Head of Programs

Involve Learning Solutions Foundation; Patna; On-site; INR 2,000,000 - 2,500,000; Full time

Job summary

Involve Learning Solutions Foundation is seeking a Head of Programs to lead student leadership initiatives across India's government schools. You will shape program strategy, build scalable systems, and develop leaders who can strengthen government partnerships.

You will work with leadership to drive high-quality delivery, navigate complex public systems, and create sustainable models that expand access to leadership education for millions of children.

Qualifications

• Has 10+ years of leadership experience in education or the social sector.
• Has successfully led large-scale programs, preferably in partnership with government systems.
• Thinks strategically while remaining deeply connected to execution.
• Enjoys building from scratch.
• Demonstrates strong judgment, clarity of thought, and structured communication.
• Can influence diverse stakeholders without relying on authority.
• Builds people, not just processes.

Responsibilities

• Shape the future of our programs
• Build leaders, not just teams
• Scale with quality
• Contribute beyond your role
• Develop trusted relationships with government stakeholders across districts and states

Skills

Leadership

Strategic thinking

Relationship building

People development

Job description

JD for Head of Programs atInvolve Learning Solutions Foundation

At Involve , we’re on a mission to bring students to the center of their own learning journeys. We believe that when students are trusted, supported, and given space to lead, they don’t just learn better they thrive.

We started back in 2018 when our founders, Divanshu and Samyak , both fresh out of IIT Madras, chose to skip placements and instead build something that mattered. They envisioned classrooms where students weren’t just passive listeners, but active participants—teaching, mentoring, leading, and growing together.

Today, that vision is alive and growing, and we are working with government schools in six Indian states. Our core program, Peer Teaching, trains senior students to mentor their juniors in foundational skills like reading and math. But it’s about more than academics, it’s about building confidence, communication, problem-solving, and agency. Because we believe agency is the key to breaking cycles of inequality and helping young people truly own their futures. Over the next 5 years we look forward to creating impact for 10 million children across the length and breadth of India!

We work hand in hand with state and district governments across Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Karnataka. We are supported by partners such as the Agency Fund and Wells Fargo. Our work has also been featured in the Economic Survey of India, and we are recipients of the Don Norman Design Award (DNDA),recognising our approach to designing for impact at scale. Along the way, our work has been acknowledged by platforms like HundrED and Reimagine Education.

But honestly, what keeps us going is our students. The girl who ran her first peer-led session with shaky hands and a steady voice. The boy who found his voice helping his classmates. The thousands of stories that remind us every day why this work matters.

Role Overview

Build the future of student leadership in India's government schools. This role will ask you to shape how student leadership can become an integral part of government school systems across India. At Involve, we believe every young person deserves the opportunity to lead. For over a decade, we have worked with schools to build student agency, leadership, and life skills through a model that has reached 1 million students. Our next chapter is bigger! We are partnering more deeply with government systems, strengthening implementation at scale, and building an organisation that can influence how leadership education reaches millions of children. We are looking for someone who wants to help build that future. While you will be responsible for ensuring excellent program delivery, your larger mandate is to build systems, develop leaders, strengthen government partnerships, and shape the future direction of our programs. You will work closely with the leadership team to solve complex problems, build new capabilities, and create scalable models that can transform public education.

Key Responsibilities

What You'll Build

Shape the future of our programs

Design and strengthen program strategy that enables scale without compromising quality.

Build systems and processes that help programs become more effective year after year.

Identify opportunities to innovate, experiment, and improve our model.

Develop trusted relationships with government stakeholders across districts and states.

Work collaboratively with education departments to embed Involve's model within public systems.

Represent Involve as a thoughtful and credible partner in education transformation.

Build leaders, not just teams

Lead, coach, and develop high-performing program managers and state teams.

Build a culture of ownership, learning, and continuous improvement.

Create leadership depth that enables sustainable growth.

Scale with quality

Balance execution excellence with long-term systems thinking.

Use data, field insights, and feedback to continuously improve program quality.

Solve complex implementation challenges while keeping the larger vision in mind.

Contribute beyond your role

At Involve, leadership is not limited by job descriptions. We encourage everyone to spend time building new ideas, improving systems, and strengthening the organisation beyond their immediate responsibilities.

We're Looking For Someone Who

We always hire for attitude first, smarts next and then your skills. We are looking for individuals who align with our Vision & Values and who have what it takes to solve the most complex of problems to build the next big education organisation!

Experience & Background

Has 10+ years of leadership experience in education or the social sector.

Has successfully led large-scale programs, preferably in partnership with government systems.

Thinks strategically while remaining deeply connected to execution.

Enjoys building from scratch

Demonstrates strong judgment, clarity of thought, and structured communication.

Can influence diverse stakeholders without relying on authority.

Builds people, not just processes.

Is comfortable navigating ambiguity and making decisions with incomplete information.

Is looking for a long-term opportunity to build an institution

Who Will Thrive in This Role

You believe meaningful change in education requires depth, patience, and systems thinking

You care deeply about how adults and children learn, not just what they are taught

You can challenge assumptions with empathy and clarity

You value reflection as much as action

You enjoy building programs, people, and processes from the ground up

Why Join Involve?

This is an opportunity to work on one of the most important questions in education:

How do we help every child develop the confidence, agency, and leadership to shape their own future?

You will join a mission-driven team with the freedom to experiment, challenge assumptions, and build. If you are excited by the idea of influencing education systems, developing leaders, and creating something that will outlast all of us, we would love to hear from you.

The 15% at Involve - 15% of your work time (~1 hr/day) at Involve is to investigate a new idea - to innovate, to create. There are primary focus areas you could explore that can directly contribute to the project:

Personal Development and Entrepreneurial Thinking

Student leadership & future-ready skills

Engaging Teachers to create more opportunities for student-driven learning.

This will help identify your area of interest and explore learning opportunities, something that will contribute towards your self-development and career growth in the long run.

High Impact work; Strong ownership for your work and No hierarchy!

We are fun. Like crazy fun! & we love memes! Ask anyone around :)

We are crazy about Food, so you get brownie points for being a foodie!

Location:Preferred work location is Patna or Lucknow. Open to explore for Varanasi or Bhagalpur also with frequent travels to work locations.
Should be fluent in Hindi, both verbal and reading

Compensation: INR 20-25 LPA CTC (Negotiable based on experience & fit)