Manager - Program Office (School Ecosystem & Inclusive Education)

Ummeed Child Development Center View all jobs

India
Permanent
Full-time

17 days ago

was founded in 2001 by Dr. Vibha Krishnamurthy, a developmental pediatrician, an Ashoka Fellow, and resource person to government and international organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO).Ummeed's vision is to help children with and at risk of developmental disabilities reach their full potential and be included in society. Over the last 23 years, Ummeed has provided direct services to 15,000+ children and families, trained over 8,500 unique professionals (community workers, as well as doctors, therapists, and teachers) across India, and indirectly influenced the lives of over 0.45 million children and families with or at risk of developmental disabilities. Besides direct clinical services, and training and capacity building, Ummeed's two other verticals of work have included research (to generate evidence of our work) and awareness building (to sensitize people to the cause and shift attitudes).As Ummeed looks to the future, its goal is to build on this past work to bring about strategic shifts in three key ecosystems - Healthcare, Schools and Communities - towards creating a more inclusive society for children with, and at risk, of developmental disabilities in India.About the School Ecosystem:There are over 50 million children in India with or at-risk of a developmental disability. Children with diverse learning needs experience bullying, mental health concerns, school transfers (to other mainstream schools or special schools) or experience complete school dropout. Schools often lack the knowledge, skills, and resources to support these children, resulting in academic, social, and emotional exclusion. This issue is exacerbated by systemic barriers such as large class sizes, rigid curricula, lack of trained educators, as well as societal stigma. These challenges disproportionately affect vulnerable children in low-resource schools.Ummeed's work highlights the urgency to shift the school ecosystem from exclusionary to inclusive practices in schools, creating environments where children of all abilities can reach their maximum potential. Ummeed employs a multi-pronged approach to bring about a positive shift in culture, policies, and practices towards inclusion in the school ecosystem. Key initiatives include:

Deep partnerships with schools to embed inclusive culture, policies, and practices within the school system
Training and capacity-building programs for educators, equipping them with the requisite skills to create inclusive classrooms that cater to all learners and their unique learning styles
Raising awareness about the importance of disability-inclusive education and influencing stakeholders in the school space to adopt inclusive practices

Role OverviewThe Manager - Program Office will lead planning, coordination, and monitoring of key initiatives within the Schools Ecosystem to strengthen inclusive education. The role requires strong program management skills, cross-functional collaboration, and the ability to integrate monitoring and evaluation (M&E) insights into decision-making. A background in schools, education systems, or inclusive education is highly desirable.Key Responsibilities1. Program & Project Management

Develop detailed project plans (Gantt charts, RACIs) with core and implementation teams.
Conduct periodic reviews, track timelines, address bottlenecks, and ensure accountability.
Establish systems to monitor project milestones, outcomes, and quality indicators.
Track progress against annual plans and escalate risks with recommended solutions.

2. Process Development & Operational Excellence

Design and refine processes to support smooth program implementation across schools.
Coordinate with implementation, M&E, operations, and finance teams to streamline workflows and budget tracking.
Build tools, SOPs, and templates to enhance operational consistency and rigor.
Lead process-improvement initiatives to drive quality and efficiency.

3. Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning (MEL)

Collaborate with the M&E team to analyze data, identify trends, and generate insights.
Translate data into actionable recommendations for program refinement.
Support learning cycles, including reviews and documentation of lessons learned.
Contribute to standardized MEL-informed program frameworks and reporting systems.

4. Documentation & Knowledge Management

Produce high-quality program documents such as donor reports, progress presentations, internal updates, and frameworks.
Document and curate learnings, case studies, and best practices.
Support development of standardized templates and knowledge assets for organizational use.

5. Stakeholder Coordination & Partnerships

Facilitate effective communication across program teams, leadership, and enabling functions.
Lead preparation for program reviews, donor meetings, and external presentations.
Identify and support strategic partnerships within the school ecosystem to strengthen inclusive education efforts
Cross collaboration and learnings from other ecosystems within Ummeed.

Reporting to: Head - Program OfficeEssential Qualifications, Skills & Experience

Bachelor's/Master's degree in education, public policy, social sciences, development studies, or related fields.
6-8 years of experience in program/project management, preferably in education or the nonprofit sector.
Experience with M&E, data analysis, or learning systems is an advantage.
Demonstrated ability to manage cross-functional initiatives and collaborate with diverse stakeholders.
Strong written and verbal communication skills; ability to synthesize and present information effectively.
Proven ownership mindset with ability to drive outcomes in complex programs.
Proficiency in MS Office and project management tools.

Core Competencies

Communication: Clear, effective engagement with internal and external stakeholders.
Collaboration & Influence: Ability to work with diverse teams and foster respectful and positive interactions and address resistance with empathy and clarity.
Ownership & Accountability: Strong execution to drive outcomes. Balances big picture with execution detail and strong documentation rigor.
Systems Thinking: Understanding of interdependencies within the school ecosystem to design coherent processes.
Critical Thinking & Problem-Solving: Connects data, field realities, and constraints to shape pragmatic solutions.

Good-to-Have

Exposure to inclusive education, special needs, or classroom observation frameworks.
Experience collaborating with government systems and donors; grant/report writing.
Proficiency in local languages alongside English.

Others:Ummeed is committed to enhance diversity in its workforce based on religion, caste, ethnicity, socio-economic background, gender and language. We encourage persons with disabilities and parents of children with disabilities to apply. Ummeed gives preference to a candidate who is interested in putting in at least 40 hours per week. Salary will be commensurate with the role, qualifications, and experience.Candidates meeting the criteria may email their updated resumes to careers@ummeed.org.

Ummeed Child Development Center

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