Project Manager
Job Description
About Central Square Foundation
Founded in 2012, Central Square Foundation (CSF) is a non-profit philanthropic foundation working on the vision of ensuring quality school education for all children in India. We are driven by our mission to transform the school education system with a focus on improving learning outcomes of children, especially from low-income communities.
We believe that ensuring Universal, Early, Conceptual and Procedural Mastery of Foundational Skills is absolutely essential for the overall success of the education system. In order to achieve this, we partner with individuals and social impact organizations to bring innovative solutions in education, as well as work with the government to drive systemic impact.We collaborate with the ecosystem to leverage knowledge, build evidence and create proven tools around critical issues such as early learning, EdTech, classroom instruction methods and governance.
We also support exceptional social entrepreneurs with powerful ideas, undertake application-oriented research, provide a platform for sharing of innovation, and collaborate with other stakeholders in the ecosystem to find policy solutions - all towards enabling sustained change in India's educational system.
CSF's team members bring a deep sense of commitment and passion towards our collective vision that every child deserves quality education. We strive for excellence in everything we do and collaborate to create an impact as we move closer to achieving our mission.We encourage an entrepreneurial outlook that evokes new and bold ideas along with taking smart risks. CSF provides a dynamic, learning and positive environment that is driven by our strong sense of values.
Position Summary
CSF supports multiple central government agencies to plan, design and implement large scale education reform initiatives. This involves the co-creation and implementation of comprehensive project plans, providing technical support in the areas of project planning, and coordinating with other agencies involved in the implementation of a program.This demands efficient management of multiple, ambiguous work-streams with tight deadlines, and consistent engagement with government officials at various levels of seniority.
Based out of New Delhi, the Senior Project Manager (SPM) / Project Manager (PM) will play an important role in ensuring that ambitious reform initiatives are implemented in an efficient and effective manner. The SPM/PM will be expected to adapt to ambiguous circumstances, effectively respond to government and key stakeholder requests, and strengthen CSF's strategic goal of improving the quality of school education in India.
Key responsibilities include but are not limited to- Build and manage relationships with diverse stakeholders, including central government representatives, corporate partners, educational nonprofits and community leaders.
- Planning, design, and execution of key strategic initiatives to strengthen stakeholder relationships and outcomes.
- Coordinate capacity-building workshops, research projects, stakeholder convenings, and other activities.
- Manage timelines, budgets, and deliverables to ensure initiatives are on track and aligned with organisational objectives.
- Plan and execute convenings to foster partnerships, collaboration, and co-innovation within the education ecosystem.
- Conduct research and ensure insights are translated into actionable strategies and interventions.
- Identify gaps in innovation opportunities and design approaches to address them through evidence-based solutions.
- Ensure events are well-structured, and planned in alignment with project goals.
- Develop and implement tracking and evaluation frameworks to measure the success and outcomes of projects and initiatives.
- Prepare high-quality reports / presentation decks for funders, stakeholders, and leadership that communicate impact, progress, and opportunities.
- Collaborate with internal teams to ensure strategic alignment and smooth project delivery.
- Support administrative functions such as budget monitoring, scheduling, and vendor management, as needed.
- Engage and onboard existing and new CSF vendors for seamless and efficient execution of project priorities
- Providing regular updates to CSF management on progress, insights, opportunities and areas for course correction
- Bachelor's or Master's degree
- 2 to 6 years of relevant work experience
- Candidates with experience in high functioning consulting environment and project management, preferably with experience in strategic initiatives or multi-stakeholder partnerships
- Comfort and experience with project management tools (e.g., Google Sheets, Asana, Trello or similar) to track progress, manage workflows, and ensure accountability
- Experience engaging with governments, corporate partners, NGOs, and/or other key education system actors
- Proven ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously, including budgeting, scheduling, and stakeholder engagement
- Fluency in English is mandatory and Hindi is preferred
- Open to travel to partner sites when needed
- Entrepreneurial spirit and can-do attitude
- Critical thinking and analytical skills
- Excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills
- Collaborative with strong coordination skills
- Outcome-oriented and thrives in a team environment
- Ability to adapt to emerging situations and multitask efficiently
- Manage professional relationships with people from diverse backgrounds
- Excellent management skills including attention to detail, ability to organize/present information and ability to multitask
Compensation
Remuneration will be competitive with Indian philanthropy pay scales and will depend upon the candidate's experience levels.