State Consultant- MP/MH/BH/JH

IPE Global Limited; Mumbai; On-site; INR 1,500,000 - 2,600,000; Full time

Job summary

IPE Global Limited seeks a State Consultant to strengthen planning, implementation, and data systems for school vocational education under Samagra Shiksha. The role focuses on improving coverage, delivery quality, and data-driven decisions while aligning with state skilling ecosystems.

The candidate will engage with the State Education Department, build partnerships across departments, and lead capacity-building and program management efforts for girls’ access to in-school vocational pathways.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree or higher in Education, Social Sciences, Public Policy, or a related field.
• At least 10 years of experience leading state-level education/skilling programmes.
• Experience with government education departments, skill ministries, or Samagra Shiksha is desirable.
• Understanding of NEP 2020, NSQF, and state vocational education frameworks.

Responsibilities

• Engage with state education department to implement VE guidelines and manuals.
• Support public awareness initiatives to improve perception of VE and life skills.
• Organise localised career fairs with industries and State Skill Mission.
• Strengthen monitoring, evaluation, and state MIS for student outcomes.
• Build partnerships with state government departments to align vocational initiatives.
• Develop stakeholder engagement plans and coordinate meetings and field visits.
• Organise events and roundtables with department representatives.
• Prepare progress reports, presentations, and briefs for government reviews.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Stakeholder engagement

Analytical thinking

Communication

Team building

Education

Master’s or higher in Education/Policy/Social Sciences

Job description

IPE Global’s Social and Economic Empowerment practice works towards building girl capital, empowering women and nurturing resilient communities by creating inclusive and sustainable solutions, including but not limited to policy development, capacity building, adaptive management, community mobilisation, behaviour change communication, deepening social safety nets, beneficiary feedback analysis, poverty assessment, and evidence-based monitoring.

She Learns is a five-year (2026-2031) project to enable 27 lakh additional girls’ access to vocational education in schools, including on-the-job training (OJT) in market-linked aspirational trades. We seek a strategic leader who will strengthen institutional employment mechanisms for school students, amplify OJT/internship opportunities for girls in aspirational market-linked trades, and support the implementation of the state vocational education action plan.

The State Consultant will work closely with the State Education Department to strengthen planning, implementation, monitoring, and data systems for school vocational education under Samagra Shiksha, with a focus on improving school coverage, delivery quality, and data-driven decision-making. The role ensures alignment with the state vocational skilling ecosystem and the project. It involves extensive stakeholder engagement, capacity building, and program management.

Key Responsibilities

• Engage with the state education department to implement guidelines, frameworks, and operational manuals on VE
• Support roll-out of public awareness initiatives in the state to improve social perception of VE and life skills.
• Support the state department in organising localised career fairs in collaboration with industries and the State Skill Mission.
• Strengthen the monitoring and evaluation systems and state MIS to track student outcomes, adapting strategies as needed.
• Build and sustain strong partnerships with relevant state government departments and bodies to align school vocational initiatives with skill missions.
• Develop a stakeholder engagement plan and organise regular coordination meetings and field visits
• Organise events like meetings, roundtables, conferences in collaboration with the concerned dept representatives
• Prepare high-quality periodic progress reports, presentations, and briefs for government reviews and steering committees.

As job descriptions cannot be exhaustive, the State Consultant may be required to undertake other duties broadly in line with the above tasks, as determined by senior leadership.

Qualification & Experience:

Educational Background

Master’s degree or higher in Education, Social Sciences, Public Policy, or a related field.

Work Experience and Expertise:

• At least 10 years of experience leading state-level programmes related to education and/or skilling and promoting student retention.
• Proven experience working with government education departments, skill development ministries, civil society, and community stakeholders. Experience working with Samagra Shiksha or state education systems is desirable.
• Strong understanding of NEP 2020, NSQF, and national and state frameworks guiding vocational education in schools.
• Experience in designing gender-responsive, large-scale in-school programmes that enhance vocational skills, employability, and life skills for adolescents.
• Strong understanding of the socio-cultural, economic, and policy factors influencing school dropout rates and school-based vocational education, including poverty, gender discrimination, social norms, and systemic barriers within the education system.
• Deep commitment to advancing youth empowerment, gender equality, and inclusive education, with a particular focus on enabling girls’ access to in-school vocational pathways and lifelong skills.

Key Skills and Competencies

• Strategic leadership: Demonstrated capacity to lead complex, multi-stakeholder programmes at scale.
• Stakeholder engagement and management: Ability to engage and persuade diverse stakeholders.
• Analytical thinking: Strong data interpretation skills, academic content decoding, and evidence-based decision-making.
• Communication: Exceptional verbal and written communication skills.
• Team building: Ability to lead and inspire a multidisciplinary team, fostering a culture of excellence and innovation.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for subsequent rounds.