Senior Program Officer, Global Education

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About the Organization

We are a nonprofit fighting poverty, disease, and inequity around the world. For over 20 years, the Gates Foundation has been committed to tackling the greatest inequities in our world. We can’t achieve our goals on our own. We work together with businesses, government, and nonprofits, and each partner plays a specific role in accelerating progress.

Job Description

The Global Ed team is recruiting a Senior Program Officer (SPO), Global Education, India to design and manage investments to strengthen foundational learning in India. The Foundation has been working closely with India’s national and state governments and partners to achieve our shared goals of improving numeracy and literacy outcomes of children in early grades.   

The SPO will be responsible for cultivating country partnerships and engaging directly with India education leaders, partner organizations, and government stakeholders to improve learning outcomes at the system level. The ideal candidate will bring a deep understanding of at-scale education program implementation in India, will be able to effectively translate monitoring and evaluation findings into actionable insights and programming, and will have ability to thoughtfully integrate new innovation areas into large scale grants.

You will also partner closely with other foundation teams working in education and adjacent areas to exchange learnings and leverage partnerships, including our Philanthropic Partnerships and Digital Innovation teams in India. You will support the foundation in its efforts to engage with philanthropists and EdTech/AI partners. 

The role is based and reports to the Foundation’s India Country Office in New Delhi, and works in close collaboration with the Deputy Director, Innovation and Country Implementation.

Job Responsibilities

• Lead and manage a portfolio of grants and contracts focused on at-scale programming to improve foundational learning in six high-touch states in India. Contribute to the design and development of the India Global Ed strategy and implementation plan to ensure long-term sustainability and impact. Review grant proposals and provide clear, concise and insightful written analyses and recommendations for funding.
• Design and support innovation activities in the areas of literacy, numeracy, edtech/AI, education transitions and equity. 
• Ensure high quality instructional improvement interventions with the classroom at the center, with particular emphasis on literacy and numeracy outcomes.
• Develop and oversee study designs, field evaluations, and analyze results; ensure that programming is responsive to real-time data and insights. 
• Engage with national and state government officials at all levels, partners, and collaborators to maximize impact of programming, ensure alignment with strategic goals, and facilitate the adoption of proven approaches such as structured pedagogy. This may include site visits, providing operational guidance and convening meetings of key stakeholders.
• Collaborate with Indian and regional philanthropies in order to create co-funding and collaboration opportunities focused on the key learning improvement areas. 
• Represent the Foundation in India and regional forums as needed, championing the adoption and scaling of successful evidence-driven interventions, particularly at the classroom instructional level. 
• Lead and serve as a thought partner in strategic discussions and leadership engagement within the Global Ed team and the Foundation. Prepare written analyses and communications to effectively engage at all levels of the organization.
• Carry out internal processes and portfolio progress while ensuring appropriate documentation, grant budgeting, and reporting.
• Effectively manage relationships and concurrent investment planning with multiple colleagues and shared partners. Collaborate closely with Global Ed colleagues to continuously improve operational efficiency and effectiveness.

Education Qualification/Required Skills & Experience

Are you passionate about transforming education systems to ensure every child in India can read and do basic math? You will lead strategic investments and partnerships that improve literacy and numeracy outcomes at scale in India. This role offers the opportunity to work closely with government leaders, philanthropic partners, and education innovators to drive systemic change across six high-impact states. We are looking for a seasoned education expert who can blend policy insight, program execution, and a deep understanding of classroom realities to strengthen foundational learning across the country. If you are a collaborative leader with experience in large-scale education programs and a passion for equity and innovation, this role is your chance to make a lasting impact on India’s education future.

• Master’s degree in education or related field with 10+ years of senior-level experience, or equivalent.
• Demonstrated experience in implementing and/or supporting large-scale programs to improve foundational literacy and numeracy in primary grades in India, with strong understanding of the global evidence base.
• Experience in developing and managing strong and equitable partnerships and relationships with senior decision makers, education partners, and implementation partners in India.
• Demonstrated ability in using soft skills, managing conflicts, and building consensus
• Excellent interpersonal skills and a demonstrated ability to build and sustain collaborative relationships, and effective matrix management skills
• Demonstrated ability to solve complex problems with little oversight, high creativity, high energy, and a positive attitude.
• Outstanding project and team leadership skills including ability to lead strategy development, develop shared goals and execution plans, prioritize, facilitate meetings, manage budgets, develop consensus, and work both autonomously and collaboratively.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, able to effectively synthesize information to reach diverse audiences and build consensus
• Experience managing a donor funded portfolio either as a grantee or grantmaker, receiving and reporting on performance, with direct responsibility for management.
• Experience working in an environment with ambiguity while helping teams adapt to change.
• Ability to work with flexibility and a high level of rigor, collaboration, and diplomacy, both individually and as part of a complex team effort.

Other Attributes

• Comfortable in a wide range of cultural, geographic and operational situations, demonstrating culturally sensitive behavior with a diverse range of people and a deep commitment to development issues and high standards of personal integrity.
• Willingness to travel up to 30% of the time.

For more information please check the Link

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