Project Lead

About the Company:

Established in 2012, Central Square Foundation (CSF) is a non-profit organisation dedicated to enhancing the learning outcomes of all school going children across India through system-led reforms. Our initiatives span innovation and policy to practice and focus on learning impact at scale. At the heart of CSF's mission is our strategic focus on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN), which drives our collaborative efforts with 11 state governments to design and execute statewide FLN Missions. Additionally, we prioritise EdTech integration, aiming to deploy digital solutions for in-class and at-home learning and establish evidence-based practices while harnessing the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) to augment learning outcomes. CSF is deeply committed to Early Childhood Education (ECE) reforms, recognising the critical role it plays in laying a strong groundwork for children's learning journey, thereby augmenting FLN outcomes. CSF also works in the area of School Governance, extending its system-level approach to children in both private and government schools, to strengthen the country's education landscape.

As an organization, we aim to reduce learning poverty in India by working towards improving the outcomes of children in FLN. This involves working with:

• National and state governments to prioritize FLN as the most critical focus area for reform.
• Establishing project management units at the national and state levels to work on critical workstreams that impact classroom practice, teacher capacity building, state monitoring systems, and system assessments.
• Investing in strategic EdTech interventions to improve FLN both at home and in school.
• Developing public goods that can be adopted by any state government for free.
• Nurturing an FLN partner ecosystem in India to foster collective action in support of national and state governments.
• Continuously exploring solutions to improve governance, such as phone-based assessments and district project management units.

To learn more about us and our work, please visit our website at www.centralsquarefoundation.org.

About the Role:

CSF has developed a comprehensive playbook to support state governments in undertaking large-scale reform initiatives. This playbook involves close collaboration with the State Project Directors' offices and the development of a 5 to 7-year roadmap to fundamentally transform critical workstreams. You can find more information on this initiative by following the link provided here - Critical Workstreams for FLN. We have been working closely with the education departments of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Haryana since 2019. A version of our initial playbook in these states has also been adopted by the Ministry of Education when they launched the NIPUN Bharat mission. As of December 2024, we have achieved the following in all three states:

Responsibilities:

• Funded and operated a unique coalition in all three states, involving partner organizations such as The Education Alliance, Language and Learning Foundation, Room to Read, and Vikramshilla. Each state has members from some of these organizations working closely with CSF teams to support the state in all academic and administrative initiatives to improve FLN.
• Improved all FLN materials used in all classrooms in all three states. Our efforts have introduced structured pedagogy-based teacher's guides, student workbooks, and additional FLN materials such as big books, reading charts, and math kits in all classrooms.
• Introduced an assessment-informed instruction in all three states. This involves setting up formative and summative assessments with high-quality assessment items and a tracking mechanism to support teachers.
• Established comprehensive continuous teacher training programs in all three states. This includes 5-7 days of face-to-face training and approximately 20-30 hours of digital training for all FLN teachers in the state.
• Established a cadre of cluster-level mentors to visit schools monthly and provide instructional support to teachers and headmasters through classroom observations and spot tests.
• Developed a comprehensive foundational learning monitoring system in the three states.
• Set up a monthly review structure where the state and districts review progress in FLN using the dashboard and take actions based on the data available from all classrooms.
• Supported all three states in conducting regular sample annual endline student FLN achievement surveys, coupled with monthly dipstick sample surveys.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree required from a reputed university; Master's degree preferred.
• Prior experience working with government stakeholders is preferred.
• 6 to 9 years of post-qualification work experience, preferably with a government entity, with a superb project delivery and management track record.

Required Skills:

• Ability to analyze complex problems, craft possible solutions and recommendations.
• Action-biased and strong planning skills, ability to set priorities, plan, and meet timelines.
• Excellent communication skills: oral and written, in both English and Hindi.
• Ability to build and maintain positive and collaborative relationships with government stakeholders.
• Ability to lead a team of young professionals and drive them to achieve outcomes.
• Prior exposure to the education sector, public/development sector, or consulting will be preferred.
• Mission-driven, optimistic, and enthusiastic, believing in achieving transformational change.
• Willingness to be based at the state site closer to the stakeholders and team.
• Openness to regular travel to Delhi and different districts in UP, MP, and Haryana.

Preferred Skills:

• Prior experience working with government stakeholders is preferred.
• Prior exposure to the education sector, public/development sector, or consulting will be preferred.
• However, people with corporate experience but an interest in the education sector are also encouraged to apply.

Equal Opportunity Statement:

CSF is committed to diversity and inclusivity in our hiring practices and encourages applications from all qualified individuals.