Sr Project Associate District Transformation Project

About Centre for Learning Resources (CLR)

Centre for Learning Resources (CLR) is one of the oldest Indian non-profit educational institutions of the Society for Educational Improvement and Innovation, based out of Pune, founded by India's veteran educator couple John Kurrien & Zakiya Kurrien. We have been working in the domains of early childhood care and development (ECCD), Foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN) & English as a second language (ESL) since 1984. We have supported various government organisations and NGOs across the country in 9 states which include Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand, Odisha, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, and Rajasthan. Offshore engagements have included Indonesia & Nepal.

CLR's vision is to assist in creating a more just and equitable society through the integrated development of children from marginalised communities, such that they grow up in child-centred environments that nurture their holistic growth and learning. Our mission is to build large-scale capacities of the ICDS systems, which are charged with this responsibility, so they can deliver effectively. This includes government machinery, civil society organisations, and NGOs. 

(For more information log onto http://www.clrindia.org/)

About the project

CLR runs a ‘District Transformation Project’ in the District of Nashik in northern Maharashtra, with the goal of improving learning outcomes for over 2.5 lakh students in 3,500 Zilla Parishad Schools in Nashik. We are looking for an experienced team member with deep experience in working with governments and working in the team as a strong team player and leading the team. Applicant must be proficient in communicating with external stakeholders for smoother project operations in Nashik.

This project is in partnership with Leadership For Skilled Education Foundation.

(For more information log onto https://leadershipforequity.org/)

 About the Role: Description & Responsibilities

The Senior Associate will work with ZP Education department officers and DIET officers to ensure project goals are achieved. Additionally, the Sr Associate will collaborate with members of the team and support manager/senior manager as and when required.

Project Operations (30%)

• Support in working on the overall vision, strategy, and implementation plan for this project in conjunction with the Leadership Team at CLR
• Work with government stakeholders to co-design interventions that align with government needs as well as CLR’s organisational priorities
• Design and implement long term and monthly plans to implement priorities defined by functional verticals in alignment with the district strategy/ ToC
• Lead operations for the project, ensuring monthly, quarterly and yearly goals are on track
• Create mechanisms, tools etc. to track and evaluate progress towards goals

Team Management (20%)

• Manage a team of 2-3 associates, focusing on their deliverables, professional support and development
• Implement the reporting structures that aligns with CLR’s management style to ensure accountability for self and team
• Support Project Manager in leading structures to sustain a culture of collaboration, belief in public systems and strong accountability and delivery in team

Stakeholder Management (30%)

• Work with a hierarchy of stakeholders to build long-lasting relationships that aid project operations and expansion plans 
• Conduct regular update meetings with stakeholders and provide progress towards goals of the Project in a consumable format to all stakeholders

Data analysis & Documentation (20%)

• Support manager as well as M&E team to plan design and implement tools and analyse collected data and come up with Next Steps for the project
• Analyse data from field 
• Creation of mid year and End of year reports for Stakeholders and Funders

Requirement: Education & Experience

• Bachelors in any field. Masters in Education / Development degree is preferred.
• Experience of  working in Maharashtra and with the Education Department and Government schools is MUST.
• Prior experience in managing small teams would be highly preferred 
• At least 4-5 years of experience in working on implementation of projects and facilitation is MUST.
• Interest or prior experience in facilitation during Capacity building workshops can be an added advantage 
• Willingness to travel to different blocks of Nashik Districts and to Head offices as and when required.
• Experience of teaching in the classroom is preferred.

Knowledge, Skills & Capabilities

• Excellent written and oral communication skills - and proficiency (oral and written) of Marathi & English is MUST. 
• Experience in project design and M&E (basic)
• Belief in the potential of the public sector and that government systems can and will change towards overcoming systemic inequities and ensuring improved outcomes for all citizens
• Being able to take initiative and work in an autonomous, semi-structured environment
• Adaptability to changing responsibilities and resourcefulness to respond to them
• High openness to learning
• Understanding of Government systems, processes and policies along with capability of influencing them.
• Ability to build and sustain relationships with multiple stakeholders & partners across public and private spaces
• Strong ability to create outstanding presentations, work with Microsoft Excel, Google Suite, and varied data sets
• Patience and resilience to stick it out in the face of setbacks and uncertainties

Location and Compensation

Location: Nashik. Will involve travel to different blocks within Nashik district.

Compensation: Expected to be around 6.0 - 7.0 lakh INR per annum based on experience.