Position Overview

This role is responsible exclusively for establishing the organization's presence in new geographies—from pre-entry groundwork to complete greenfield setup and the successful running of the first 6 months of operations.

The Associate Director will build government relationships, set up state systems, hire and induct the team, and lay the operational and programmatic foundation required for successful operations in the new state.

This is a specialised expansion and setup role requiring strong execution capability, government engagement skills, and experience in end-to-end project establishment.

Key Responsibilities1. State Entry & Government Relationship Building

• Lead exploratory engagement with State Education Departments, SCERT, DIETs, and relevant stakeholders to assess readiness for entry into a new state.
• Establish high-trust working relationships with senior government officials to obtain approvals, MoUs, and required permissions.
• Position the organization's work, capabilities, and value proposition effectively during early discussions.
• Coordinate and prepare all government communication, proposals, and briefing notes for state entry.

2. Greenfield Setup & Expansion Planning

• Develop a comprehensive state entry and expansion plan, detailing timelines, milestones, risk areas, and resources needed.
• Design the project setup blueprint, including academic, operational, staffing, and administrative requirements.
• Coordinate with central teams to ensure alignment on design, budgeting, hiring, and rollout requirements.
• Ensure localisation of program approaches to match state curriculum, structures, timelines, and contextual needs.

3. Team Hiring, Onboarding & Induction

• Lead the entire hiring cycle for the new state team—job scoping, selection, interviews, and finalisation.
• Set up structured onboarding and induction processes, including program orientation, government processes, and internal systems.
• Establish clear role clarity, accountability frameworks, and the first 90-day plan for all new recruits.

4. Operational Setup & Systems Establishment

• Establish the new state office, infrastructure, and administrative systems.
• Build all financial, HR, compliance, and reporting mechanisms in coordination with central teams.
• Set up travel, procurement, data management, and logistics processes to ensure a smooth operational environment.
• Ensure all statutory and donor requirements are prepared from day one.

5. First 6 Months Program Readiness & Early Operations

• Oversee the initial implementation readiness—training plans, government coordination, data systems, and academic support structures.
• Ensure early-stage troubleshooting across HR, administration, field operations, and government processes.
• Conduct regular monitoring check-ins with the new team to ensure stability and quality during the first six months.
• Build the foundation for seamless handover to the long-term state leadership team once operations are stabilised.

Qualifications & Experience

• Master's degree in Education, Public Policy, Management, Social Sciences, or a related field.
• 15–17+ years of experience in the development sector, with at least 5–7 years in senior management roles involving government engagement.
• Proven track record in setting up new operations, building high-performing teams, and delivering results in complex, multi-stakeholder environments.
• Deep understanding of India's education system, particularly early grade literacy and numeracy.
• Strong networks with government and development sector stakeholders.

Skills & Competencies

• Strategic thinking with strong execution orientation.
• Exceptional relationship-building and influencing skills.
• Strong leadership, team management, and capacity-building abilities.
• Excellent communication (written and verbal) in English; proficiency in local language preferred.
• Ability to work under pressure, adapt to evolving contexts, and travel extensively within the state.

Pay: Up to ₹2,700,000.00 per year

Work Location: In person