Division Manager
- Company
Open Links Foundation
- Location
Based in Pune with frequent travel across the assigned districts
- Employment Type
Full-Time
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Functional Category
Programme Management & Implementation
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Experience
10 - 11 years
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Salary
900000 - 1100000
- Date Posted
29-Aug-2025
About Open Links Foundation
We seek to improve quality of education by supporting and motivating teachers. Teachers are they key for implementing education reforms. Yet teachers are most burdened least supported and least celebrated. Teachers spend only 19% of their time on teaching and teaching-related activities. Meanwhile the rest of their time is spent on non-teaching core activities (over 42%) as well as school management and other education department related work (38%) as per the report by the National Institute of Educational Planning and Administration (NIEPA). How do we identify areas for change and impact? We are working with government data to understand the possible interventions and how it can simplify and save time for teachers. Quality of education is also dependent on the performance of the education management. Just the Pune district has over 3600 govt primary schools in rural areas. These require a large management apparatus – cluster heads block heads and district education officers. Lot of their work intersects with teachers in schools. There is lot of exchange between teachers and education administration. It is equally important to simplify their work and save them time – so that they can direct support and motivate teachers to perform better. Vinoba is a technology and behaviour science led program for teacher (and administrator) support and motivation. The Vinoba app is the backbone of the program. The program provides platform and community to - identify opportunities to simplify work and save time for teachers and administrators. - identify opportunities and create placeholders for Teacher (and administrator) recognition - Provide tools for capacity building - Provide tools for Program Implementation monitoring and evaluation. The solution presently operates in 16 districts (9 in Maharashtra and 7 in Chhattisgarh. The solution services the Zilla Parishad schools in these districts – which are primary schools in rural part of the district.
Overview of the Role
The Divisional Manager plays a pivotal role in leading the successful implementation and scaling of the Acharya Vinoba Bhave Shikshak Sahayak Program across multiple districts within divisions. This role acts as a strategic bridge between the State Leadership team and district-level execution ensuring alignment with program objectives ensuring effective partnerships with government stakeholders and enabling data-driven improvements through close support of Program Managers and Project Officers. The Divisional Manager will ensure that government partnerships are strengthened teams are empowered and program delivery is both impactful and sustainable.
Job Description
1. Program Implementation & Impact
Ensure 100% implementation of the Vinoba Program across all assigned districts.
Review and guide the creation and execution of district-level strategic plans to align with local priorities.
Identify and scale impactful practices across districts for improved student learning outcomes.
2. Government & Stakeholder Collaboration
Build and sustain strong relationships with district and block-level officials (e.g. District collectors / CEOs DEOs BEOs DIET) to ensure long-term support for the program.
Actively represent OLF in government forums reviews and key stakeholder meetings.
Address implementation challenges by coordinating effective use of OLF tools and resources.
3. Leadership & Team Development
Guide and mentor Program Managers and Project Officers across the divisions.
Build a culture of collaboration innovation and ownership within the district teams.
Support the professional development of team members and ensure accountability towards outcomes.
4. Monitoring Evaluation & Continuous Improvement
Use data insights and monitoring tools to review program effectiveness and guide strategic decision-making.
Ensure timely and accurate reporting from districts and support course correction where needed.
Institutionalize practices for continued learning reviews and program refinements.
5. Operational Excellence
Ensure adherence to OLF’s operational financial and administrative standards across all districts.
Support resource planning fund management and budget compliance within the divisions.
Contribute to state-level strategy formulation and organizational development efforts.
Required & Preferred Qualifications
Skill
1.Team Leadership & Communication: Lead teams effectively with clear communication in regional language and English.
2.Data & Analysis: Use data to understand challenges create solutions and improve program impact.
3.Technical Skills: Comfortable with MS Office Google Workspace and tools like Google Spreadsheets Tableau and Asana.
4.Government & Partnerships: Build strong relationships with government officials and stakeholders to drive program success.
5.Smart Planning & Disciplined Execution: Ensure smooth program implementation with a goal-oriented and organized approach.
6.Budget & Resources Management: Handle finances and resources responsibly for efficient program operations.
7.Continuous Improvement: Track progress assess results and refine strategies for long-term success.
Education
A bachelors / master’s degree in social work Public Policy Rural Management Economics Education or a related field.
Experience
• Minimum 10 years in education NGO leadership or managing large-scale programs. • Minimum 5 years in a leadership or administrative role managing cross-functional teams or multi-district programs. Government Knowledge: Proven experience in collaborating with district administration Zilla Parishads and DIET systems.