Programme Manager

Role: Programme Manager, India Team

Salary: 85,000 Rs./month (Take home + variable)

Location: Bangalore

Employment: Full-time

Work Experience: 6 years+ minimum in the development sector

Joining Date: 1st Nov 2023

About Project DEFY: Project DEFY is a non profit based out of Bangalore, India that has been working in the sector of self design learning through learning spaces called ‘Nooks’. The organisation works globally facilitating the setting up of ‘Nooks’ in communities hit by marginalisation and keen on creating their own learning systems.

What is the Role
The Programme Manager role at DEFY is a crucial leadership role which entails overseeing and managing the operations of our Nooks across India. As the Programme Manager, you will be working closely with our local partners and implementing organisations and their staff in order to make sure that the various self-designed learning centres run smoothly and efficiently, and new innovations and programmes are being introduced and run successfully in the Nook. Besides managing existing partnerships, you will also work together with other DEFY team members to forge and create new partnerships so we can expand the Nook concept all over the country. As the Programme Manager, you will get an exciting opportunity to work together with a dedicated team at our Bangalore office as well as on the ground in our various Nook locations to make India’s learning revolution a reality.

Who are we looking for
We are looking for an energetic, proactive individual who is passionate about the alternative education sector and has practical on-ground experience in this area. Having been involved in hands-on, maker-projects and technology-based innovations would be desirable. The candidate should also have some experience in managing projects and teams and, ideally, in building long-term partnerships. Having a track record in raising funds is considered as an additional advantage. The Programme Manager also should be able to communicate well and clearly with a variety of stakeholders, from local Nook Managers to implementation partners, funders, media and others. Turning thoughts into processes and having excellent documentation and report-writing skills is another important factor. Having project management experience is an important skill for the role since you will oversee all the Indian Nooks. As our Nooks are spread across India (urban, rural and remote), you will be excited to travel for extended periods of time to the various locations.

Responsibilities

Managerial:
● Responsible for achieving the implementation metrics quarterly
● Creating and Managing Nooks with two team members (finances, partnerships, project operations)
● Assisting the CGO with establishing new partnerships
● Taking ownership of processes and identifying gaps, help the team to fill the gap.
● Training of local team members in processes and procedures
● Supporting projects and processes inside the Nooks
● Tracking documentation and progress of Nooks using project management tools
● Assessing and Reporting on status and impact & outcomes of the Nooks working closely with M&E head
● Making visits to the Nooks on regular basis for gathering insights and key intervention requirements
● Risk assessments of the Nooks and co creating mitigation strategies with the Indian team
● Responsible for on time reports of the Nooks working closely with the field staff and M&E
● Project planning with direct reportees that outlines their tasks, timelines, dependencies, daily work breakdown structure, estimating task durations (including travel) and effective resource allocation
● Participating in fundraising efforts by creating required pitches, decks, proposals along with CGO

Stakeholder Management:
● Manage the partners on ground including but not limited to partner NGOs, government, program team, fellows and beneficiaries when required
● Manage the schedules of partner calls drafting call agenda
● Co create goals for the Nook

Program Design
● Assessing upcoming new program design requirements within the direct programs at Nooks, process design requirements for the Indian team and creating the strategy for these along with CGO.
● Contributing to continuous evolution and improvement processes within the Nooks based on impact evidence and new innovations.
● Initiating a few design processes based on DEFY’s design process method.

Operations
● Managing everyday operations including but not limited to quarterly plans, finance, data management, visits.
● Working closely with the finance lead on managing and utilisation of project specific funds
● Providing regular updates to CGO on funds utilisation and risk assessments

Team Growth
● Creating and reviewing direct reportees KRA and KPIs
● Creating the learning and growth plans for the team
● Reviewing the framework for field staff and co designing iterative editions

Required Skills
● Project Management
● Documentation & Reporting
● Budget Creation & Finance Management
● Empathic Communication and clear articulation of thoughts & processes
● Systems thinking
● Hindi, English (other regional languages spoken (Kannada etc.) are an advantage)
● Professional MS Office Skills (Word, Excel and others)
● Technology skills
● Team L&D
● Detailed oriented and organised
● High on leadership and people management skills
● Led by data and facts
● Effective communication skills

Desired Experience
● Community-building (particularly with marginalised population groups)
● Engaging with culturally diverse audiences
● Facilitation
● Maker-projects & technology-based innovations
● Fundraising

Please apply here - ,selecting the appropriate job title.

Work Culture
As a young non-profit organisation, Project DEFY offers you the opportunity to be part of an exciting journey to revolutionise the Indian education system. In this journey, hard work as well as an open mind and the willingness to take on new challenges is required. At the same time, we are a close-knit team that values time spent together and always strives to have its fair share of fun. We appreciate every team member equally and attempt to have as little hierarchies as possible within the organisation.
We believe in affirmative action and particularly encourage people from marginalised backgrounds to apply, including sexual/gender minorities, adult children of sex workers, people living with HIV, dalits, adivasis, women, religious and ethnic minorities.