Senior Program Manager Schools Program Ranchi

Ground Zero; Ranchi; On-site; INR 1,500,000 - 1,800,000; Full time

Job summary

Ground Zero in Ranchi is seeking a Senior Program Manager - Schools Program to lead state strategy for Jharkhand, partnering with government bodies to mainstream future skills education. The role demands strategic thinking, extensive government engagement, and the ability to drive large, multi-stakeholder programs.

You will oversee district-level implementation, manage consortia collaborations, and develop long-term state plans with clear milestones, budgets, and performance dashboards.

Qualifications

• Experience leading large-scale education or EdTech programs (10+ years).
• 5-6+ years managing complex, state-level initiatives with multiple stakeholders.
• Deep knowledge of NEP 2020, SCERT/DSERT frameworks, and the state education ecosystem.
• High proficiency in Hindi with the ability to engage Hindi-speaking government stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Anchor and drive the state strategy for Jharkhand with annual plans and multi-year roadmaps.
• Lead government engagement and advocacy with state education stakeholders and boards.
• Oversee program delivery, M&E, dashboards, and quality across districts.
• Coordinate internal governance, budgeting, and reporting to ensure donor commitments and compliance.
• Lead and mentor the state team, promote inclusive and professional collaboration.

Skills

Strategic planning

Budgeting

Stakeholder management

Government engagement

Data-driven planning

Digital fluency

Team leadership

Hindi language proficiency

Tools

Google Workspace

Project management tools

Job description

Job Description:

Role: Senior Program Manager - Schools Program, Ranchi

Experience: 10+ Years

Salary: Upto 15-18 LPA

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About the program:

The Jharkhand Schools Program works to equip adolescents in government secondary schools with essential Future Skills, including Computational Thinking, Foundational Digital Skills, Career Awareness, and AI & Emerging Technology literacy.

The program focuses on long-term systems change by:

• Institutionalizing future skills within curriculum frameworks.
• Strengthening educator capacity through scalable, teacher-led models.
• Building strong partnerships with state education bodies.
• Embedding monitoring and delivery mechanisms directly within government systems.

Role Overview:

The Senior Program Manager - Schools Program will lead the state strategy for Jharkhand, oversee high-quality program implementation across districts, and drive deep government partnerships to mainstream future skills education at scale. This role requires strong strategic thinking, government engagement expertise, and the ability to lead complex, multi-stakeholder programs. In addition, the SPM will lead key consortium collaborations and specialized state strategies.

Key responsibilities:

1. Strategic Planning, Systems Change & Program Leadership

• Anchor and drive the state strategy in alignment with organizational priorities and long-term systems-change goals.
• Develop annual operational plans with clear milestones, budgets, timelines, and delivery frameworks across program components.
• Lead the development of a 3-5 year state strategy, including resource planning, team structure, and scale pathways.
• Identify and pursue strategic partnerships, advocacy opportunities, and ecosystem collaborations.
• Ensure all donor commitments are met, including timely and accurate narrative and data reporting.
• Lead financial forecasting, track utilization, ensure compliance, and manage risks proactively.

2. Government Engagement & Advocacy

• Build and sustain strong partnerships with key state education stakeholders, state boards, and allied government bodies.
• Represent the organization in state-level forums, consultations, and review meetings.
• Advocate for the institutionalization of Future Skills within curriculum, teacher training, and assessment frameworks.
• Ensure program indicators are integrated into government monitoring systems to enable mainstream implementation.
• Mobilize government resources (budgets, venues, logistics, printing, training infrastructure) to support scale and sustainability.

3. Program Delivery & Quality Assurance

• Work closely with Learning Experience teams to contextualize curriculum and ensure high-quality implementation.
• Coordinate with Associate Program Managers to support district-level rollout and resolve operational challenges.
• Track progress rigorously using dashboards, data systems, and field insights to ensure quality and timely targets.
• Establish, strengthen, and monitor the Master Trainer cadre to enable statewide educator capacity building.
• Conduct regular field visits and integrate M&E learnings into design, delivery, and planning.

4. Internal Collaboration & Governance

• Actively contribute to organizational planning and cross-team alignment processes.
• Coordinate with Finance and internal teams, tracking interdependencies using tools like Notion.
• Maintain high standards of internal documentation, compliance, and governance.

5. Team Leadership & Development

• Lead and mentor the state team, ensuring role clarity, performance goals, and accountability.
• Promote inclusion, gender sensitivity, and equitable workplace practices.
• Conduct regular performance reviews and build team capabilities in monitoring and evaluation (M&E).
• Maintain a culture of respectful, open, and professional communication.

Required Qualifications & Experience:

• Experience: 10+ years of experience leading large-scale education or EdTech programs.
• State-Level Management: 5-6+ years of experience managing complex, state-level initiatives with multiple stakeholders.
• Ecosystem Knowledge: Strong understanding of the state education ecosystem, NEP 2020, and SCERT/DSERT frameworks.
• Language Proficiency: High proficiency in Hindi with the ability to engage Hindi-speaking government stakeholders.
• Government Engagement: Proven experience in educator capacity building and facilitating workshops with government officials.
• Core Skills: Strong financial management, budgeting, compliance, data-driven planning, and high digital fluency (Google Workspace, project management tools).
• Travel: Willingness and ability to travel extensively across the state.

More details: https://groundzero.community/

Requirements: