Programme Officers (Teaching & Learning) - Kusuma Foundation (Apply by: November 22, 2015)

JOB DESCRIPTION
Programme Officers – Teaching & Learning Kusuma Foundation, Hardoi and Sambalpur

1. POSITION VACANT: Programme Officers – Teaching & Learning (POTL), Hardoi and Sambalpur (2 posts)

2. ORGANIZATION BACKGROUND:

The Kusuma Foundation (KF) is registered under Section 8 of the Company’s Act 2013 and works to support and implement programmes of national importance for Secondary Education of marginalised children, in the states of Odisha and Uttar Pradesh (UP).

The Foundation supports Kusuma Trust UK’s (The Trust) work in India. KF works in partnership with 112 Secondary schools to implement its programmes. It also has a Kusuma Resource Centre and twoKusuma Satellite Centres, which offer free access to educational resources, including books, audio-visual materials and computers with internet connectivity.

The Foundation wishes to recruit a talented and experienced development professional with a proven track record in the education sector, for its programme Udbhav for Teachers Professional Development.

The programme aims to improve teacher classroom practices through training, mentoring, school based support and provision of interactive low cost teaching and learning materials. The programme supports the professional development of Secondary Science, English and Mathematics teachers teaching in Classes 9 and 10, and covers 112 government and aided schools in Uttar Pradesh and another 187 government schools in Odisha.

It also contributes to the overall improvement of schools as envisaged in the Foundation’s flagship Kusuma School Partnership Initiative, which aims at building model schools with innovative teaching, learning and support practices to meet needs of student.

For more information about KF, please visit www.kusumafoundation.co.in

3. JOB DESCRIPTION:

Reporting to the State Managers (SM), Hardoi and Sambalpur respectively, the Programme Officers - Teaching & Learning (POTL), shall be responsible for field level implementation of the programme in Uttar Pradesh and Odisha, respectively, under the guidance of the Specialist based in Delhi and the concerned State Managers.

S/he will be responsible for reviewing activities and materials implemented and produced by technical agencies.

The post-holders will liaise with the education department at the district level and engage with the Head Teachers (HTs), teachers and students, to evaluate project impact. S/he shall liaise with KF and The Truststaff, Head Teachers (HT), teachers, school cabinet, School Management & Development Committees(SMDC) in schools, District Education Officer (DEO) in Sambalpur and District Inspector of Schools (DIOS) in Hardoi, District Institute for Education and Training (DIET), Advance Teacher Training Centre (ATTC).

Job Responsibilities:

1. Project Management and Implementation

(1) Supporting the SM in the recruitment, selection, orientation and management of the District Resource Group (DRG);
(2) Overseeing the work of technical agencies and reviewing trainings conducted by resource persons for teachers and DRG members;
(3) Supporting the use of Udbhav content and methodology in project schools;
(4) Coordinating and supervising the agencies/ contractors to implement the Secondary School Readiness Programme (SSRP) for capacity building of students;
(5) Ensuring that the teaching and learning materials produced by technical agencies, meet organizational standards and are in use by partner schools;
(6) Pro-bono Audio-Visual Materials are identified, translated and incorporated into teaching and learning materials for teachers and students;
(7) Coordinating research, including assessing the learning levels of students and evaluating classroom practices of teachers conducted by the research agency;
(8) Visiting partner schools to meet stakeholders such as HTs and students; also observing teaching sessions in classrooms to assess teaching quality and identifying any concerns of teachers.

2. Financial Management

(1) Regularly checking budget utilization as per monthly and quarterly milestones; reviewing planned activities and actual expenditure for Hardoi and Sambalpur;
(2) Ensuring that technical agencies submit timely financial receipts against expected outputs.

3. Monitoring and Reporting

(1) Providing inputs to SM, Senior Programme Manager (SPM) and Specialist for reporting programme progress (programmatic and financial) on a monthly and quarterly basis;
(2) Documenting activities, events and meetings for the purposes of project updates;
(3) Ensuring the quality of documentation submitted by technical agencies.

4. Key Relationships

(1) Liaising with the DEO/ DIOs and Government and aided schools;
(2) Working closely with KF State Office team, SPM, Specialist and Finance Manager, based in New Delhi, to ensure high quality and on time implementation of the project.

4. QUALIFICATIONS, EXPERIENCE AND COMPETENCIES:

Qualification

Applicants must possess a Masters’ in Education, International Development or Social Sciences.

Experience

(1) Minimum of four years’ work experience in managing large programmes, projects and grants in the education sector; 
(2) Demonstrated knowledge of at least one of the following areas in the context of education and development: Education Management, Pre-service and in-service training, Pedagogy, Improvements in quality of teaching and learning.

Skills and Attributes

Essential
(1) Excellent organizational planning and analytical skills with ability to prioritize a diverse and demanding workload and meet deadlines consistently;
(2) Strong interpersonal, networking, problem-solving and analytical skills;
(3) Excellent knowledge of English and Hindi/ Oriya (written and spoken);
(4) Excellent knowledge of Internet & Microsoft Office (Word, PowerPoint and Excel) including ability to use social media to expand outreach;
(5) Willingness to work flexibly, travel regularly, patience and a sense of humour;
(6) Excellent negotiation and diplomacy skills;
(7) Empathy with KF’s mission and priorities.

Desirable
(1) Experience of working with schools and/or training teachers;
(2) Demonstrated ability to successfully work with a range of stakeholders, including headmasters, teachers, school management and development committees.

5. COMPENSATION OFFERED:

The offer made to the selected candidate shall be commensurate with qualifications, experience and salary history.

6. LOCATION:

Hardoi and Sambalpur

7. REFERENCE:

POTL-KF (Hardoi)/  POTL-KF (Sambalpur)

8. CONTACT INFORMATION:

Senior Consultant 
Strategic Alliance Management Services P Ltd., 
1/1B, Choudhary Hetram House, 
New Friends Colony (East), 
Bharat Nagar, New Delhi -110 025
Email: potl-kf@sams.co.in 
Website: http://www.sams.co.in

9. LAST DATE FOR APPLICATIONS:

Eligible candidates interested in this position are requested apply to potl-kf@sams.co.in a cover letter, discussing their interest in and suitability for the position, along with an updated resume, giving details of three references, current cost to organisation and expected compensation, by or before November 22, 2015. Please clearly specify your interest in the vacancy at Hardoi, UP, or Sambalpur, Odisha, in the subject line of your application.

For further details please visit our website www.sams.co.in