Project Manager

BACKGROUND The Hans Foundation (THF), established in 2009, is a Public Charitable Trust that works towards creating an equitable society to enhance quality of life for all through the empowerment of marginalized and underprivileged communities in India. The Hans Foundation works for the Health and well-being of remote and under-served groups, with an additional focus on children, persons with disabilities and women. THF also works for holistic Education and Livelihood development of our communities. Our Two-Fold Strategy involves identifying and working within Aspirational Districts and high poverty index in the North, North-East and East regions within specific states, as well as catering to lower-income and migratory populations in cities, through urban programs. Over its 16 years of existence, THF has reached more than 35 million beneficiaries through its programs. THF works with communities through direct implementation of projects on the ground in addition to providing local management and monitoring support to not-for-profit organizations in India funded through THF USA and RIST. General Project Name : Hans Vriksh Education Programme-UP Location of Job : Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh No. of Positions : 01 Reports To: Program Manager Annual Salary (before TDS) : Max 70,000/- per month (Salary will be commensurate with education, experience of the candidate and past salary drawn) Position Overview: The Project Manager will be responsible for the overall planning, implementation, monitoring and quality management of the Hans Vriksh Education Programme across approximately 80–90 government schools in different districts of UP The role will provide leadership to the field team, build strong partnerships with government education stakeholders, ensure effective school-level implementation, manage programme resources and budgets, and provide continuous technical, operational and field-level handholding to the team. The Project Manager will act as the key link between THF core team, government stakeholders, schools and the field team, ensuring that programme objectives are translated into quality implementation and measurable outcomes. This position will be based in Bahraich with extensive travel to different districts in UP. 2. KEY RESPONSIBILITIES A. Project & Programme Management Lead end-to-end implementation of the programme across 80–90 government schools. Develop annual, quarterly and monthly implementation plans, targets and timelines. Prepare school/cluster-wise plans and ensure effective team deployment. Monitor progress against agreed milestones and outcomes. Identify implementation gaps and lead timely corrective actions. Ensure programme quality, timelines and deliverables are achieved. Coordinate with internal teams including MEL, Finance, HR, Procurement and senior management. B. Team Management & Handholding Lead, manage and mentor the project team responsible for school-level implementation. Define team roles, responsibilities, targets and performance expectations. Conduct regular weekly/monthly team reviews. Monitor team performance and provide constructive feedback. Provide hands-on field mentoring and coaching to team members. Accompany team members during school visits where required and provide on-site guidance. Support the team in school engagement, facilitation, stakeholder management and problem-solving. Identify capacity gaps and facilitate training and on-the-job learning. Build a culture of accountability, collaboration and continuous learning. C. Government Partnership & Stakeholder Engagement Develop and maintain strong relationships with District, Block and School-level education authorities. Coordinate with relevant government officials for programme implementation, permissions, reviews and convergence. Facilitate programme orientations and review meetings with government stakeholders. Build ownership of the programme among government schools and education officials. Maintain effective relationships with Head Teachers/Principals and teachers. Address stakeholder concerns and facilitate timely resolution of implementation issues. D. School & Field Implementation Ensure effective implementation across all assigned schools. Monitor school coverage, student participation, teacher engagement and programme activities. Conduct regular school and field visits to assess implementation quality. Identify schools requiring additional support and develop targeted action plans. Ensure programme interventions are contextualized to local school and community needs. Document good practices, challenges and learnings for programme improvement. E. Budget & Resource Management Support annual programme budgeting and activity-based resource planning. Monitor expenditure against approved budgets. Track budget utilization and identify variances. Ensure effective and cost-efficient utilization of programme resources. Coordinate with Finance and Procurement teams for timely availability of resources. Ensure compliance with organizational financial and procurement processes. F. Monitoring, Data & Reporting Monitor programme indicators and school-level targets through dashboard, MIS and field reviews. Ensure timely and accurate data collection and reporting. Validate field data through school visits and stakeholder interactions. Conduct monthly and quarterly programme reviews. Prepare programme reports, presentations, case studies and management updates. Use data and field evidence to guide decision-making and programme improvement. G. Capacity Building Identify training needs of project staff and develop capacity-building plans. Facilitate induction, refresher training and technical orientation. Strengthen team skills in facilitation, school engagement, data management and reporting. Provide continuous coaching and mentoring to improve field performance. H. Parent & Community Engagement Guide the team in developing effective parent and community engagement strategies. Support engagement with parents and community stakeholders around children's education, attendance, participation and continuation. Identify community-level barriers and facilitate appropriate responses. 3. QUALIFICATION & EXPERIENCE Essential Postgraduate degree in Education, Social Sciences, Development Studies, Management or related field. 8-10 years of relevant experience in education/development programme implementation and management. Experience managing field teams and geographically dispersed programme Experience working with government schools and education departments. Experience in programme planning, monitoring, reporting and stakeholder management. Experience in Life skills Education, working with adolescents and career counselling Understanding of programme budgeting and financial management. Willingness to travel extensively across rural and remote locations. Desirable Experience working in Uttar Pradesh or similar rural contexts. Knowledge of NEP 2020, Samagra Shiksha and government-school systems. Experience with MIS and data-based programme monitoring. 4. KEY COMPETENCIES Project Management | Team Leadership | Government Partnership | Budget Management | Field Operations | Team Handholding & Mentoring | School Engagement | Monitoring & Evaluation | Data & MIS | Training & Capacity Building | Stakeholder Management | Problem Solving | Reporting & Documentation 5. IDEAL CANDIDATE The ideal candidate will be a hands-on, field-oriented education professional who can independently manage a large school portfolio, lead and develop field teams, build effective government partnerships and ensure quality implementation. The candidate should demonstrate strong ownership, people-management skills, problem-solving ability, communication skills and willingness to spend significant time in the field. Preferred: Overall perspective and understanding on issues about education, gender/life skill /adolescent girls and development se