Senior Consultant - Education

Sattva Consulting; Bengaluru; On-site; INR 1,200,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Diverse and inclusive work environment

Opportunities for learning and growth

Impactful work on social issues

Job summary

Sattva Consulting is seeking a Senior Consultant for their Education Practice based in Bengaluru or Gurgaon. This role focuses on leading complex engagements, managing client relationships, and developing high-impact educational initiatives.

The ideal candidate will possess a postgraduate degree, 6–8 years of experience in the education sector, excellent strategic and project management skills, and the ability to influence various stakeholders. A willingness to travel is required.

Qualifications

• 6–8 years of experience in consulting, strategy, or advisory roles within the education sector.
• Experience working with government education systems or education-focused non-profits.
• Proven ability to engage and influence senior decision-makers.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end delivery of complex consulting engagements.
• Develop project strategies, workplans, and governance mechanisms.
• Manage project budgets, timelines, and risks.
• Build and manage relationships with senior stakeholders.
• Lead primary and secondary research efforts.

Skills

Strong strategic thinking

Excellent project management skills

Deep education sector knowledge

Strong research and analytical skills

Excellent presentation and storytelling capabilities

Ability to influence diverse stakeholders

Education

Postgraduate degree in relevant field

Job description

Position: Senior Consultant - Education
Employment type: Contract
Location: Bangalore/ Gurgaon/ Mumbai (with willingness to travel across project locations)

About Sattva We Partner to deliver social impact at scale. We are an organization driven by the mission to end poverty in our lifetime. Our work focuses on scalable solutions for sustainable social impact. We work with clients—corporations, philanthropists, foundations, and social organizations—to achieve social impact goals effectively and maximize the social return on their investment. Deep understanding across sectors and collaboration with multiple stakeholders drive our work, helping us and our clients develop holistic solutions for solving critical societal problems. We are driven by impact and powered by knowledge. We bring the right balance of head‑heart‑hand to our work. Our team of 400 (and growing rapidly) across offices in Bangalore, Mumbai, and Delhi has stellar professional credentials from diverse backgrounds and is bound together by our common commitment to social impact.

About the Education Practice Sattva's Education Practice works with governments, philanthropies, multilateral agencies, corporate foundations, and education organisations to improve learning outcomes and strengthen education systems at scale. Our work spans foundational learning, secondary education, school‑to‑work transitions, teacher development, girls' education, education technology, systems strengthening, and education financing. We support clients through strategy development, programme design, ecosystem building, implementation support, research, monitoring and evaluation, and policy advisory.

The Opportunity As a Senior Consultant in the Education Practice, you will play a critical role in leading complex engagements, managing client relationships, and shaping strategic solutions for some of the most pressing challenges in education. You will work closely with foundations, government departments, development partners, and education organisations to design and deliver high‑impact initiatives. You will also mentor junior team members, contribute to business development efforts, and help strengthen Sattva's thought leadership in the education ecosystem. This role is ideal for professionals who combine strong strategic thinking, excellent project management skills, deep education sector knowledge, and the ability to influence diverse stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities

Project Leadership & Delivery

• Lead end‑to‑end delivery of complex consulting engagements, ensuring high‑quality outputs and achievement of project outcomes.
• Develop project strategies, workplans, governance mechanisms, and delivery frameworks across multiple workstreams.
• Manage project budgets, timelines, resources, and risks to ensure efficient execution.
• Drive structured problem‑solving and maintain overall accountability for project quality and client satisfaction.
• Ensure effective coordination across internal teams, partners, and external stakeholders.
• Identify emerging risks and proactively develop mitigation strategies.

Strategic Advisory & Problem Solving

• Frame complex education challenges into actionable strategic questions and analytical approaches.
• Develop evidence‑based recommendations grounded in research, stakeholder insights, and implementation realities.
• Build perspectives on 2–3 key education themes, including:

• Foundational learning
• School‑to‑work transitions and skilling
• Girls' education
• Teacher development
• Education technology
• Systems strengthening
• Public education reform
• Education financing

• Support clients in designing scalable programmes, ecosystem strategies, and policy recommendations.
• Contribute to the development of intellectual property, frameworks, and methodologies for the Education Practice.

Stakeholder Engagement & Client Management

• Build and manage relationships with senior stakeholders across government, philanthropy, multilateral organisations, and civil society.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to clients by providing strategic inputs and helping navigate complex ecosystem challenges.
• Facilitate multi‑stakeholder consultations, workshops, and strategic discussions.
• Influence decision‑making through data‑driven insights, strong communication, and relationship management.
• Represent Sattva in ecosystem forums, conferences, and external engagements when required.

Research, Analysis & Insights

• Lead primary and secondary research efforts, including landscape assessments, policy analysis, ecosystem studies, and programme evaluations.
• Design and oversee qualitative and quantitative research methodologies.
• Synthesize complex information into actionable insights and strategic recommendations.
• Develop high‑quality reports, presentations, briefs, and client‑facing knowledge products.
• Stay abreast of national and global trends in education policy, philanthropy, and development practice.

Team Leadership & People Development

• Manage and mentor Associates and Analysts across project teams.
• Provide feedback and developmental support to junior team members.
• Ensure high standards of analytical rigor, communication, and project execution across teams.
• Foster a collaborative and learning‑oriented team culture.
• Support resource planning and team capacity building within the Education Practice.

Business Development & Practice Building

• Contribute to proposal development, client pitches, and strategic business development efforts.
• Identify emerging opportunities within the education ecosystem and support relationship‑building with prospective clients and partners.
• Develop thought leadership pieces, sector perspectives, and knowledge products.
• Support the growth and positioning of Sattva's Education Practice within the broader development ecosystem.

Qualifications & Experience

• 6–8 years of experience in consulting, strategy, programme management, policy, research, or advisory roles within the education and development sector.
• Postgraduate degree in Education, Public Policy, Development Studies, Business Management, Economics, Social Sciences, or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience working with government education systems, foundations, multilateral agencies, CSR programmes, or education‑focused non‑profits.
• Strong understanding of India's education landscape, policies, and ecosystem stakeholders.
• Experience managing complex projects involving multiple stakeholders and workstreams.
• Proven ability to engage and influence senior decision‑makers.
• Experience leading and mentoring small teams.
• Strong research, analytical, and communication skills.
• Excellent presentation and strategic storytelling capabilities.
• Willingness to travel as required.

Preferred Experience

• Experience working with state education departments, national education programmes, or large‑scale education reforms.
• Experience supporting philanthropic strategy, grant making, portfolio management, or ecosystem‑building initiatives.
• Exposure to monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) frameworks.
• Experience in business development, proposal writing, and client acquisition.
• Familiarity with global education trends, evidence generation, and policy engagement.

Why Sattva?

• Create Impact: Make an impact with the work you do and the solutions you design.
• Work Environment: Thrive in a diverse, inclusive, and collaborative environment.
• Learn & Grow: Challenge yourself to learn, grow, and deliver the best you can.
• Future Ready: Work on critical issues of today that will affect our collective tomorrow.

Equal Opportunity Statement

Sattva is an equal opportunity employer and considers qualified applicants regardless of race, religion, caste, creed, gender, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, or any other legally protected or marginalized characteristics. Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion are essential to our business and we foster an environment of respect and a culture that celebrates diversity and promotes equity and inclusion. We are committed to providing all employees with education, training, and development opportunities to create a workplace where everyone feels safe, respected, and included.

Device Policy

Employees are required to use their personal laptops for work purposes under the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy, subject to compliance with the company’s information security and IT policies. Necessary tools for operating, like MS Office and related software, will be provided.