Leadership For Skilled Education Foundation

Background

Leadership For Skilled Education Foundation (branded as Leadership 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:
  1. Co-creating high-quality curricular resources and building teacher capacity
  2. Developing academic leadership to coach and mentor teachers
  3. 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.

Job Description and Responsibilities

The Director of Finance & Compliance is a critical leadership role reporting directly to the CEO and Board. This position is accountable for overseeing all finance, accounting, and compliance functions within the organization. The Director will ensure the integrity and accuracy of financial operations, guarantee compliance with statutory regulations, manage financial reporting and audits, and serve as the key liaison between internal teams and external stakeholders.

Financial Operations / Management & Accounting (25%)

  • Lead and oversee the finance team in managing day-to-day accounting activities including journal entries, reconciliations, and general ledger upkeep.
  • Ensure timely and accurate processing of payments, payroll, reimbursements, and statutory deductions (TDS, PF, ESI).
  • Supervise month-end and year-end closures and ensure high-quality preparation of financial statements.
  • Lead and set processes for budgeting projections, fund utilisation tracking, and grant-related accounting for internal and donor requirements.
  • Maintain governance over bank accounts, ensure strong payment controls, and manage relationships with banking partners.

Compliance, Governance and Audit Management  (25%)

  • Ensure full compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements under Income Tax, GST, TDS, PF, and other applicable laws
  • Oversee preparation and filing of routine statutory returns and ensure timely completion of compliance obligations.
  • Manage relationships with and reporting to statutory, donor, internal, and other auditors; prepare audit schedules and ensure smooth, timely audit closure.
  • Ensure preparation and submission of accurate financial documentation to regulatory bodies, donors, and partners.
  • Oversee donor compliance including grant onboarding, reporting, utilisation certificates, and related documentation.

Financial Tracking Analysis and Stakeholder Management (30%)

  • Design and implement a comprehensive system for tracking donor and project-specific finances, ensuring clarity and accessibility for internal and external stakeholders.
  • Lead the development and delivery of monthly MIS reports, utilization reports, and financial dashboards, providing actionable insights to support strategic decision-making across the organization.
  • Provide forward-looking financial insights including cash-flow forecasts, grant runway analysis, and scenario planning to support leadership and Board decision-making.
  • Collaborate with vertical heads and cross-functional teams to manage financial projections and ensure operational alignment, offering guidance and support to optimize financial performance and risk management.
  • Serve as the primary liaison for all external finance-related interactions, including with banks, auditors, vendors, and other stakeholders, ensuring timely and accurate communication.
  • Oversee vendor management processes, including onboarding audits, payment oversight and coordination, contract documentation, and issue resolution, ensuring compliance and efficiency in all financial transactions.
  • Prepare monthly and quarterly reports and provide strategic insights and recommendations as required by LFE’s Finance Subcommittee and Board or other governing bodies

Team Leadership and Process Management  (20%)

  • Recruit, manage and mentor the finance team, fostering ownership, accuracy, and continuous capacity building to maintain LFE’s financial processes efficiently and effectively
  • Strengthen internal financial processes and controls, ensuring efficiency, timeliness, transparency, and adherence to organizational policies
  • Drive improvements in systems, documentation standards, and workflows to increase productivity and reduce operational risks.

Requirements

Education & Experience

  • Chartered Accountant (CA) or MBA in Finance with a proven track record of leadership in financial management.
  • 8-10 years of experience, including significant expertise in managing financial operations for small to mid-sized organizations, with a strong preference for experience in non-profits and FCRA compliance.
  • Demonstrated ability to lead teams effectively, fostering a collaborative culture, and ensuring alignment across functions to drive financial success and operational efficiency.
  • Strong attention to detail and excellent communication skills, both written and oral, with experience presenting complex financial information to Board members and other senior stakeholders.
  • Advanced proficiency in Excel and data management, with the ability to create detailed financial models, reports, and dashboards that support decision-making and strategic planning.

Important: Given the nature of the project 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 language would be preferred.
  • Being able to take initiative and work in an autonomous, semi-structured environment.
  • Belief in the potential of the public sector and that government systems can and will change towards overcoming systemic inequities and ensuring improved outcomes for all citizens.
  • Adaptability to changing responsibilities and resourcefulness to respond to them.
  • High openness to learning and collaboration.
  • Strong ability to create outstanding presentations, work with Microsoft Excel & Google Suite.
  • Patience and resilience to stick it out in the face of setbacks and uncertainties.


Location and Compensation

Location: Pune, Maharashtra
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 20-24 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.
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