About Mantra4Change
Mantra4Change is a non-profit organisation working with governments to transform public education systems in India — so that millions of children can learn better, grow stronger, and thrive. We partner closely with state education departments to design and implement reforms at scale, strengthening leadership, governance, and classroom practice across public schools. Our work is grounded in the belief that lasting change happens when governments lead their own transformation.
Through long-term collaboration with institutions such as SCERTs and DIETs, Mantra4Change focuses on developing school leaders and system leaders, building collaborative school cultures, and engaging communities as partners in learning. By combining strong on-ground implementation with continuous learning, we help systems identify what works, scale it responsibly, and sustain improvement over time.
Our mission is to enable leaders at every level of the system to drive continuous improvement, creating a virtuous cycle in which strong leadership, collective ownership, and systemic reform deliver better learning and more equitable outcomes for every child.
Read more - www.mantra4change.org
About STEP Bihar:
We have been working closely with the education department of Bihar since 2021. Our approach to work in Bihar to strengthen education leadership at various levels through collective action by leveraging technology to drive school improvement, through the following interventions.
About the role
The Senior Program Lead will independently drive the end-to-end design, strategy, and execution of programs. This role demands strategic vision, strong leadership in stakeholder engagement, and a deep understanding of systemic education reform. The position offers an opportunity to shape and deliver impactful programs in collaboration with the state and districts. The SPL will ensure the impactful delivery of the workstream independently.
Roles and Responsibilities
1. Program Design, Co-ordination and Implementation
- Lead the design and implementation of multiple workstreams—such as Printed TLM, Training, Mentoring, Reviews, and Recognition Systems—in partnership with SCERT and SSA.
- Work closely with SCERT to develop academic materials through module development workshops, ensure quality, finalise print-ready materials, and coordinate the printing and delivery process with the department.
- Serve as the primary point of contact for 3-5 districts, supporting District Leadership (DIETs, DEOs, DPOs, etc.) in planning, delivery, and reviews of the Project-Based Learning Program.
- Analyse education budgets, state schemes, and policy frameworks to identify opportunities that strengthen leadership and enhance workstream delivery.
2. Monitoring, Evaluation & Learning
- Establish and enable monthly review structures at the state and district levels to track progress through data dashboards and facilitate data-driven decision-making.
- Conduct regular field visits with state and district officials to review the quality of implementation, gather evidence of impact, and identify improvement areas.
- Support SCERT and DIETs in conducting regular annual endline student assessment surveys to measure progress and inform continuous improvement.
3. Stakeholder Engagement & Partnerships
- Build and maintain strong relationships with key state and district officials, including the State Project Director, SCERT Director, Director of Primary Education, District Magistrates, DEOs, and DIET Principals.
- Represent the program in key state-level review meetings and consultations.
4. Capacity Building & Knowledge Sharing
- Along with SCERT and DIETs, support the design and facilitation of training and capacity-building sessions for teachers, leaders, and district officials.
- Use feedback, monitoring data and assessment data to make recommendations for continuous improvement in training frameworks and content.
5. Documentation & Communication
- Prepare high-quality reports, presentations, and concept notes for internal and external stakeholders.
- Present workstream updates, insights, and learnings with clarity.
Skills & Qualifications Required:
- A master’s degree, along with 5-9 years of experience leading educational design projects, especially in school leadership development, is preferred.
- Prior exposure to the education or consulting sector is preferred.
- Functional knowledge of G-Suite tools, Canva, and basic AI-based tools
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills in both Hindi and English.
- Ability to negotiate and work effectively with government stakeholders.
- Must be able to travel within and outside the assigned districts when required.
Why Mantra
- A trust-based work environment that encourages independent thinking, questioning, and building solutions.
- An open and collaborative culture where teams are accessible and diverse perspectives are valued.
- 24 paid leave and 12 calendar holidays.
- Health insurance coverage of up to ₹5 LPA for the employee and their dependents, along with accidental insurance coverage of ₹5 LPA for the employee.
- One menstrual leave each month for women employees.
- Rs. 5000 L&D fund to pursue job-related learning opportunities.
