Academic Specialist – Foundational Literacy, Lucknow, UP

Ground Zero; Lucknow; On-site; INR 1,000,000 - 1,200,000; Full time

Job summary

Ground Zero in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, seeks an Academic Specialist - Foundational Literacy to advance early-grade literacy across the state. You will work from the SCERT office, collaborating with SCERT, SIE, DIETs, and government partners to shape curriculum, pedagogy, and instructional materials for Grades 1–3.

With 5+ years of relevant experience and a graduate degree in Education or related field, you will lead capacity-building, develop assessment tools, and travel within Uttar Pradesh to

Qualifications

• Graduate degree in Education, Language, Literacy, Social Sciences, or a related field.
• 5+ years of relevant professional experience, including a minimum of 3 years working on foundational literacy programs involving teacher training, academic capacity building, and/or development of instructional materials.
• Strong conceptual understanding of foundational literacy, early-grade language development, curriculum, and pedagogy.
• Demonstrated experience in developing workbooks, teacher guides, training modules, and other academic resources.
• Proficiency with MS Office and Hindi typing; ability to use AI tools for academic work; willingness to travel across Uttar Pradesh.

Responsibilities

• Provide academic and technical support to SCERT, Lucknow, and state-level academic teams on foundational literacy.
• Contribute to curriculum, pedagogy, and instructional material development for Grades 1–3.
• Design and deliver professional development and capacity-building workshops for teachers and academic staff.
• Develop assessment tools, classroom observation methods, and monitoring formats; pilot materials in schools.
• Coordinate with SCERT, SIE, DIETs, and other government partners and share learnings.

Skills

Foundational literacy

Workshop facilitation

Curriculum development

Teacher training

AI in education

Hindi typing

Travel readiness

AI tools for academics

Education

Graduate degree

Education background

Tools

Microsoft Word

PowerPoint

Excel

Internet tools

Job description

Role:Academic Specialist - Foundational Literacy,Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh
Experience: 5+
Salary:10-12 LPA
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About the role

The organization is looking for an Academic Specialist - Foundational Literacy to support its foundational literacy work in Uttar Pradesh.

The employee will be stationed in Lucknow and will work primarily from the office of the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), Lucknow. The Academic Specialist will engage closely and regularly with SCERT and other state-level academic institutions, providing academic and technical support on foundational literacy.

The position will work as part of the organization's academic team and will collaborate closely with the Academic Lead (Uttar Pradesh), central academic team, SCERT, SIE, DIETs, academic resource persons, and other government stakeholders. The role will involve contributing to academic discussions and planning, curriculum and instructional material development, professional development, assessment and classroom support, and documentation and knowledge sharing related to foundational literacy.

The role will also require regular travel to field locations in Uttar Pradesh for school visits, program reviews, workshops, classroom observations, professional development activities, and piloting of academic resources.

Key Roles and Responsibilities

1. Academic Engagement with SCERT and State-Level Institutions

• Provide academic and technical support to SCERT, Lucknow, and engage regularly with SCERT's academic teams on matters related to foundational literacy.
• Contribute to academic discussions, consultations, and planning processes related to foundational literacy, curriculum, pedagogy, and instructional practices.
• Provide technical input on academic documents, frameworks, programs, and other materials related to foundational literacy.
• Support SCERT in academic planning and implementation related to foundational literacy, as required.
• Facilitate coordination and collaboration between SCERT, SIE, DIETs, and other state and district-level academic stakeholders on relevant academic initiatives.
• Represent the organization in relevant academic forums, consultations, and discussions with government and academic institutions.

2. Curriculum, Pedagogy, and Instructional Material Development

• Review state language curricula, textbooks, and other instructional materials from the perspective of foundational literacy and prepare comprehensive reports and recommendations for government and academic partners.
• Contribute to the development and refinement of learning outcome frameworks, instructional designs, teaching-learning materials, workbooks, teacher guides, and other academic resources for Grades 1-3.
• Develop training frameworks, modules, and academic resources in consultation with SCERT and the central academic team.
• Develop workshop designs, facilitation modules, and workshop materials for teachers, teacher educators, and academic resource persons.
• Contribute to the development of videos and other digital resources for professional development courses and training programs.

3. Professional Development and Capacity Building

• Support the design and implementation of continuous professional development for State Resource Groups (SRGs), DIET faculty, academic support personnel, and teachers on foundational literacy.
• Facilitate professional development workshops and academic sessions for teachers, teacher educators, and other academic stakeholders.
• Work closely with state and district academic functionaries to strengthen their understanding and implementation of foundational literacy approaches.
• Support SCERT, government, and partner-led academic workshops and capacity-building programs.

4. Assessment, Classroom Practice, and Program Support

• Design and develop assessment tools, classroom observation tools, and other academic monitoring formats in consultation with the central team and SCERT.
• Visit schools to conduct classroom observations, support assessment activities, and pilot instructional materials and approaches.
• Analyse observations and field-level evidence and prepare reports and recommendations to inform program improvement.
• Support academic review of foundational literacy programs and contribute to strengthening implementation quality across the state.

5. Coordination and Knowledge Sharing

• Coordinate academic activities related to foundational literacy programs in Uttar Pradesh in collaboration with SCERT, other government academic institutions, and state and central academic teams.
• Maintain effective working relationships with SCERT, SIE, DIETs, and other government academic stakeholders.
• Contribute to documentation and sharing of academic learnings, field experiences, and emerging practices.
• Participate in relevant forums and platforms to represent the organization's academic work in foundational literacy.

6. Other Responsibilities

• Undertake regular travel to field locations in Uttar Pradesh for academic workshops, program reviews, school visits, professional development activities, and piloting purposes.
• Contribute to other academic initiatives and responsibilities related to foundational literacy, as assigned by the supervisor.

Educational Qualifications, Experience, and Skills

• Graduate degree or equivalent qualification in Education, Language, Literacy, Social Sciences, or a related field.
• At least 5 years of relevant professional experience, including a minimum of 3 years of experience working on foundational literacy programs involving teacher training, academic capacity building, and/or development of instructional materials.
• Strong conceptual understanding of foundational literacy, early-grade language development, curriculum, and pedagogy.
• Demonstrated experience in developing workbooks, teacher guides, training modules, and other academic resources.
• Strong facilitation skills and experience conducting workshops or professional development programs.Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, as well as internet-based tools; Hindi typing skills are essential.
• Ability to use AI tools effectively for academic and professional work.Willingness and ability to travel extensively within Uttar Pradesh as required by the role.

Desired Qualities

• Strong academic orientation and intellectual curiosity, with the ability to engage meaningfully in discussions on curriculum, pedagogy, and foundational literacy.
• A 'can-do' attitude, entrepreneurial spirit, and openness to feedback and learning.
• Ability to work collaboratively with government institutions, academic teams, and diverse stakeholders.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and work effectively in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.
• Resourcefulness, initiative, and the ability to work independently while being a strong team player.
• Strong interpersonal skills, self-awareness, and the ability to build positive professional relationships.
• Commitment to the mission of strengthening foundational learning and improving the quality of education for children.