Associate, Inclusive Education

PRATHAM Education; New Delhi; On-site; INR 600,000 - 700,000; Full time

Job summary

PRATHAM Education Foundation (Pratham) seeks an Associate, Inclusive Education to embed inclusion across programs and partnerships. You will work with state program teams, content teams, external partners, and communications to advocate disability-inclusive practices and reach marginalised learners.

You will engage partners, review learning materials, document field realities, and coordinate across teams on inclusion initiatives, with travel to program sites in India as needed.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Social Work, Education, or a related field.
• Familiarity with disability rights frameworks and inclusive education principles.
• Comfortable working across teams and managing multiple priorities.
• Strong written and verbal communication in English and Hindi.

Responsibilities

• Engage with partners, government bodies, and program teams to embed inclusive education principles.
• Support design and review of accessible learning materials, training content, and field tools.
• Document field realities around disability inclusion and flag gaps to relevant teams.
• Coordinate between teams and stakeholders on inclusion-related initiatives.
• Navigate ambiguity: role does not have a fixed daily structure, intentionally.

Skills

Disability rights familiarity

Cross-team collaboration

English and Hindi communication

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Social Work or Education

Job description

Pratham Education Foundation (Pratham) is one of the largest education NGOs in India with a record of innovative, rigorously evaluated programs that have inspired similar programs across three continents. With a history spanning 30 years, Pratham’s work today extends from programs for early and elementary years to girls and women, and youth skilling. Through programs covering 25 states and Union Territories, in an average year, Pratham usually reaches over 6 million children and youth. This is achieved through a combination of efforts: directly working with children and youth in communities, as well as through collaborations with state and district-level governments.

Pratham has received notable awards such as the Lui Che Woo Prize, WISE Prize for Innovation, Skoll Award for Social Entrepreneurship, the Henry R Kravis Prize in Leadership and the CNN-IBN Indian of the Year for Public Service. Pratham also received the 2021 Yidan Prize for Education Development and the Yashraj Bharati Samman in 2025.

This is a cross‑functional role that sits at the intersection of Pratham’s inclusive education programs and partnerships. The Associate, Inclusive Education, will support Pratham’s commitment to embedding inclusion across its programs and partnerships.

You will work with multiple teams, from state program teams and content teams, to external partnerships and communications, to advocate for disability‑inclusive practices and ensure that Pratham’s work reaches and reflects the most marginalised learners.

In this role, you will mostly be:

• Engaging with partners, government bodies, and program teams to embed inclusive education principles.
• Supporting the design and review of accessible learning materials, training content, and field tools.
• Documenting field realities around disability inclusion and flagging gaps to relevant teams.
• Coordinating between teams and stakeholders on inclusion‑related initiatives.
• Navigating ambiguity: this role does not have a fixed daily structure, and that’s intentional.

Responsibilities

Here is what you will actually be doing day‑to‑day:

1. Inclusion Advocacy and Technical Support

• Act as an internal resource on disability and inclusion for program and content teams.
• Review learning materials, field tools, and training modules to identify and address accessibility gaps.
• Share relevant research, frameworks, and good practices to inform programme design.
• Support teams in articulating and integrating inclusion commitments into their work plans.

2. Partnerships and External Engagement

• Support engagement with external partners, including DPOs, government bodies, and academic institutions on inclusion‑related initiatives.
• Support the development of partnership proposals, concept notes, and communication materials where inclusion is a core theme.
• Liaise with teams to document and share Pratham’s inclusion journey.

3. Field Engagement and Learning

• Travel to program sites to understand how inclusion plays out on the ground: in classrooms, communities, and training rooms.
• Talk with learners with disabilities, families, frontline workers, and community members.
• Bring field realities back into program planning and partner conversations.
• This role involves moderate travel, estimated at 30‑40% of working days.

4. Documentation and Coordination

• Write clear notes, reports, and briefs from meetings, field visits, and partner engagements.
• Maintain trackers and resources related to Pratham’s inclusive education initiatives.
• Support coordination across teams on inclusion‑related workstreams.
• Contribute to Pratham’s internal knowledge base on disability and inclusion.

Try This: A Scenario Question

We believe in hiring people who can think practically and reflectively. Instead of asking only formal test questions, we would like you to think through this:

Scenario: A program team you are working with is excited about inclusion but keeps treating it as an add‑on — a checklist item at the end of their planning cycle. How would you approach this? What would you say, and what would you do differently over the next few weeks?

What we are looking for

We care more about your practical experience, curiosity, and commitment than about formal qualifications alone. Here is what will help you in this role:

Required:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Social Work, Education, or a related field.
• Familiarity with disability rights frameworks and inclusive education principles.
• Comfortable working across teams and managing multiple priorities.
• Strong written and verbal communication in English and Hindi.

Preferred (but not essential)

• Background in disability studies, rehabilitation, or special education.
• 2 years of work experience in education, inclusion, or social development.
• Experience working with or within Organisations of People with Disabilities (OPDs) and other CSOs.
• Familiarity with government education programmes (SSA, NEP, RPWD Act).
• Experience in partnerships or stakeholder engagement roles.
• Lived experience of disability is valued and welcomed.

Travel requirement: This role involves travel to program sites within India, estimated at 30‑40% of working days. If you have any questions or need to discuss adjustments around travel, please mention this when you apply. We are open to a conversation.

What you first weeks look like:

Starting a new role can feel overwhelming. Here is a rough picture of what your early weeks will involve:

Orientation (1 week) → Team Immersion (Weeks 2–3) → Field Visits (Week 4) → Independent Work Begins

Your first week checklist:

• Attend an orientation with your manager and key team members.
• Read through Pratham’s program and inclusion‑related documents and reports.
• Join programme team meetings to understand how teams work.
• Have introductory conversations with 2–3 program or partnership colleagues.
• Share a short note with your manager on what you observed and what you are curious about.

Application Process

Pratham encourages applications from people of all backgrounds, including persons with disabilities, individuals from diverse regions and language backgrounds, people from marginalised communities, and candidates with non‑traditional career journeys. You do not need to meet every requirement listed in the job description to apply.

If you require any support during the application or interview process, such as an alternative format, additional time, language preference, interview mode adjustments, or any other accommodation, please let us know. We will do our best to support your needs.

If you are interested in applying, please complete the Google Form and upload:

• Your updated CV
• A Statement of Purpose (maximum 500 words)

Selection Process

1. Application Screening

All applications will undergo an initial screening process. Candidates shortlisted at this stage will be contacted within approximately two weeks of submission.

2. Application Exercise/ Field visit

Shortlisted candidates will be required to complete an application exercise/assignment within 3 days of receiving it.

3. Interview Rounds

Based on the assignment review, shortlisted candidates will proceed to two rounds of interviews:

• A discussion with the team
• A technical interview with subject experts

4. Final HR Round

The final stage will involve an HR discussion, following which the offer process will be initiated for selected candidates.

Note: Due to the high volume of applications we receive, we may not be able to provide individual responses to every applicant. We will reach out only to shortlisted candidates. We appreciate your understanding and patience