Program Lead - MNE (BTP) STEP Bihar

Mantra4Change; Gaya; On-site; INR 360,000 - 440,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Paid leave

Holidays

Menstrual leave

Learning fund

Job summary

Mantra4Change is launching a four-year Block Transformation Program in Gaya, Bihar, focusing on strengthening education leadership, classroom practice, and governance through data-driven monitoring and evaluation. The role leads measurement, data collection, and reporting across multiple blocks and hundreds of government schools, collaborating with various government tiers and partners.

The Program Lead will calibrate tools, build dashboards, and translate findings into actionable instructional

Qualifications

• Must be comfortable speaking and writing in English and Hindi.
• A master’s degree in education, Social Sciences, Statistics, Economics, Public Policy, or a related field is preferred.
• Must have 2–5 years of experience in monitoring and evaluation, research, or data-related roles, preferably in the education or development sector.
• Must have hands-on experience in collecting data from the field.
• Experience in teaching or working with classrooms will be an added advantage.
• Must have good knowledge of Google Sheets or Excel.
• Must have working knowledge of SurveyCTO, Kobo, or similar data collection tools.
• Must be comfortable with data visualisation using Looker Studio, Power BI, or similar tools.
• Must have a basic understanding of data analysis and statistics.
• Must have basic knowledge of Google Workspace, Canva, and AI tools.
• Knowledge of Python, R, or Stata will be an added advantage but is not mandatory.
• Must be willing to live in Gaya, travel regularly for school visits and assessments, and stay there for the duration of the programme.

Responsibilities

• Measurement Framework and Indicators: Build and maintain the BTP results framework covering outputs, outcomes, indicators, baselines, targets, data sources, and frequency for each program pillar.
• Data Collection Systems and Data Quality: Design and maintain digital data collection tools on SurveyCTO or equivalent for classroom observation, school visits, learning circles, PTMs, and training feedback.
• Student Assessment: Plan and run baseline, midline, and endline student assessments in math and science for Grades 6 to 8, including sampling, tool design, field logistics, and enumerator training.
• Dashboards and Review Packs: Build and maintain the BTP dashboard covering school visits, classroom observations, Gold Standard element coverage, learning circle completion, Micro-Improvement Project submissions on DIKSHA, PTMs, and student assessment.
• Supporting Government Review Structures: Support the DPO, DIET, and Block Education Officers to define and track clear academic and administrative KPIs, so that PBL is reviewed as a government mandate rather than an external ask.
• Learning, Course Correction and Documentation: Run a quarterly reflection with the block team on what the data says and what the program should change as a result, and record the decision taken.
• Building Data Capability in the Block: Build the data capability of the block team, CRCCs, and Block Technical Teams so that they read and use their own numbers.

Skills

Field data collection

Data analysis

Google Sheets

Excel

Looker Studio

Power BI

Education

Master’s degree in Education

Tools

SurveyCTO

Kobo

Google Workspace

Job description

Mantra4Change is a non-profit organization working with governments to transform public education systems in India, so that millions of children can learn better, grow stronger, and thrive. We partner closely with state education departments to design and implement reforms at scale, strengthening leadership, governance, and classroom practice across public schools. Our work is grounded in the belief that lasting change happens when governments lead their own transformation.

Through long-term collaboration with institutions such as Samagra Shiksha, SCERTs and DIETs, Mantra4Change focuses on developing school leaders and system leaders, building collaborative school cultures, and engaging communities as partners in learning. By combining strong on-ground implementation with continuous learning, we help systems identify what works, scale it responsibly, and sustain improvement over time. Read more - www.mantra4change.org

About the Gaya Block Transformation Program (BTP)

We have been working closely with the education department of Bihar since 2021 to strengthen education leadership at various levels through collective action, leveraging technology to drive school improvement. Alongside our state-wide Project-Based Learning (PBL) work in the middle grades, we run a deeper district intervention in Gaya that provides governance and academic support to key stakeholders at the district, block, and complex levels.

Mantra4Change is now launching the Block Transformation Program (BTP), a four-year initiative to build a replicable model of quality education across three aspirational blocks in Gaya, covering close to 200 government middle schools. The program deepens Project-Based Learning in Grades 6 to 8 in math, science, and social subjects, and strengthens the whole block ecosystem, teachers, block and district officials, and parents, so that children in government schools learn better and develop both academic and holistic outcomes.

The program is built on a set of interdependent pillars: relevant, experience-based learning resources; effective parent and community engagement; clear KPIs for block, DIET, and district officials; teacher capacity building centered on classroom action; recognition as a design element; instructional support by education leaders; and strong review systems where what gets measured gets done.

About the Role

The Program Lead - Monitoring and Evaluation owns the measurement system for the Block Transformation Program across three blocks in Gaya and close to 200 government middle schools. The role builds and runs the evidence that tells the block whether classroom practice is actually changing classroom observation data against the Grade 6-8 Classroom Observation Tool, PBL Gold Standard tracking, student assessment from baseline to endline, school visit coverage, and the dashboards that BEOs, the DPO, and DIET Gaya use in their monthly reviews.

