Program Lead

Program Lead TCF Projects

About The Convergence Foundation and TCF Network:

The Convergence Foundation (TCF) is an Indian philanthropic foundation dedicated to catalysing rapid and sustained economic growth to enhance the lives of all Indians. Established by Ashish and Manisha Dhawan in April 2021, TCF builds on their legacy of impactful philanthropy, including the founding of transformative institutions like Ashoka University and the Central Square Foundation.

Our mission is clear: to transform the lives of all Indians through rapid, sustained, and inclusive economic growth. To achieve this, we focus on seven key program areas that influence job creation, human capital development through education and skilling, and strengthening state capacity to deliver outcomes.

In each area, TCF works on:

• Building pioneering institutions to address India's most complex socio-economic challenges.
• Shaping the larger ecosystem and sharing knowledge, insights and learning with other philanthropists, governments and key stakeholders

We believe that the government is the key actor for system change, and the role of philanthropy is to strategically support the government.

The TCF Network includes 24+ organisations, each committed to addressing specific areas of India's socio-economic development, from school education and governance to women's economic empowerment and export competitiveness.

About the Secondary Education Project:

While India has expanded access and improved early-grade learning, secondary education remains a critical weak link with many young people leaving school without the skills, exposure, or confidence needed to navigate diverse life and career pathways.

This is a pivotal moment to act. The NEP provides strong momentum for school complexes, competency-based and modular assessments, vocational pathways, and holistic progress cards. At the same time, India is in a narrow demographic dividend window. Over the next decade, tens of millions of young people will pass through secondary school and what they learn, how they learn, and how their readiness is signalled will shape India’s workforce, productivity, and social mobility for a generation.

Our North Star is to make secondary education relevant, effective, and a credible signal of readiness ensuring every young person in India is prepared for life, work, and further learning. Our early focus is on two system-level levers with outsized potential for impact: enabling integrated school complexes that provide access to large school complexes, specialist teachers, diverse subjects, and better infrastructure; and advancing NEP-aligned board and assessment reforms that incentivise practical learning and credible skill signalling. We will work with states to build proof points, influence national and state policy pathways, convene key partners, and build momentum for scalable, durable reform across the secondary education ecosystem.

About the Role

integrated school models

The Program Lead (PL) will work directly with the Program Director to anchor this effort end-to-end from hypothesis building to program design, partnerships, and implementation. The PL will work closely with government stakeholders, ecosystem organisations, research partners, and TCF leadership to shape and operationalise the initiative.

This is a high-ownership, entrepreneurial role for a senior professional passionate about transforming education systems at scale.

Key Responsibilities

Strategy & Hypothesis Building

• Lead strategic thinking on India’s secondary education reform agenda across integrated school models and assessment reform.
• Develop implementation roadmaps, proof points, and institutional partnerships with national and state governments.
• Identify leverage points, design pilots, and articulate clear pathways for systemic adoption.

Program & Pilot Design

• Oversee design and execution of state pilots for integrated school complexes and end-of-school certification reforms.
• Lead development of frameworks, M&E systems, and research collaborations to track pilot impact and scalability.
• Ensure alignment with NEP priorities and existing government initiatives.

Government & Ecosystem Engagement

• Build and manage relationships with key stakeholders including MoE, PARAKH, SCERTs, state boards, and development partners.
• Convene cross-sectoral forums and working groups to build alignment on reform priorities.
• Represent TCF in policy dialogues, state meetings, and sector convenings.

Evidence, Research & Knowledge Products

• Codify learnings from exemplar states (e.g., TN, MP, Telangana) on integrated school complexes
• Develop briefs, playbooks, and communication toolkits on board reform models and alternative assessment approaches

Advocacy & Salience Building

• Support convenings, roundtables, and policy dialogues to build momentum for integrated schools and exam reform
• Create compelling communication artefacts (videos, decks, briefs) to influence policymakers and funders
• Work with media and sector partners to shape narrative on secondary education reform

Team Leadership

• Mentor and manage program team members and consultants.
• Coordinate with other TCF verticals (Human Capital, State Capacity) and partner organisations for cross-learning.
• Engage senior advisors and domain experts to strengthen design and strategy.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's from a top-tier institution; Masters degree preferred
• Minimum 6 years of experience, with prior stints in top-tier consulting firms, strategy roles in fast-paced environments (start-ups, VCs, etc), large non-profits / foundation; experience of working with the government is highly desirable
• Strong analytical, structuring, and problem-solving skills
• Excellent communication, research, and writing capability
• Exposure to school education, government systems, assessments, or public policy is preferred
• Experience working with state departments, SCERTs, or education boards is a plus

Desired Qualities

• Strong strategic thinking and problem-solving capability.
• Exceptional communication and stakeholder management skills, with comfort engaging senior bureaucrats and policymakers.
• Proven ability to design and execute complex projects in dynamic, ambiguous environments.
• Strong research and analytical skills; ability to translate insights into actionable plans.
• Experience managing teams and external partners effectively.

Compensation

Compensation will be competitive with Indian philanthropy and social-impact sector benchmarks, commensurate with experience.

Location

New Delhi/Bangalore; Travel to states expected