Project Manager - Foundational Learning - TG (SPMU)

Job Title: Project Manager, Foundational Learning

Organization: Central Square Foundation

Team: Foundational Learning

Location: Hyderabad, Telangana

Years of Experience: 2 to 5 years

About Central Square Foundation

Founded in 2012, Central Square Foundation (CSF) is a non-profit philanthropic organization working with the vision of ensuring quality school education for all children in India. We believe that effective foundational learning is essential for better learning outcomes for all children in school. Development of foundational literacy and numeracy skills by Class 3 can help children progress to higher levels of learning and is an essential building block in a child's life.

We are driven by our mission to enable the school education system to adopt solutions that are scalable, sustainable, and effective so that all children get equal access to opportunities needed for leading a better life.

Read more about our work here: www.centralsquarefoundation.org

About Foundational Learning at CSF

The Foundational Learning (FL) team drives CSF's mission to ensure that all children in India achieve foundational literacy and numeracy by Grade 3.

We collaborate with state and district governments to:

• Support the design and implementation of comprehensive 

  Foundational Learning Missions aligned with NIPUN Bharat.

• Strengthen teacher capacity, academic design, and 

  monitoring systems to improve classroom practice.
• Build district and state delivery capacity through Project Management Units (PMUs).
• Leverage data and technology for evidence-based decision-making and targeted interventions.
• Drive EdTech adoption and innovation for in-class and at-home learning.

Our teams work across multiple states, supporting governments to translate strategy into execution and ensuring that every reform results in tangible learning gains for children.

Position Summary

CSF is looking for a Project Manager to join its Foundational Learning team in Hyderabad, Telangana. The Project Manager will oversee a team of Project Associates, manage key government relationships at the state and district level, and contribute to the overall programme strategy and delivery in close coordination with the Project Lead.

This is a substantive project delivery and management role within the state PMU that requires the ability to translate strategic direction into field-level execution, manage teams effectively, engage senior government counterparts with credibility, and contribute to state-level governance and planning processes. The role offers significant ownership and exposure to outcome focused government engagement in a complex and fast-moving environment.

Key Responsibilities

Team Leadership and Associate Management

• Lead and supervise a team of Project Associates; set clear 

  expectations, review portfolio quality, and ensure consistent follow-through across the team.

• Build team capability through structured guidance, field 

  accompaniment, and regular honest feedback.
• Translate program direction from the Project Lead into clear priorities and action plans for the team.
• Identify capacity gaps within the team and address these proactively through mentoring and support.

Government Engagement and Stakeholder Management

• Build and maintain strong working relationships with 

  government officials across the state and district, including senior education department functionaries.
• Serve as a key CSF interface with government counterparts in assigned geographies; facilitate alignment on program priorities and review expectations.
• Escalate accountability gaps or implementation challenges to the appropriate government level with clear evidence and specific asks.
• Collaborate with technical partners and vendors supporting the program; manage relationships and deliverables where relevant.

Program Monitoring and Quality

• Review program performance data regularly; identify 

  patterns of progress and dysfunction and use these to drive course correction.
• Ensure that review action points translate into field-level action within agreed timelines and do not carry forward unnecessarily.
• Conduct field visits to assess implementation quality, support district teams, and ground internal analysis in field realities.

Process Improvement and Knowledge Sharing

• Identify opportunities to improve implementation processes 

  and team operating systems.
• Document key learnings and field insights to inform scale-up and replication.
• Support a culture of honest reflection and continuous improvement within the team.

Required Qualifications, Skills, and Abilities

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Education, Public Policy, 

  Economics, Management, Social Sciences, or related disciplines.

• 2 to 5 years of relevant work experience; prior experience working with government stakeholders and managing program teams is strongly preferred.

• Demonstrated ability to manage a team and lead workstreams end to end with accountability for outcomes.

• Strong understanding of government systems with the ability to build credible working relationships at senior levels.

• Proficiency in Telugu is required; excellent written and verbal communication skills in English.

• Analytical orientation; ability to use data to frame government conversations and internal decisions.

• High degree of ownership, initiative, and ability to function effectively in complex, fast-paced environments.

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and Google Suite.

• A strong commitment to improving learning outcomes for children, with an interest in working at the intersection of education and government systems.

• Ability to work with persistence, adaptability, and a problem-solving orientation in contexts that require both structured execution and responsiveness to emerging field needs.

Additional Details

• Start Date: As soon as possible

How to Apply

Fill out the application form and upload your resume (File Name: Firstname_Lastname_Resume).

Central Square Foundation is an Equal Opportunity employer and encourages applications from qualified individuals regardless of race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation or disability.