State Head
- Company
Sesame Workshop - India
- Location
Shillong, Meghalaya
- Employment Type
Full-Time
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Functional Category
Programme Management & Implementation
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Experience
10 - 15 years
About Sesame Workshop - India
Sesame Workshop India is a Non-Profit Organisation leading the movement to change the landscape of early childhood education and care in India through innovative projects that put children at the centre of development. We bring high-quality educational content to wherever children learn: preschools, classrooms, neighbourhoods, and their homes. Over the last 10 years, we have reached more than 5 million children across India in partnership with the government, other nonprofit organisations and the corporate sector in our mission to help kids grow smarter, stronger, and kinder. For further information, log on to http://www.sesameworkshopindia.org/ Donate here: http://www.sesameworkshopindia.org/donate/gift/
Overview of the Role
The State Head – Meghalaya will serve as the chief field-level leader responsible for translating the tri-partite vision of SBI Foundation, Government of Meghalaya and Sesame Workshop India into high-quality, on-ground execution.
Job Description
The role is accountable for:
• Establishing and operationalising the ECD Graduate Fellowship Program
• Anchoring the care economy model through youth-based ECD workforce development
• Maintaining government, donor and community confidence
2. Strategic Responsibilities:
A. Government Partnership & Mission Alignment:
The State Head will act as the interface between SWI and the Government of Meghalaya for the ECD Fellowship and ECCE strengthening work.
Responsibilities include:
• Working closely with Social Welfare Department, Meghalaya ECD Mission (MECDM) and District Administrations
• Securing Training approvals, District and block-level implementation permissions for deployment of ECD Fellows into Anganwadi Centres
B. Leadership of ECD Fellowship Roll-out:
The State Head will coordinate the execution of the certification-cum-internship program for 1,000 ECD Graduate Fellows across Meghalaya district.
This includes:
• Coordinating:
o Identification of fellows with MECDM, Village Health Councils and district authorities
o Placement of fellows into Anganwadi Centres
• Ensuring:
o Fellows receive structured training through Master Trainers
o Fellows are deployed, mentored and supported during internships
o Stipends, attendance and learning progression are properly tracked
• Overseeing the functioning of the PMU
C. Strengthening Anganwadi Centre Quality:
The State Head is responsible for ensuring that Anganwadi Centres evolve from nutrition-centric spaces into high-quality ECCE centres.
Key responsibilities include:
• Supporting Anganwadi Workers (AWWs) to:
o Adopt play-based, activity-based pedagogy
o Use ECD kits and teaching-learning materials effectively
o Engage parents in early learning
• Overseeing:
o Training of AWWs and Supervisors
o Integration of ECD Fellows into daily AWC functioning
o Improvement in classroom practices and child engagement
D. Monitoring, Data & Accountability:
The State Head is accountable for all performance indicators committed to SBI Foundation. This includes:
• Ensuring:
o Monthly field data is captured and validated
o Digital LMS and MIS systems are used correctly
o Learning assessments and progress tracking follow approved protocols
• Submitting:
o Monthly progress reports
o Quarterly outcome reports
o Case studies and best practice documentation
E. Training, Quality & Field Support
The State Head will provide technical and managerial leadership to the field structure. This includes:
• Planning and overseeing:
o Master Trainer capacity building
o Training cascades for Fellows and AWWs
o District and block-level review meetings
• Conducting:
o Anganwadi Centre monitoring visits per month
o On-site mentoring for Fellows and AWWs
• Ensuring all trainings meet quality standards defined by SWI and SBI Foundation.
F. Logistics, Materials & Compliance
The State Head ensures zero-failure execution of all material and financial flows. This includes:
• Coordinating:
o Distribution of ECD kits to AWCs and ECD Fellows
o Receipt and acknowledgement of materials
• Overseeing:
o Training logistics
o Travel, venue, and documentation
o Invoice verification and submission as per SBIF guidelines
G. Leadership & Management of Key Trainers and Master Trainers:
The State Head shall have full managerial and performance responsibility for the Key Trainers and Master Trainers deployed under the ECD Graduate Fellowship Program.
This includes:
1. Line Management & Performance Accountability The State Head will:
• Directly supervise all Key Trainers and Master Trainers assigned to the state
• Define and communicate:
o Training targets
o Quality benchmarks
o Field mentoring expectations
o Monthly work plans
o Training calendars
o Block-wise deployment schedules
• Review:
o Training delivery quality
o Fellow performance outcomes
o Anganwadi-level adoption of ECCE practices
The State Head is accountable for ensuring that Master Trainers function as high-performing system builders, not just trainers.
2. Training Quality & Cascade Control:
The State Head will ensure the training cascade works as designed:
This includes:
• Ensuring Key Trainers:
o Train Master Trainers using approved curricula and pedagogy
o Certify Master Trainers before field deployment
• Ensuring Master Trainers:
o Deliver training to ECD Fellows with fidelity
o Provide on-site mentoring in Anganwadi Centres
o Support AWWs in adopting play-based ECCE
• Ensuring no dilution of curriculum, pedagogy or training dosage.
3. Digital Learning Management System (LMS) & Content Delivery Responsibilities
The State Head will be responsible for the state-wide adoption and effective use of the Learning Management System (LMS) developed under the ECD Graduate Fellowship Program to support training, certification, and continuous learning of ECD Graduate Fellows, Master Trainers and Anganwadi Workers.
This includes:
• Ensuring that:
o All ECD Graduate Fellows, Master Trainers and Key Trainers, AWWs are onboarded onto the LMS
o Digital training modules, videos, assessments and certifications are accessed and completed as per program design
• Promoting the use of online learning as a core delivery mechanism for:
o ECD Graduate training
o Refresher courses for Anganwadi Workers
• Monitoring LMS data on:
o Course completion
o Assessment scores
o Attendance and engagement
o Certification status
• Using LMS analytics to:
o Identify districts, blocks or individuals falling behind
o Trigger remedial training, coaching and field support
• Coordinating with the SWI digital and program teams to:
o Roll out updated content
o Ensure availability of materials in Khasi, Garo and English
o Resolve field-level adoption challenges
The State Head will be accountable for ensuring that digital learning is fully embedded in the ECCE delivery system and that the LMS becomes a reliable backbone for quality assurance, reporting, and scale-up.
4. Stakeholder & Ecosystem Building
The State Head will contribute to the creation of the Early Childhood Education Alliance by:
• Supporting stakeholder convenings
• Engaging:
o Private sector partners
o NGOs
o Academic and training institutions
• Helping build long-term sustainability for the care economy model in Meghalaya.
Required & Preferred Qualifications
Education
Post-graduate qualification in Education Social Work, Public Policy, Child Development, Development Studies
Experience
• Minimum 10–15 years experience is must in Large-scale government programs, ECCE, education, or social sector systems, Field-based leadership roles • Proven experience working with, State Governments, District administrations, Frontline worker systems (ICDS, education, health, etc.) • Strong capability in Multi-stakeholder coordination, Data-driven management, Team leadership across geographies