Head of Curriculum Development

Shikha Institute of Education; Mumbai; On-site; INR 2,800,000 - 4,200,000; Full time

Job summary

Shikha Institute of Education is seeking a Head of Curriculum Development to lead the design of a 100% project-based, modular curriculum that emphasizes thinking over memorization. You will bridge curriculum, pedagogy, and assessment, and mentor a growing team of curriculum designers and educators.

With 8–10 years of experience and a Master's in Education or related field, you will anchor learning in big questions, integrating Indian context and relevance across disciplines while scaling the

Qualifications

• Master's degree in Education or related field.
• 8–10 years of experience in curriculum design or academic leadership.
• Strong knowledge of inquiry-based and project-based pedagogy.
• Ability to think across disciplines including Social Studies, English, CS, Arts, or Economics.
• Excellent academic writing, conceptual clarity, and people leadership.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design of a 100% project-based, modular curriculum emphasizing process over content.
• Build curricula that foster thinking skills: cognitive ability, critical thinking, creativity, communication, collaboration, and character.
• Guide inquiry-driven units centered on big questions with Indian context and relevance.
• Align curriculum with pedagogy and assessment practices.
• Leverage technology to scaffold learning and support personalized, student-led inquiry.
• Build, mentor, and grow a team of curriculum designers and educators.
• Pilot and iterate in Shikha Academy classrooms before scaling across programs.

Skills

Curriculum design

Academic leadership

Instructional design

People leadership

Systems thinking

Academic writing

Education

Master's degree in Education

Job description

Established in 2022, Shikha Institute of Education is on a mission to transform education at scale. We are building a high-quality, affordable, and scalable education system that enables every child to access meaningful learning experiences and realize their full potential. Our work spans curriculum and assessment design, educational research, pedagogy, teacher development, school leadership, and academic systems. By strengthening each of these building blocks, we seek to create lasting improvements in student learning outcomes and support whole-school transformation. We believe that every child deserves an education that nurtures curiosity, critical thinking, problem-solving, and a lifelong love for learning. If you are passionate about shaping the future of education, we would love to hear from you.

At Shikha, curriculum is not about coverage, it's about thinking.

We are building a 100% project-based, inquiry-driven curriculum that helps students problem-solve, think critically, communicate effectively, collaborate meaningfully, and develop strong character. As Head of Curriculum Development, you will lead this work shaping how students learn, not just what they learn.

YOUR ROLE

• Lead Curriculum Vision & Design: Own the design of a 100% project-based, modular curriculum that emphasizes process over content and develops deep domain expertise.
• Design for Thinking, Not Memorization: Ensure curricula build cognitive ability, critical thinking, creativity, communication, collaboration, and character.
• Anchor Learning in Big Questions: Guide the development of inquiry-driven units built around powerful "big questions", with strong emphasis on Indian context and relevance.
• Bridge Curriculum, Pedagogy & Assessment: Ensure tight alignment between curriculum design, classroom pedagogy, and assessment practices.
• Leverage Technology Thoughtfully: Integrate technology tools to scaffold learning, enable student-led inquiry, and support personalization.
• Build & Mentor Teams: Lead, mentor, and grow a team of curriculum designers, subject experts, and educators.
• Pilot, Iterate & Scale: Work closely with Shikha Academy classrooms to test, refine, and strengthen curriculum before scaling across programs and platforms.

WHAT WE ARE LOOKING FOR

• Experience: 8-10 years of total professional experience, with significant experience in curriculum design, academic leadership, or instructional design.
• Education: Master's degree in Education, Curriculum Studies, Subject Specialization, or a related field (graduates from premier institutes preferred).
• Curriculum Expertise: Deep understanding of inquiry-based learning, project-based pedagogy, learning progressions, and assessment design.
• Subject Comfort: Ability to think across disciplines, with familiarity in areas such as Social Studies, English, Computer Science, Arts, or Business & Economics.
• Skills: Strong academic writing, conceptual clarity, systems thinking, and people leadership.
• Mindset: Curious, reflective, rigorous, and deeply committed to reimagining how children learn.

WHY JOIN US

Design curriculum that teaches students how to think, not what to memorize.

Lead work that blends research, classroom practice, and innovation.

Shape learning experiences rooted in real questions, real contexts, and real-world relevance.

See your ideas come alive in classrooms and in the thinkers, creators, and leaders they help shape.

JOB TYPE: Full time

REPORTS TO Director

SALARY: Competitive, commensurate with skills and experience