This is a field-facing measurement role, not a desk role. It suits someone who can hold the line between coverage and practice, who is comfortable in a Grade 7 science classroom with an observation tool as well as in a spreadsheet, and who wants their data to change what the block does next month rather than sit in a report. The role works alongside the Program Leads, government mentors, Complex Coordinators, and Block Technical Teams.

Roles and Responsibilities (but not limited to)

• 1. Measurement Framework and Indicators
• Build and maintain the BTP results framework covering outputs, outcomes, indicators, baselines, targets, data sources, and frequency for each program pillar.
• Keep coverage measures (visits done, teachers trained, kits delivered) clearly separate from practice measures (teachers facilitating a complete PBL cycle with Gold Standard elements) and hold the program team to that distinction.
• Trace the indicator set upward to PARAKH readiness and to Bihar SQAAF Domains 2 and 3, so that block progress reads in the same language the state uses.

2. Data Collection Systems and Data Quality

• Design and maintain digital data collection tools on SurveyCTO or equivalent for classroom observation, school visits, learning circles, PTMs, and training feedback.
• Run observer calibration with Program Leads, government mentors, and CRCCs so that two observers score the same classroom the same way and re-calibrate each cycle.
• Run back-checks, spot checks, and routine data quality audits, and fix the collection process rather than only cleaning the data afterwards.

3. Student Assessment

• Plan and run baseline, midline, and endline student assessments in math and science for Grades 6 to 8, including sampling, tool design, field logistics, and enumerator training.
• Analyse results by grade, by learning outcome, and by block, and identify the weakest NCERT learning outcomes so that teacher support is targeted rather than general.
• Translate findings into specific instructional actions for teachers, Head Teachers, and CRCCs, and check in the next cycle whether those actions moved anything.

4. Dashboards and Review Packs

• Build and maintain the BTP dashboard covering school visits, classroom observations, Gold Standard element coverage, learning circle completion, Micro-Improvement Project submissions on DIKSHA, PTMs, and student assessment.
• Produce a monthly review pack for BEOs, the DPO, and DIET Gaya, with one clear message per page and school-wise and complex-wise variation made visible.
• Keep program data aligned with government systems, including the Vidya Samiksha Kendra (VSK), wherever an official reporting line exists.

5. Supporting Government Review Structures

• Support the DPO, DIET, and Block Education Officers to define and track clear academic and administrative KPIs, so that PBL is reviewed as a government mandate rather than an external ask.
• Prepare the data and the questions for BEO-HM review meetings so that those meetings stay academic, data-informed, and action-oriented.

6. Learning, Course Correction and Documentation

• Run a quarterly reflection with the block team on what the data says and what the program should change as a result, and record the decision taken.
• Document what worked, what did not, and under what conditions, so that the Gaya model can be replicated in other blocks and districts.

7. Building Data Capability in the Block

• Build the data capability of the block team, CRCCs, and Block Technical Teams so that they read and use their own numbers, rather than collecting data only for reporting upwards.

Experience & Competencies Required

• Must be comfortable speaking and writing in English and Hindi.
• A master’s degree in education, Social Sciences, Statistics, Economics, Public Policy, or a related field is preferred.
• Must have 2–5 years of experience in monitoring and evaluation, research, or data-related roles, preferably in the education or development sector.
• Must have hands‑on experience in collecting data from the field.
• Experience in teaching or working with classrooms will be an added advantage.
• Must have good knowledge of Google Sheets or Excel.
• Must have working knowledge of SurveyCTO, Kobo, or similar data collection tools.
• Must be comfortable with data visualisation using Looker Studio, Power BI, or similar tools.
• Must have a basic understanding of data analysis and statistics.
• Must have basic knowledge of Google Workspace, Canva, and AI tools.
• Knowledge of Python, R, or Stata will be an added advantage but is not mandatory.
• Must be willing to live in Gaya, travel regularly for school visits and assessments, and stay there for the duration of the programme.

Why Mantra

• A trust-based work environment that encourages independent thinking, questioning, and building solutions
• An open and collaborative culture where teams are accessible and diverse perspectives are valued
• 24 paid leave and 12 calendar holidays
• Health insurance coverage of up to ₹5 LPA for the employee and their dependents
• One menstrual leave each month for women employees
• ₹5,000 L&D fund to pursue job‑related learning opportunities

Remuneration

An annual CTC of INR 4 LPA onwards, depending on the candidate’s last drawn salary, experience, and overall suitability for the role.

Location

Gaya, Bihar (with travel across the assigned blocks, Gaya CD town, Fatehpur, and Wazirganj, and to Patna when required).

Please Note

The programme is for 4 years, with the contract being renewed every year based on performance.

Selection Process

Shortlisted candidates will be given a pre-work assignment. Candidates who clear the pre-work will be invited to an in‑person Assessment Centre in Patna, which will include a quick assignment round, a technical interview round, and a culture interview round. Please note that candidates will be responsible for arranging and covering their own travel and accommodation expenses. The organisation will provide meals during the Assessment Centre."