Deputy General Manager

SMILE FOUNDATION; New Delhi; On-site; INR 2,800,000 - 4,500,000; Full time

Job summary

Smile Foundation SA seeks an experienced Deputy General Manager – Mission Education to drive growth and measurable impact across nationwide education programs. The role focuses on strategic partnerships with CSR and government bodies, overseeing multi-location initiatives, and delivering scalable, data-driven educational solutions.

The candidate should have 15–18 years in the Education domain and a proven record in program management, policy alignment with NEP 2020, and a strong passion for

Qualifications

• 15–18 years of experience in Education domain.
• Proven ability to lead large-scale education programs across multiple states.
• Strong governance, budgeting, and performance management skills.
• Experience aligning strategy with NEP 2020 and government schemes.

Responsibilities

• Strategic inputs for short, medium, and long-term targets with impact indicators.
• Lead annual planning, budgeting, and performance management.
• Drive accountability, collaboration, and evidence-based decisions.
• Direct execution of large-scale programs across India.
• Ensure delivery meets proposals, budgets, and donor commitments.
• Review field progress to address gaps and risks.
• Design interventions focused on student access and learning improvements.
• Promote child-centred pedagogy and teacher capacity-building.
• Standardize assessments to track progress and inform remedial actions.
• Ensure gender-responsive, inclusive approaches.
• Align strategy with NEP 2020 and engage with MOE/SCERTs.
• Leverage government schemes for scale.
• Represent the foundation in policy forums.
• Integrate secure EdTech tools and explore responsible AI for learning.
• Develop data platforms for tracking and reporting.
• Establish MEL framework with theories of change and outcomes.
• Use field data analytics to refine interventions.

Skills

Education leadership

Job description

Experience Required: 15–18 years in Education Domain.

About Smile Foundation:

Smile Foundation works for the welfare of underprivileged children and their families through intensive programs focused on education, healthcare, skilling and women empowerment and Empowering Grassroots. Started in 2002 by a group of young corporate professionals, today Smile has evolved into a national level development organization impacting lives of over 2 million under privileged children and their families with project presence in 27 states across India,10 offices in strategic locations and over 650 employees, besides countless volunteers, well- wishers and supporters.

Currently SF has been implementing projects worth Rs 80 Crore across India directly or with the help of grassroot organizations, primarily CSR funded projects of varied scale both in urban slums and rural areas including aspirational districts in thematic areas mentioned above. The wealth of knowledge emanated from the same is immense, however the same is grouped in systematic manner which can be used for pitching for large projects of long term in nature leading to data driven knowledge products which can be further used in creating large scale impact. Its Mission Education vertical ensures equitable, inclusive, and quality education for disadvantaged children, focusing on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN), digital/STEM education, climate action, and community-school ecosystem partnerships.

The Deputy General Manager – Mission Education provides programmatic, and operational leadership to drive the vertical's growth, quality, and measurable impact. This role requires an impact-oriented leader experienced in managing large-scale, multi-location education programmes, building strategic corporate/CSR and government partnerships, and developing scalable, tech-driven educational models aligned with national policies.

Key Roles and Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership and Vision

• Goal Setting: Provide strategic inputs for short, medium, and long-term targets with clear impact indicators.
• Operational Planning: Lead annual business planning, budgeting, and performance management.
• Culture & Governance: Drive accountability, collaboration, and evidence-based decision-making.

Programme Management and Operational Excellence

• Multi-State Oversight: Direct the execution and monitoring of large-scale programmes across India.
• Compliance & Timelines: Ensure delivery meets approved proposals, budgets, and donor commitments.
• Risk Management: Review field progress regularly to correct implementation gaps and risks.
• Resource Optimization: Standardize processes to improve cross-functional and regional efficiency.

Educational Quality and Learning Outcomes

• Outcome Focus: Design interventions around student access, retention, and learning improvements.
• Pedagogy & Mentoring: Promote child-centred, experiential learning and strengthen teacher capacity-building.
• Assessments: Standardize student learning assessments to track progress and inform remedial actions.
• Inclusion: Ensure gender-responsive, inclusive approaches for disadvantaged groups and children with disabilities.

Policy Alignment and Government Relations

• NEP Alignment: Align strategy with the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 and National Curriculum Framework.
• State Engagement: Build strategic ties with the Ministry of Education, SCERTs, DIETs, and local authorities.
• Convergence: Leverage government flagship schemes (e.g., Samagra Shiksha, NIPUN Bharat) for scale.
• Representation: Represent the foundation in policy consultations, sectoral forums, and conferences.

Technology Integration and Innovation

• EdTech Strategy: Integrate accessible, secure, and cost-effective digital tools to boost learning outcomes.
• AI & Advanced Learning: Explore responsible AI, adaptive learning, and digital content for remediation.
• Infrastructure Utilization: Measure actual educational impact rather than just device deployment.
• Data Systems: Deploy digital platforms for student tracking, partner management, and reporting.

Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Impact

• MEL Framework: Establish clear theories of change, logical frameworks, and outcome metrics.
• Data Analytics: Leverage field data analytics to refine intervention designs and plug gaps.