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 PMU co-ordinator will work closely with the Program Manager, Advocacy and Government stakeholders at the Zilla Parishad, and external partner(s) to ensure the goals set by the Education Department in Palghar are achieved. Additionally, they will collaborate with external partners and members across Palghar's departments as and when required.
The key responsibilities are as follows:

Project Management and implementation support (30%)

  • Programme Delivery Support: Provide comprehensive assistance to senior district officers within the Project Management Unit across all aspects of programme delivery, including scheduling and attending meetings, preparing agendas and minutes, coordinating follow‑up actions, and addressing routine queries in line with role responsibilities.
  • Research & Strategic Coordination: Deliver research, coordination, and liaison support to enable effective implementation of the strategic plan under the Education Department.
  • Impact Reporting: Draft high‑quality impact reports that capture outcomes and lessons from departmental initiatives.
  • Review Mechanisms: Support the Education Department in driving district‑ and block‑level review meetings across Primary, Secondary, and ICDS sectors, aligned with district goals.
  • PGI Improvement Leadership: Lead the district’s Performance Grading Index (PGI) improvement agenda by conducting in‑depth analysis of performance indicators, identifying priority gaps, and coordinating the design and execution of targeted improvement plans in collaboration with senior district leadership.

Technical Responsibilities (30%)

  • Apply subject‑matter expertise: Utilise in‑depth education and technical knowledge to advance projects’ technical goals, objectives, and programmatic priorities.
  • Advise on academic design: Guide the development, delivery, and quality assurance of academic activities, materials, and outputs.
  • Policy & program analysis: Examine national and state education policies, flagship initiatives, and evidence‑based practices to strengthen district‑level implementation and outcomes.
  • Research leadership: Contribute to the design, execution, and analysis of key research agendas within Palghar projects.
  • Strategic communication: Prepare high‑quality briefs, presentations, and recommendations for district leadership and key stakeholders to inform decision‑making.
  • Analyse district education challenges using data and field insights, identify implementation bottlenecks, and provide actionable recommendations to district leadership to improve learning outcomes and strengthen system performance.  

Government Liaison and Stakeholder Management (20%)

  • Stakeholder Engagement: Build strong working relationships with officials across the Zilla Parishad, DEO office, BEOs, DIET faculty, and school leadership to foster collaboration and trust.
  • Inter‑agency Coordination: Ensure smooth coordination between government units, partner organisations, and the Project Management Unit (PMU) to align efforts and streamline delivery.
  • Strategic Support: Assist departments in aligning priorities, resolving operational bottlenecks, and planning joint activities that advance district education goals.
  • CSR‑NGO Partnerships: Anchor and manage CSR–NGO partnerships for the Zilla Parishad Education Department to leverage external support for district initiatives.
  • District Initiative Support: Work closely with DIET, Primary DEO, and CEO to strengthen and implement district‑level educational initiatives.

Data, Monitoring, and Reporting (20%)

  • Indicator Tracking: Coordinate with government and partner teams to monitor key indicators across programme components.
  • Data Systems Management: Support the creation and maintenance of dashboards, trackers, and monitoring tools to ensure accurate and timely reporting.
  • Monitoring & Documentation: Assist with planning and documenting monitoring visits, review meetings, and progress discussions.
  • Reporting: Consolidate data and insights into periodic reports for district leadership to inform decision‑making.
  • Performance Analysis: Track and analyse district education performance data, including PGI and FLN indicators, and provide actionable insights and recommendations to strengthen district‑level decision‑making and improvement efforts.

Requirements

Education & Experience

  • 2-4 years of experience in public policy, education, governance, consulting, project management, or social sector programs
  • Master’s degree (or foreign equivalent; PhD or EdD preferred) in education, education policy, public policy/ advocacy and planning, or international development required, with a degree in reading, literacy, and/or curriculum and teaching preferred
  • 2-3 years working on implementing programs in the field. Experience in education preferred
  • Experience with PGI, UDISE+, NAS, FLN Mission, Samagra Shiksha, or education performance frameworks preferred.

Knowledge, Skills & Capabilities

  • Demonstrated experience in technically relevant monitoring and evaluation
  • Demonstrated knowledge of trends in relevant areas, donor initiatives and programs
  • Demonstrated ability to communicate clearly and concisely both orally and in writing in English and Marathi. This includes public presentations and contributions to publications
  • Demonstrated ability to build and manage working relationships with government stakeholders, NGOs/partners, and technical experts
  • Demonstrated ability to problem solve and develop solutions independently, and lead teams efficiently and effectively with minimal or no supervision
  • Ability to work both independently and as part of a team
  • Demonstrated leadership, integrity and versatility

Location and Compensation

Location: Palghar, Maharashtra. Travel (up to 3-8 days a month) across blocks.
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 4 to 6 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 based on caste, race, religion, colour, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, or any other non-merit factor.

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