Program Lead – STEP-UP

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 SSA, 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 the role

As Program Lead for STEP-UP in Uttar Pradesh, you will support the implementation of education transformation initiatives in partnership with the government. You will translate program priorities into action, coordinate with government stakeholders and internal teams, and use field insights and data to strengthen implementation.

Your responsibilities may span the Block Leadership Development Program (BLDP), Project-Based Learning (PBL), Parent-Teacher Meetings (PTMs), and other school improvement initiatives, depending on program priorities. You will independently manage assigned deliverables while working closely with workstream owners and under the guidance of the Senior Program Lead and Program Manager.

Roles and Responsibilities

1. Program Planning and Implementation

• •Prepare work plans with clear activities, timelines, milestones, and deliverables in coordination with relevant workstream owners.
• •Coordinate the implementation of assigned initiatives, which may include Block leadership development, review meetings, Peer Learning Circles, supportive supervision, Training and classroom activities, school-level PBL exhibitions, quarterly PTM executions, and Micro Improvement Projects (MIPs).
• •Organise training sessions, workshops, field activities, and the development and sharing of program resources.
• •Help develop and improve handbooks, training modules, implementation guidelines, and monitoring tools.
• •Track planned activities, follow up on pending tasks, and help address delays or challenges.

2. Government Engagement and Capacity Building

• •Build and maintain working relationships with state, district, and block-level education officials, including the Department of Basic Education, SCERT, DIETs, BEOs, ARPs, Head Teachers, and teachers.
• •Support government-led programs, review meetings, and other capacity-building activities.
• •Work with government officials and internal teams to include program activities in existing review meetings and school supervision processes.
• •Develop and contextualise handbooks, training modules, implementation guidelines, and monitoring tools in collaboration with relevant teams and stakeholders.

3. Field Visits and Implementation Support

• •Plan and conduct regular visits to districts, blocks, and schools to understand how program activities are being implemented.
• •Visit schools and attend relevant activities, such as BEO-Head Teacher review meetings, classroom-based PBL activities, supportive supervision visits, and PTMs.
• •Interact with BSA, DIET officials, BEOs, ARPs, Head Teachers, teachers, and other stakeholders to understand their experiences and challenges.
• •Record observations, identify implementation gaps, and discuss practical solutions with the relevant stakeholders and internal team.
• •Follow up on agreed actions and share important findings and unresolved challenges with program leadership.

4. Monitoring, Review and 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.
• •Analyse progress, identify areas where implementation needs improvement, and share findings to support decisions and corrective action.
• •Document best practices, challenges, and learnings from the field to help improve future implementation.

5. Team Coordination and Knowledge Sharing

• •Support the Senior Program Lead and Program Manager in planning and coordinating activities across program workstreams.
• •Work with program, monitoring and evaluation, communications, and operations teams to complete shared tasks on time.
• •Prepare program updates, reports, presentations, and meeting notes for internal teams and government stakeholders.
• •Share program learnings and field experiences through reports, handbooks, and other knowledge resources.

Experience, Skills and Competencies

• •Must have 2-5 years of relevant experience in program implementation, education, or the development sector.
• •Good to have understanding of the public education system and experience working with government officials.
• •Good to have strong planning and coordination skills, with the ability to manage multiple tasks and deadlines.
• •Must have the ability to conduct field visits, work with different stakeholders, understand implementation challenges, and follow through on agreed actions.
• •Good to have the ability to work with data, track progress, and identify areas for improvement.
• •Good written and verbal communication skills in Hindi and English.
• •Good to have the ability to take ownership of assigned tasks and work well with different teams.
• •Good to have working knowledge of Google Workspace, Canva, and basic AI tools.
• •Must have the willingness to travel regularly across districts and blocks in Uttar Pradesh.

Why Mantra4Change

• •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 leaves and 12 calendar holidays.
• •Health insurance coverage of up to ₹5 LPA for the employee and their dependents.
• •One menstrual leave each month for women employees.
• •Rs. 5000 L&D fund to pursue job-related learning opportunities.

Remuneration: An annual CTC of INR 8 LPA onwards (depending on competency and experience)

Location: Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, with regular travel across the state as required.

Learn more about Mantra4Change on our website, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.

For queries, please reach out to [email protected].