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Senior Program Manager – Mid-Tier Strengthening

  • Company

    Room to Read India

  • Location

    Delhi

  • Employment Type

    Full-Time

  • Functional Category

    Programme Management & Implementation

  • Experience

    8 - 10 years

About Room to Read India

Room to Read is a global nonprofit transforming the lives of children in low-income communities by focusing on Literacy and Gender equality in education. Established in India in 2003, presently has programs in ten states – Chhattisgarh, Delhi NCR, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Telangana, Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh. Our Literacy Program has been implemented in 15642 government schools, training 25,741 teachers trained in library management and reading activities. Over the same period our Girls’ Education & Gender Equality Program has benefited over 62,457 girls. Founded in 2000 on the belief that World Change Starts with Educated Children®, our innovative model focuses on deep, systemic transformation within schools during two time periods that are most critical in a child’s schooling: early primary school for literacy acquisition and secondary school for girls’ education. We work in collaboration with local communities, partner organizations, and governments to develop literacy skills and a habit of reading among primary school children and ensure girls can complete secondary school with the skills necessary to negotiate key life decisions. The Room to Read global headquarters is in San Francisco, and we have smaller fundraising offices in Hong Kong, London, and Delhi.

Overview of the Role

The Senior Program Manager – Mid-Tier Leadership Strengthening will play a central role in shaping and leading LLF’s national work on system leadership and mid-tier strengthening. This is a senior position requiring both strategic vision and hands-on execution. The person will: Drive the next phase of LLF’s work on mid-tier system strengthening — spanning district, block, and cluster levels, Lead multiple workstreams — research, implementation, partnerships, and policy engagement, Guide the design of differentiated capacity-building programs for Teacher Mentors and Academic Coordinators, And represent LLF’s mid-tier leadership work at national and international forums. The role will require deep understanding of how academic leadership, mentoring, and supervision interact to shape classroom quality — and how this can be institutionalized in public systems.

Job Description

Strategic Leadership
• Lead the development of a comprehensive roadmap for LLF’s mid-tier work, aligning with the organization’s long-term strategy and 2030 vision.
• Envision pathways for strengthening district, block, and cluster-level academic leadership, especially the Teacher Mentor cadre.
• Identify opportunities for state partnerships, research collaborations, and new programmatic innovations.
• Conceptualize multi-year initiatives that integrate capacity building, research, and systems reform.

Program and Research Leadership
• Oversee ongoing research and diagnostic studies focused on mid-tier leadership, mentoring, and supervision practices.
• Design and manage implementation pilots that test leadership and mentoring models across states.
• Supervise research on the Teacher Mentor cadre — including their classroom observation practices, feedback mechanisms, and professional development needs.
• Collaborate closely with LLF’s Research, CPD, and State Program teams to ensure integration and coherence across all strands of work.

Capacity Building and Innovation
• Lead the design of differentiated capacity-building frameworks for mid-tier leaders — including district/block officers and Teacher Mentors.
• Integrate innovative learning methods such as digital microlearning, peer learning communities, and behavioral nudges.
• Use research evidence to build training frameworks, leadership toolkits, and mentoring protocols tailored to mid-tier roles.
• Document models and implementation insights for replication across states.

Stakeholder and Government Engagement
• Serve as LLF’s key representative for mid-tier work in engagements with government officials, donors, and institutional partners.
• Strengthen collaborations with SCERTs, DIETs, and SPMUs to embed mid-tier capacity-building frameworks within state systems.
• Support state teams to align mid-tier work with ongoing FLN and teacher development initiatives.
• Contribute to policy-level advocacy on professional standards, job descriptions, and CPD frameworks for mid-tier roles.

Knowledge, Advocacy, and Representation
• Document and disseminate learnings from mid-tier initiatives through reports, policy briefs, and case studies.
• Represent LLF’s work at national and international forums, highlighting insights on mid-tier leadership and system reform.
• Contribute to knowledge-sharing through publications, research dissemination, and practitioner networks.

Team and Resource Management
• Manage a small and growing team, ensuring alignment, quality, and mentorship.
• Oversee budgets, timelines, and work plans for multi-state implementation.
• Ensure effective use of resources and compliance with donor and organizational requirements.

Required & Preferred Qualifications

Skill

• Strategic and systems-thinking approach.
• Strong communication, writing, and representation skills.
• Comfort with data-driven planning and research.
• Experience managing teams and multi-stakeholder projects.
• Ability to work effectively within government structures.
• Commitment to LLF’s mission of equitable foundational learning.

Education

Master’s degree in Education, Public Policy, Management, or a related field.

Experience

• Minimum 8–10 years of experience in education reform, leadership development, or system strengthening. • Demonstrated experience in leading research and implementation programs focused on school or system leadership. • Experience working closely with government education systems, preferably at state or district levels. • Prior engagement with teacher mentoring, capacity building, or academic coordination structures will be a strong advantage. • Experience in representing work at national or international platforms is desirable.