Consultant - Senior Program Officer (Education)

Job Description

• Bring advanced domain expertise in pedagogy, governance, technical design, and field-level practices in early and primary education.
• Participate in and contribute to project planning, coordination, implementation, monitoring, and reporting to ensure effective and timely delivery.
• Implement project activities to achieve objectives within defined timelines and quality parameters.
• Liaise with key stakeholders, including the Directorate of Primary and Secondary Education, SCERT, NIC, district education offices, and other government functionaries at the field, district, and state levels.
• Serve as the primary liaison between Wadhwani AI and state-level stakeholders, ensuring seamless coordination and decision-making.
• Act as the central point of contact for all coordination activities between Wadhwani AI and state counterparts.
• Support problem-solving and remove bottlenecks to ensure effective implementation of programs in the state.
• Act as the primary channel for collecting feedback from the ground and communicating it to the central team for program refinement.
• Provide technical and pedagogical guidance on curriculum design, teacher professional development, and large-scale education interventions.
• Assist core product, deployment, and cross-functional teams with identifying critical issues, designing mitigation strategies, and assessing the solution impact across deployments.
• Lead the on-field implementation of AI-based research and solution deployment through field experiments, pilots, and scale-ups.
• Collaborate with AI researchers, data scientists, engineers, and internal teams on data acquisition, analysis, and field experimentation.
• Conduct supervision and monitoring of project activities to maintain cadence, optimize resources, and ensure adherence to deliverable schedules.
• Document field activities, case studies, and success stories to showcase achievements and support knowledge sharing.
• Engage in capacity-building initiatives for government stakeholders and field staff to promote sustainability and institutional ownership.
• Perform any other duties as assigned by the supervisor.

Requirements

Requirements

Expert-level understanding of ground realities in the ECCE and primary education ecosystem, its priorities, and relevant national- and state-specific policies, with the ability to address implementation challenges and manage field-level issues during AI solution deployment. Thorough knowledge of education frameworks such as NEP, CCE, and standardized assessments like NAS (National Achievement Survey) and CBA (Competency-Based Assessments). Minimum of 5+ years of experience working with state education departments on implementing programs and interventions, preferably through nonprofits, multilateral, or similar organizations. 3–5 years of experience in a government ecosystem with a demonstrated ability to navigate processes and build relationships with government stakeholders. Prior experience in implementing education programs at scale is essential. Strong track record of stakeholder engagement, advocacy, and effective management of large-scale operations. Experience as a teacher or educator is an added advantage. Graduate or postgraduate degree in Education or related disciplines is preferred. Proficiency in local language(s) is strongly preferred; native-level fluency in Hindi and English (read, write, and speak) is required. Ability to communicate complex issues clearly and concisely in both oral and written form. Skilled in working with geographically dispersed, multicultural teams. Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook). Quick learner with strong analytical thinking, problem-solving skills, and adaptability to fast-paced environments. Strong organizational and interpersonal skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and meet deadlines. Willingness to travel frequently to field locations as required.