Program Lead - STEP-UP in Lucknow | Mantra4Change | ₹8-10 LPA

Mantra4Change

Mantra4Change is a non-profit that works with governments to improve public schools in India, so that millions of children can learn better and do well in life. It works closely with state education departments to plan and carry out changes at scale, building stronger leaders, better school management and better teaching in classrooms. It partners with bodies such as SSA (Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan), SCERTs (State Councils of Educational Research and Training) and DIETs (District Institutes of Education and Training) to grow school and system leaders, build teamwork in schools and bring communities in as partners in learning. Mantra4Change believes lasting change happens when governments lead their own transformation. This role sits within Mantra4Change's STEP-UP program in Uttar Pradesh, which works with the state government to improve schools at the block and school level.

Role

As Program Lead for STEP-UP, you will help turn program plans into action on the ground, working hand in hand with government education officials and internal teams. Your work may cover the BLDP (Block Leadership Development Program), PBL (Project-Based Learning), PTMs (Parent-Teacher Meetings) and other school improvement efforts, depending on program priorities. You will manage your own deliverables independently, use field visits and data to make the work stronger, and report to the Senior Program Lead and Program Manager.

Responsibilities

• Plan work with clear activities, timelines, milestones and deliverables, together with workstream owners.
• Coordinate activities such as block leadership development, review meetings, peer learning circles, supportive supervision, school PBL exhibitions, quarterly PTMs and MIPs (Micro Improvement Projects).
• Build strong working relationships with state, district and block education officials, including the Department of Basic Education, SCERT, DIETs, BEOs (Block Education Officers), ARPs (Academic Resource Persons), head teachers and teachers.
• Organise trainings, workshops and field activities, and help create and adapt handbooks, training modules, guidelines and monitoring tools.
• Visit districts, blocks and schools regularly to see how activities are going, talk with officials and teachers about their challenges, and follow up on agreed actions.
• Set up monthly state and district reviews that use data dashboards to track progress and guide decisions.
• Record what works, what does not and lessons from the field, and share key findings with program leadership.
• Prepare updates, reports, presentations and meeting notes, and work with the M&E (monitoring and evaluation), communications and operations teams to finish shared tasks on time.

Requirements

• 2 to 5 years of relevant experience in program implementation, education or the development sector.
• An understanding of the public education system and experience working with government officials is good to have.
• Ability to do field visits, work with many kinds of stakeholders, understand problems on the ground and follow through on actions.
• Strong planning and coordination skills, with the ability to manage several tasks and deadlines and take ownership of your work.
• Comfort working with data to track progress and spot areas that need improvement.
• Good written and spoken communication in Hindi and English.
• Working knowledge of Google Workspace, Canva and basic AI tools.
• Based in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, and willing to travel regularly across districts and blocks in the state.

Benefits

• A trust-based workplace that encourages independent thinking, asking questions and building solutions.
• An open, friendly culture where teams are easy to reach and different views are valued.
• 24 paid leaves and 12 calendar holidays a year.
• Health insurance cover of up to ₹5 lakh for you and your dependents.
• One menstrual leave each month for women employees.
• A ₹5,000 learning and development fund for job-related learning.

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