Senior Program Manager
- Company
The Quest Alliance
- Location
Bengaluru(Karnataka)
- Employment Type
Full-Time
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Functional Category
Research & Knowledge Management
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Experience
10 - 11 years
About The Quest Alliance
The Quality Education and Skills Training (QUEST) Alliance is a not for profit trust that focuses on research-led innovation and advocacy in the field of teaching and learning. It engages with multiple stakeholders to demonstrate and enable scalable solutions in education and vocational training using Information and Communication Technology (ICT). We provide children & youth, age 10-30, a set of real-world skills along with opportunities to build confidence in a fun and engaging way that prepares them for work and life.
- Website
Overview of the Role
The Senior Program Manager – Schools Program will lead the Karnataka state strategy, oversee high-quality implementation across districts, and drive deep government partnerships to mainstream future skills education at scale. This role requires strong strategic thinking, government engagement expertise, and the ability to lead complex, multi-stakeholder programs.
Job Description
Strategic Planning, Systems Change & Program Leadership
• Anchor and drive the Karnataka state strategy in alignment with organizational priorities and long-term systems-change goals.
• Develop annual operational plans with clear milestones, budgets, timelines, and delivery frameworks across program components.
• Lead the development of a 3–5 year state strategy, including resource planning, team structure, and scale pathways.
• Identify and pursue strategic partnerships, advocacy opportunities, and ecosystem collaborations to advance future skills for career readiness.
• Ensure all donor commitments are met, including timely, accurate narrative and data reporting.
• Lead financial forecasting, track utilization, ensure compliance, and proactively manage deviations and risks.
Government Engagement & Advocacy
• Build and sustain strong partnerships with key state stakeholders, including:
• Karnataka Residential Educational Institutions Society (KREIS)
• DSERT / SCERT
• Samagra Shikshana Karnataka
• State Boards and allied institutions
• Represent Quest Alliance in state-level forums, consultations, and review meetings.
• Advocate for institutionalization of Future Skills within curriculum, teacher training, and assessment frameworks.
• Ensure program indicators are integrated into government monitoring systems to enable mainstream implementation and reduce parallel processes.
• Mobilize government resources (budgets, venues, logistics, printing, training infrastructure, etc.) to support scale and sustainability.
Program Delivery & Quality Assurance
• Work closely with the Learning Experience team to contextualize curriculum and ensure high-quality implementation.
• Coordinate with the Associate Program Manager to support district-level rollout and resolve operational challenges.
• Track progress rigorously using reviews, dashboards, data systems, and field insights to ensure timely achievement of targets with quality.
• Establish, strengthen, and monitor the Master Trainer cadre to enable statewide educator capacity building.
• Conduct regular field visits to gather qualitative insights and inform continuous program improvement.
• Ensure data-driven decision-making by integrating M&E learnings into design, delivery, and planning.
Internal Collaboration & Governance
• Actively contribute to organizational planning and cross-team alignment processes.
• Ensure coordination with FAIT and other internal teams, tracking interdependencies using systems such as Jira.
• Maintain high standards of internal documentation, compliance, and governance.
Team Leadership & Development
• Lead and mentor the state team, ensuring role clarity, performance goals, and accountability.
• Foster a culture of ownership, collaboration, inclusion, and alignment with Quest values.
• Conduct regular performance reviews and support access to learning, capacity-building, and exposure opportunities.
• Ensure staff welfare, adherence to HR processes, and inclusive workplace practices.
• Build strong M&E capability within the team and ensure insights are consistently applied to delivery and planning.
• Uphold a culture of respectful, open, and professional communication.
Required & Preferred Qualifications
Skill
• Strong understanding of the Karnataka education ecosystem, NEP 2020, and SCERT/DSERT frameworks.
• Proven experience in educator capacity building and facilitating workshops with government officials.
• Strong financial management, budgeting, compliance, and data-driven planning skills.
• High digital fluency, including Google Workspace and project management tools.
• Willingness and ability to travel extensively across Karnataka.
Experience
10+ years of experience leading large-scale education or EdTech programs (Future Skills, STEM, Computational Thinking, or AI preferred). 5–6+ years of experience managing complex, state-level initiatives with multiple stakeholders.