Senior Program Manager

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About the Organization

Quest Alliance is a not-for-profit organization working across India,  dedicated to equipping young people with the skills they need to thrive in a rapidly evolving world of work.  Since 2008, we’ve been reimagining how young learners, especially those from underserved communities experience education, career readiness, and lifelong learning. We have been enabling equitable school-to-work transitions by building future-ready learning ecosystems that prioritize access, inclusion, and innovation.

Through strong collaboration with government systems, educators, communities, and civil society, we co-create tech-enabled learning experiences that empower young learners—especially those from disadvantaged and underrepresented backgrounds to build dignified, thriving  and future-ready careers.

We envision a world where education goes beyond access, becoming a powerful tool for self-empowerment, social mobility, and lasting impact.

Job Description

The Senior Program Manager – Schools Program will lead the Karnataka state strategy, oversee high-quality 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.

Job Responsibilities

Strategic Planning, Systems Change & Program Leadership

• Anchor and drive the Karnataka 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 to advance future skills for career readiness.
• Ensure all donor commitments are met, including timely, accurate narrative and data reporting.
• Lead financial forecasting, track utilization, ensure compliance, and proactively manage deviations and risks.

Government Engagement & Advocacy

• Build and sustain strong partnerships with key state stakeholders, including:
• Karnataka Residential Educational Institutions Society (KREIS)
• DSERT / SCERT
• Samagra Shikshana Karnataka
• State Boards and allied institutions
• Represent Quest Alliance in state-level forums, consultations, and review meetings.
• Advocate for institutionalization of Future Skills within curriculum, teacher training, and assessment frameworks.
• Ensure program indicators are integrated into government monitoring systems to enable mainstream implementation and reduce parallel processes.
• Mobilize government resources (budgets, venues, logistics, printing, training infrastructure, etc.) to support scale and sustainability.

Program Delivery & Quality Assurance

• Work closely with the Learning Experience team to contextualize curriculum and ensure high-quality implementation.
• Coordinate with the Associate Program Manager to support district-level rollout and resolve operational challenges.
• Track progress rigorously using reviews, dashboards, data systems, and field insights to ensure timely achievement of targets with quality.
• Establish, strengthen, and monitor the Master Trainer cadre to enable statewide educator capacity building.
• Conduct regular field visits to gather qualitative insights and inform continuous program improvement.
• Ensure data-driven decision-making by integrating M&E learnings into design, delivery, and planning.

Internal Collaboration & Governance

• Actively contribute to organizational planning and cross-team alignment processes.
• Ensure coordination with FAIT and other internal teams, tracking interdependencies using systems such as Jira.
• Maintain high standards of internal documentation, compliance, and governance.

Team Leadership & Development

• Lead and mentor the state team, ensuring role clarity, performance goals, and accountability.
• Foster a culture of ownership, collaboration, inclusion, and alignment with Quest values.
• Conduct regular performance reviews and support access to learning, capacity-building, and exposure opportunities.
• Ensure staff welfare, adherence to HR processes, and inclusive workplace practices.
• Build strong M&E capability within the team and ensure insights are consistently applied to delivery and planning.
• Uphold a culture of respectful, open, and professional communication.

Education Qualification/Required Skills & Experience

• 10+ years of experience leading large-scale education or EdTech programs (Future Skills, STEM, Computational Thinking, or AI preferred).
• 5–6+ years of experience managing complex, state-level initiatives with multiple stakeholders.
• Strong understanding of the Karnataka education ecosystem, NEP 2020, and SCERT/DSERT frameworks.
• Proven experience in educator capacity building and facilitating workshops with government officials.
• Strong financial management, budgeting, compliance, and data-driven planning skills.
• High digital fluency, including Google Workspace and project management tools.
• Willingness and ability to travel extensively across Karnataka.

For more information please check the Link

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