Background
Leadership For Skilled Education Foundation (branded asLeadership for Equity, LFE)
is a non-profit organisation based in Pune, Maharashtra, working to strengthen India s public education system so that every child learns and thrives. We envision public education systems that refuse to let children down. LFE partners with state and district governments across multiple states including Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, and Haryana to improve teaching practices and build sustained academic support structures within the public system. Our work is anchored in the belief that public education systems are the gatekeepers of social equity, and strengthening them is essential to ensuring that every child has access to strong foundational and future-ready learning.
Approach
LFE s systems-change approach focuses on improving classroom practice and enabling government ownership through three core levers:
- Co-creating high-quality curricular resources and building teacher capacity
- Developing academic leadership to coach and mentor teachers
- Providing data-driven advisory support and policy implementation guidance
Our model empowers teachers as instructional leaders and embeds long-term support through government-run mentor cadres, continuous classroom observation cycles, and in-system academic structures. Technology plays a critical role, including an in-house Classroom Observation App for real-time monitoring and a WhatsApp-based teacher support chatbot for contextual resource delivery.
The approach is iterative and context-responsive, grounded in classroom realities and tailored to state and district needs. Implementation varies across geographies whether working directly with teachers or through government-appointed mentors ensuring relevance and feasibility within existing structures. A continuous feedback loop of training, observation, and coaching moves beyond one-time interventions toward sustained practice change. All programs are co-designed and co-implemented with government partners to ensure scale, sustainability, and systemic ownership, ultimately leading to improved student learning outcomes in foundational and future literacy.
We at LFE are seeking a strategic and learner-focused Senior Specialist, Learning & Development to drive capability-building initiatives for our ~200-member team.
This role will lead the design, implementation, and continuous improvement of L&D programs that strengthen performance across all staff bands from Project Coordinators to Program Directors while also supporting the specialised development needs of HR, Finance, Communications, and Fundraising functions. The
Senior Specialist
will be responsible for translating organisational priorities into clear learning pathways, creating structured development opportunities, and ensuring that employees at every level have access to relevant, high-quality, and engaging learning experiences. Key focus areas will include needs assessment, competency development, learning design, facilitation, leadership development, onboarding learning journeys, and monitoring learning impact. Working closely with the Associate Director, People & Culture and cross-functional teams, the role will anchor organisation-wide learning processes, cultivate a culture of continuous improvement, and ensure that learning becomes an integral part of LFE s people experience. This position is ideal for someone who enjoys building systems, thrives in a dynamic environment, and is passionate about empowering individuals and teams to grow in service of LFE s mission.
Reporting Manager:
Associate Director, People & Culture | Team Size:
1-2 people
Learning Needs Assessment & Competency Development (15%)
- Lead periodic organisation-wide Learning Needs Assessments (LNAs) using surveys, interviews, performance data, and manager inputs.
- Map the identified needs to organisational priorities and capability gaps across program and non-program functions.
- Develop and maintain competency frameworks for different staff bands from Project Coordinators to Program Directors and ensure alignment with role expectations.
- Partner with functional leads to translate team-level needs into targeted learning priorities.
- Recommend interventions based on data, capability gaps, and future skill requirements.
Learning Design, Program Development & Curriculum Building (25%)
- Design high-quality learning interventions, including workshops, modular learning programs, e-learning journeys, practice-based assignments, and peer-learning formats.
- Build structured learning pathways for different talent segments (e.g., first-time managers, mid-level leaders, functional specialists).
- Localise and contextualise learning content to suit LFE s evolving culture, programs, and role-specific challenges.
- Ensure learning design incorporates adult learning principles, accessibility, and engagement best practices.
Facilitation & Delivery of Learning Interventions (30%)
- Facilitate engaging in-house training sessions across behavioural, functional, and leadership topics.
- Coordinate with external facilitators, vendors, and subject matter experts when specialised programs are required.
- Manage scheduling, communication, attendance, and logistics for all organisation-wide learning sessions.
- Support managers and team leads with tools and resources to reinforce learning on the job.
- Anchor peer-learning groups, coaching circles, and communities of practice.
Leadership Development & Talent Growth (10%)
- Design and implement development programs for emerging, mid-level, and senior leaders.
- Identify and support high-potential talent through structured development plans and stretch opportunities.
- Equip people managers with tools for feedback, coaching, performance conversations, and team development.
- Collaborate on succession planning and ensure leaders have clear capability-building pathways.
Onboarding Learning Journeys & Organisational Socialisation (5%)
- Design and maintain a comprehensive, learning-driven onboarding experience for new hires at all levels.
- Standardise induction modules, learning resources, and role-specific onboarding plans.
- Train hiring managers on effective onboarding practices to ensure smooth ramp-up and early performance readiness.
Monitoring Learning Impact & Reporting (10%)
- Define success metrics and evaluation methods for learning initiatives (e.g., adoption, behaviour change, performance impact).
- Track learning participation, effectiveness, and feedback to continuously improve interventions.
- Maintain dashboards and present insights to the leadership team on learning outcomes and capability shifts.
- Use data to recommend improvements and refine future L&D priorities.
Team & Organisational Support (5%)
- Supervise and support the 1-2 associates as assigned, guiding them in process adherence and professional development.
- Contribute to a positive, inclusive work culture by organizing team-building activities and employee well-being initiatives.
- Support the Associate Director, People & Culture, in organizational projects related to culture-building, HR analytics, or policy improvement.
Requirements
Education & Experience -
-
8+ Years of work experience
in the design and execution of L&D initiatives, preferably in the social sector/education-based organisations. - Bachelors in any field. A Masters in HR / Organisational Development/ Psychology/ Social Sciences or a post-graduation diploma in HR/ Training & Development/ Learning Sciences/ Talent Management is highly preferred
- Certifications in L&D methodologies are an advantage
- People-oriented and results-driven
- Prior experience in managing small teams would be highly preferred
- Competence to build and effectively manage interpersonal relationships at all levels of the organization
- Formal training or demonstrated experience in
L&D, training design, facilitation, or organizational development
Important
: Given the nature of the role, please apply only if you qualify based on the above requirements
Knowledge, Skills & Capabilities
- Excellent written and oral communication skills in English, and
functional knowledge of the regional languages (Hindi, Marathi and/or Telugu) would be preferred
- A basic understanding of
social equity, development discourse, and education policy
in India - Leading
end-to-end L&D cycles
: needs assessment, design, facilitation, evaluation - Excellent active listening, negotiation and presentation skills
- Adaptability to changing responsibilities and resourcefulness to respond to them
- High openness to learning
- Strong ability to create outstanding presentations, work with Microsoft Excel, Google Suite, and varied data sets
- Creating structured
learning journeys
, not just standalone sessions. - Patience and resilience to stick it out in the face of setbacks and uncertainties.
- Belief in public education systems and LFE s vision to improve quality at scale.
Location and Compensation
Location
: Pune, Maharashtra.
Travel to all LFE sites across cities and states.
Compensation
: Apart from being a part of a young and dynamic learning team, the individual will receive a healthy compensation at par with the non-profit sector benchmark for this position, commensurate with the individual s prior experience and qualifications. The current compensation band offered, based on fit and experience, is 11-15
lakh INR per annum CTC.
Leadership For Equity is an Equal Opportunity Employer and Prohibits Discrimination and Harassment of Any Kind. We do not discriminate on the basis of caste, race, religion, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, or any other non-merit factor.
