Program Manager

Program Manager – Chennai, Tamil Nadu

Location: Chennai, with travel across Tamil Nadu as required

Reports to: CEO

Job Type: Full-time

About Going to School

Going to School is a creative not-for-profit education trust that designs and tells stories to equip children and young people with design-thinking and entrepreneurial skills. We partner with schools, communities, and organizations to tackle poverty, youth unemployment, gender inequality, and climate change through education.

Learn more: www.goingtoschool.com

Position Overview

We are seeking a results-driven, mission-aligned Program Manager to lead Going to School’s start-up program in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. This is a leadership role with responsibility for daily, high-quality implementation of our storytelling and skills-based education program across government schools in the city.

You will manage a full-time team of trainers and coordinators to deliver engaging classroom sessions six days a week (Monday to Saturday). You will oversee team performance, content delivery, and ensure programs meet key performance indicators (KPIs). The role requires building strong relationships with education officials, school leaders, donors, and local community stakeholders.

You will also lead on reporting, writing original, insightful content for donors and internal teams, analyzing field data, and identifying opportunities for fundraising and partnership development. Fluency in spoken Tamil is essential, and you must be able to write clearly and professionally in English.

Key Responsibilities

Program Implementation & Team Leadership

Lead a full-time field team to implement daily sessions in Chennai’s government schools.

Oversee scheduling, attendance, training, classroom quality, and daily operations.

Monitor KPIs, provide feedback, and ensure excellence in every classroom delivery.

Government & Stakeholder Engagement

Build and maintain strong working relationships with Tamil Nadu state and district education authorities.

Act as the primary contact for partner schools and education stakeholders in the region.

Monitoring, Evaluation & Reporting

Track student participation, teacher feedback, and program outcomes.

Write original, insight-driven reports for internal use, donors, and partners.

Use field data to identify strengths, address gaps, and continuously improve.

Gender & Inclusion

Embed gender-responsive strategies into daily program operations.

Apply recommendations from gender audits and ensure inclusive access and participation.

Fundraising & Partnerships

Identify potential funders and partners in education, climate change, and skills.

Support proposal writing and contribute to the development of new initiatives aligned with Going to School’s mission.

Collaborate with the fundraising and communications teams to grow our impact in Tamil Nadu.

Volunteer & Event Coordination (Part of Role)

Support the volunteer engagement team with school-based events.

Ensure volunteer sessions are well-planned and effectively integrated into the overall program.

Required Skills & Qualifications

Minimum 3 years of experience in program or project management in education, skills, communications, entrepreneurship, data, technology, climate change, or M&E.

Fluent in spoken Tamil; excellent written English for reporting and communication.

Experience managing teams, tracking daily implementation, and delivering outcomes.

Strong experience with government school systems and stakeholder engagement.

Skilled in writing reports, success stories, briefs, and concept notes for varied audiences.

Understanding of gender-responsive and inclusive education approaches.

Proficient in Google Workspace and project/data management tools.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience working in a start-up, corporate, education, communications, or climate-focused initiative.

Prior exposure to fundraising, proposal development, or CSR engagement in Tamil Nadu.

To Apply

Please send:

Your CV

Current salary

Date you can join

2–3 writing samples (e.g. reports, briefs, or stories demonstrating original content)

Email your application by: July 1st, 2025

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: ₹30,000.00 - ₹50,000.00 per month

Benefits:

• Health insurance

Schedule:

• Day shift

Work Location: In person

Application Deadline: 01/07/2025