles for "business as usual."

Key responsibilities will include, but are not limited to:

• Program Leadership:
   Ability to design, implement, and oversee multi-layered programs with attention to both detail and big-picture outcomes.
• Innovation Mindset:
   Comfort with experimenting, prototyping, and adapting new tools or methods to make financial literacy engaging and scalable.
• People Leadership:
   Proven capacity to mentor, coach, and grow team members — building trust, accountability, and alignment with organizational goals and values.
• Culture Building:
   Experience in creating structures (conversations, feedback loops, reflection spaces) that nurture growth, leadership, and strong team culture.
• Strategic Thinking:
   Ability to facilitate step-back planning, reflect on progress, and adjust course to meet evolving needs.
• Hiring & Systems Orientation:
   Experience in recruiting and setting up smooth processes for onboarding, performance, and team support.
• Stakeholder Communication:
   Strong written and verbal communication skills; comfort engaging with diverse stakeholders (schools, NGOs, corporates, government).
• Adaptability & Problem-Solving:
   Thrive in dynamic environments, balance multiple priorities, and find creative solutions in moments of ambiguity.

One Year From Now, You'll Be Proud That You Have:

• Strengthened the 
  delivery of SVATAH's flagship programs across geographies
  , ensuring they ran smoothly and created real impact.
• Piloted fresh ideas
   and approaches that made our work more engaging, effective, or scalable.
• Built a facilitator team that felt 
  supported, trusted, and inspired
   — with 
  structures
   that enabled their growth and leadership.
• Established regular 
  rhythms of reflection and planning
   that kept the team aligned, focused, and motivated.
• Nurtured a 
  culture
   of 
  extreme ownership, excellence, and empathy
   — making
  SVATAH's values
   visible in how the team worked together.

Qualifications and Expectations

• Min 4 years
   of work experience in program management & development.
• At least 
  2 years of team leadership
  /
  people management
   experience.
• Master's degree in education
  , social sciences, development, or management OR equivalent 
  on-ground experience
   (e.g., Teach For India, Gandhi Fellowship, etc).
• Strong 
  communication, adaptability, and alignment
   with SVATAH's values

Perks that actually matter

• Salary:
  ₹60,000/month, with the commitment to review and increase compensation following our next fundraising cycle.
• Health Insurance:
   ₹5 lakh coverage
• Work-from-home
   in 
  Bengaluru
  ; travel to field sites required
• Professional Growth:
   Annual learning budget for courses/workshops
• Travel Adventures:
   School and partner visits across cities
• Small but Mighty Team:
   You'll never be just a number here.

A Note from the outgoing Program Lead, Preethi:

When I look back at my journey at SVATAH, it has been 
nothing short of transformative
. I've had the privilege of helping 
build our programs from the ground up
 — designing financial literacy journeys for students, women, workers, and teachers, while also shaping strategy, systems, and partnerships. But what has made this experience truly special is the 
team and culture
 here.

At Svatah, we don't just "run programs." 
We build with people, not for them
. We hold space for 
reflection, voice, and dignity
 — for our participants, partners, and for ourselves as a team. I've grown as a leader here, because I was encouraged to 
dream big, question deeply, and create boldly
 — while always being 
supported by a team that cares and shows up
for each other.

As I transition out of my role, we are looking for someone who will not just "fit in" but will take Svatah forward towards its vision of a 
financially literate India.