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Senior Project Lead - District Project Management Units (DPMUs)

  • Company

    Central Square Foundation (CSF)

  • Location

    Lucknow/Delhi

  • Employment Type

    Full-Time

  • Functional Category

    Programme Management & Implementation

  • Experience

    9 - 12 years

  • Application Deadline

    07-Jun-2025

About Central Square Foundation (CSF)

Central Square Foundation is a non-profit organisation working with the vision of ensuring quality school education for all children in India. Since 2012, we have been partnering with the government and ecosystem stakeholders to improve the learning outcomes of children, especially from low-income communities. We are driven by our mission to enable the school education system to adopt solutions that are scalable, sustainable and effective, so that all children get equal access to opportunities needed for leading a better life.

Overview of the Role

The Senior Project Lead (SPL) will be key to designing and implementing CSFs district focused theory of change. SPL will drive district‐level education reform by leading a DPMU portfolio to strengthen foundational literacy & numeracy (FLN) outcomes. You will translate policy into practice, shape strategy, coach field teams, and partner closely with senior government officials to create a data‐driven, high‐accountability and support implementation culture.

Job Description

- Strategic Direction & Planning

Co-design goals, implementation plan, and performance metrics for DPMU team
Craft annual & quarterly roadmaps anchored in the NIPUN Bharat mission design
Align priorities across central, district & block tiers and ensure effective implementation

- Build and Manage High Performing Field teams

Support hiring, onboarding and induction processes for the DPMU teams to increase team preparedness
Build capacity through structured support mechanisms, create culture of support, learning, and accountability
Setting performance benchmarks, proactively identify gaps, and implementing plans to address them.

- Setting district level strategy and roadmaps

Work closely with District Leads to design and rollout FLN initiatives in districts
Conducting regular field visits to gain insights on progress, opportunities, and bottlenecks in implementation and resolving them
Setting success metrics on inputs and outputs, and periodically evaluating the progress.

- Data-Driven Decision-Making

Enhance data collection processes, ensure data reliability, and promote its effective use for decision-making.
Engage with district and state level stakeholders to generate actionable insights.

- Strengthening District-State Coordination for Effective FLN Implementation

Engage regularly with District Magistrates (DMs), Chief Development Officers (CDOs), and Basic Shiksha Adhikaris (BSAs) to share updates, progress and ways to improve student learning
Collaborate with the State Project Management Unit (SPMU) to align district efforts with state design.
Lead pilot projects to address specific district challenges or test innovative approaches.

- Documentation & Reporting

Ensure timely and accurate reporting on goals, progress, and outcomes, across districts.
Document quantitative and qualitative impacts of district-level interventions.
Promote collaboration and knowledge sharing among district teams to enhance outcomes.

Required & Preferred Qualifications

Skill

- Systems Thinking: sees connections from classroom to policy; designs interventions that respect local nuance
- Bias for Action & Ownership: moves quickly from insight to implementation; holds self and others accountable
- Coaching Orientation: develops people through constructive feedback and stretch assignments
- Data‐Driven Rigor: insists on evidence before judgment; comfortable challenging assumptions with facts
- Inclusive Leadership: fosters psychological safety, values diverse voices, and champions equity
- Collaboration : Being able to drive coordination within and outside CSF teams. - Actively engage with multiple government departments to align and implement the mission workstreams
- Setting-up team : Being able to set up a high performing team, set structures for learning and growth, and manage performance
- Entrepreneurial : Being able to ideate solutions independently, ensure effective utilization of bandwidth and resources, and persist towards generating outcomes.

Education

Bachelors degree is required. Masters degree preferred (education, development studies, public policy, social sciences, MBA).

Experience

- At least 9 years of experience, demonstrating team management, project delivery and stakeholder management. - Prior experience with managing field teams, state, and district-level Governments is highly desirable.

Company Policies

Learning & Development

Upskilling

Healthcare & Wellness

Insurance

Last Date To Apply : 07-Jun-2025