Job Description

Program Manager, Schools Program

Bhubaneshwar - Odisha 

About Quest Alliance: 

At Quest Alliance we transform learning ecosystems through education technology, capacity building, and collaboration to build 21st-century skills for learners and facilitators

We are a not-for-profit trust that focuses on research-led innovation and advocacy in the ?eld of teaching and learning. We engage with educators, civil society, government institutions and corporate organizations to demonstrate and enable scalable and replicable solutions in school education and vocational training 

At Quest you will get the opportunity to apply your skills and contribute to addressing issues around quality education and skills training. The organization gives you the space to learn and grow in a fun and engaging environment.  We have an eclectic group of people working at Quest drawn from diverse disciplines including Education, Technology, Design, Youth Development and Business.

About the Role

Over the last 7 years Quest Alliance has been working in the secondary schools ecosystem of more than 10 states of India. In the state of Odisha, Quest Alliance started to work with the govt schools in 2020, working in collaboration with the Department of School and Mass Education, Govt. In Odisha in the last 3 years, more than 4,00,000 learners have been reached directly in more than 1,000 schools across the state. Quest has been able to influence mainstreaming of computational thinking curriculum as a curriculum subject and club in all secondary schools of the state. The major focus of the program is to build support for young people to have career pathways defined while building 21st century skills. 

The Program Manager will lead the intervention in the state by working closely with a team of coordinators and officers. The manager will be responsible for ensuring implementation of all project deliverables. We are looking for an experienced person who has prior experience of having worked in Education programs while having a perspective on the content thematic (coding/ computational skills) of the program. The role will anchor all govt relations, oversee content development, capacity building program. The manager should be well versed with understanding analysis and drive reviews using the same. 

The Program Manager will be responsible for developing and managing relationships with non-profits, policy makers and govt. Stakeholders at the state and district level. 

Role Description 

Strategic support and execution

Support development of strategy, work plan and budget for school program in Odisha

Have strategic consultation with stakeholders in the Govt., CSOs and funder community

Represent organization and participate in various forum and task forces formed by the Govt, CSOs and funders particularly in the state of Odisha

Develop concept notes, proposals and presentations on the existing/new strategies.

Support development of CSO strategy for engagement in the program implementation 

Operational planning and implementation

Lead and ensure that the program plans are developed and are being implemented as per the agreed timelines.

Support the team in developing their field visit plans, ensuring that the plans are being adhered to.

Ensure field visits for demonstration to the field team and support them in facilitating the project activities

Support in facilitating the on-ground activities like trainings, review and planning

Drive experimentation and innovation strategies within the team of program associates working in each district. 

Review and Monitoring of the program

Ensure that all information related to the visits and achievements in the program are recorded in the monitoring tools.

Ensure that the team is looking at the data and decisions are being made accordingly

Prepare and facilitate the monthly review of the state plan with the team and with the extended team from central office

Ensure that the monthly planning and review meetings at the district level and state level are organized and represented with program updates.

Relationship building and Liasoning

Work closely with the state and district govt. and ensure that all necessary permissions are in place.

Build and maintain relationships with the senior govt officials and position Quest work in various forums.

Ensure submission of monthly reports to the district and state offices

Identify avenues for participation in various forums in the districts and state

Ensure that the district and state POCs are informed about the progress in our project from time to time

Identify the CSOs working in the district, find synergies and collaborate to work together.

Identify potential funding sources and share the information with the business development team 

Reporting, documentation and budgeting

Ensure that the team is submission reports, case studies and artifacts as per the system

Ensure development of all reports, case studies and their timely submission to the govt and donors

Prepare the state budget and any donor specific budget from time to time.

Ensure the budget is spent as per the agreed plans and the records for expenditure is been submitted on timely basis 

Team management and growth

Ensure that all employees managed have clear performance objectives and development plans. 

Serve as a role model at all times 

Coordinate training and other capacity-building initiatives for staff as required

Ensure human resource policy and procedure is adhered to by team

Ensure staff welfare with support from the People team

Ensure that all your team members have a clear job description. performance objectives, development plans they receive performance reviews

Support, mentor and coach the team as part of their professional development and help them to be highly effective in their work. 

Required skills and Experience:

Minimum 7-8 years of work experience, in implementing blended learning content for school related projects

Hands-on experience with working on coding/ computational skills/ STEM and life and career skills for school students

Prior experience working in government schools and managing program at scale

Prior experience of facilitating training and workshops for the govt. Teachers and officials at district/state level

Willingness to learn and influence prevalent practices in education ecosystem

Deep understanding of the National Education Policy and State Curriculum Framework

Excellent interpersonal, written and verbal communication skills in English and Odia (preferred)

Excellent IT skills

Willingness to travel extensively

Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively with other teams

Job location: Bhubaneswar

Salary: The pay band for the position starts at Rs. 75,000/- per month (cost to company) (The salary offered will be commensurate with the experience and expertise of the candidate) 

To Apply

Interested internal candidates are requested to apply for the role by filling up the application form given here.

Know About Quest

Website :http://www.questalliance.net/

Blog : https://thelearnerbyquest.wordpress.com

About the Team and Culture

Everyday is a Friday! - How we make our workplace fun

Quest Day - Our Bday celebrated with people we love, and there is food & music

What our partners & collaborators say? - see here

Annual All Staff Meet - From Goa, Kumarakom, Coorg, Bodh Gaya & Puducherry this is where all  employees meet to celebrate their learning & relationships.

Watch our youtube playlists for more.

About Company

Quest Alliance is a non-governmental organization established in 2008. The registration number of the organization is: BNG(U)-VRT-4-00187-2008-09?(20-10-2008). The organization is operational in Karnataka, India. Quest Alliance works in the area of Education & Literacy, Information & Communication Technology (ICT) , Labour & Employment, etc. The NGO works towards the promotion of sustainable development.

All Jobs posted by: Quest Alliance