Project Lead – Education Program- Digital Equalizer (STEM Powering Students Projects): American India Foundation Trust (AIF)

The American India Foundation Trust (AIF) is committed to improving the lives of India’s underprivileged, with a special focus on women, children, and youth. The Foundation does this through high-impact interventions in education, health, and livelihoods because poverty is multidimensional. Through its unique value proposition, working closely with local communities, the Foundation partners with NGOs to develop and test innovative solutions and with governments to create and scale sustainable impact. Founded over two decades ago, in the aftermath of the devastating Gujarat earthquake, as a humanitarian initiative by Atal Bihari Vajpayee Ji and Bill Clinton, American India Foundation Trust (AIF) has impacted the lives of 16.51 million of India’s poor across 35 States and Union Territories of India.

Registered as a Trust in India, with an independent Board of Trustees, AIF adheres to strict financial and governance standards, ensuring transparency, accountability, and responsible management of resources. As per statutory mandates, AIF is registered under FCRA, CSR, 80G, and 12A. Learn more at www.aif-india.org

ABOUT DIGITAL EQUALIZER PROGRAM
Digital Equalizer is AIF’s flagship education program. DE envisions a world where all children from under-served communities, especially girls, are prepared for a career and life. The program is bridging India’s digital divide by providing and integrating technology into underperforming, under-resourced public schools, training teachers in techno-pedagogy and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) methodology, and transforming classrooms into collaborative and interactive places for students to learn while preparing them for success in the 21st century global economy. Since its inception in 2004, the Program has empowered 7.25 million children with interactive STEM experiences, trained 212,585 teachers in STEM pedagogy, and transformed 32,596 schools across 35 states and union territories of the country.

ABOUT PROJECT
As the schools are vulnerable to a variety of cybersecurity threats, including data breaches, phishing scams, social
engineering attacks, etc. In this project of ours, we are working towards bridging this gap and provide cyber security awareness to Government school students in 4 states of India (Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu) and reaching out to 1500 schools. The project aims to provide cybersecurity awareness within government schools, thereby fostering a safer digital environment for students, teachers and schools. The Project will not only help address the immediate challenges faced by cyber threats in but also create a foundation for a more equitable and inclusive digital future.

Position Title Project Lead

Program Education Program- Digital
Equalizer (STEM Powering Students Projects)

Location Bangalore

Reporting Relationship Regional Program Manager

Nature of Employment Staff Number of Position 1

Duration: 9 Months or till the project end date, whichever is earliest.

KEY ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES
Overview: The role of a project lead is to act as the end accountable person for the program’s projects across planning, implementation/execution/delivery, reporting, donor driven requirements, financial & other statutory compliances. They will be required to plan, manage, supervise, and organize activities and ensure that project goals align with the program objectives & organization’s mission.

1. Project Planning, Implementation & Budgeting:

• Develop an operating plan & goals with detailed project plan (micro-plans), for the delivery of the project as per organizational protocols & contractual commitments.
• End accountability for timely execution of all project’s activities and operating plan as per organizational standards of time and quality to fulfill project’s MoU / contractual commitments.
• Ensure excellent project management and effective utilization of time and resources.
• Analyze project risks.
• Based on project monitoring, Implement and manage changes and interventions to ensure project goals are
  achieved.

2. Approvals, Documentation & Legal compliances:

• Proactively seek approvals from government, partners, any other stakeholders as applicable, to ensure timely on-ground implementation.
• Ensure timely and accurate documentations – legal and others, w.r.t project implementation activities, including but not limited to, contracts, budgets, expenses, fund utilization, manpower, administrative expenses etc.
• Ensure all legal compliances are adhered to within the project at all times including, labor compliances, taxation and other financial compliance, auditory compliances, POSH, Child protection, Code of Conduct, HR & admin policies.

3. Manpower hiring, HR management & contracting:

• Proactively plan manpower staffing for effective project delivery.
• Conduct recruit activities as per HR policies. Prepare JDs, NAFs, design & conduct technical assessments and participate in the selection process actively to ensure timely recruitment of qualified project manpower.
• Train the project team effectively to deliver to the needs of the project.
• Consultancy contract management for projects’ consultants to ensure 100% compliance and zero deviations w.r.t organizational & legal compliances. Ensure contracts are UpToDate and duly approved by Leadership before manpower is deployed on ground.
• Manage the project team to ensure project’s goals are met, esp. in the areas including donor satisfaction, safety, quality, and teams’ performance & motivation. Set goals for the project team, monitor progress & performance monthly and give timely feedback and support to ensure the team performs well.
• Adhere to all HR policies for project staff & consultants.
• Proactively support HR in project staff hiring & HR operations such as performance management, development, data, MIS etc.

4. Financial management, Budget monitoring, expense management & approvals:

• Develop a detailed operational budget for the project.
• Proactively manage budget utilization & project expenses.
• Monthly monitor and report budget utilization, project expenses internally & externally;
• Local expense management incl. approvals, staff expense approvals, management of advances & reimbursements, local procurements,
• Collaborate proactively with Finance on all statutory & donor compliances w.r.t project finances;
• Vendor management for administrative & other services as per project needs & organizational norms;
• Optimal utilization of ERP for timely & accurate project expense management, procurements, reimbursements etc.

5. Reporting:

• Ensure monthly project monitoring through Smartsheet and timely updation to maintain accuracy at all times on Smartsheet for respective projects.
• Consistently provide excellent quality data and documentation that meet the quality standards of the organization;
• Produce accurate and timely reporting of project status throughout its life cycle – conduct project reviews monthly, quarterly for Leadership and as per project MoUs and contracts.

6. Communications:

• Share project updates and highlights from time to time including written notes & briefs, photographs & videos, presentations etc.
• Ensure success stories are documented and shared periodically for program communication through AIF social media handles;
• Facilitate field visit for any internal & external stakeholders incl Leadership, Board, Donors, Partners and any other.
• Support in planning & execution of events, training for the project at the ground-level.

7. Evaluations & studies:

• Support in evaluation studies.
• Support in development of evaluation methods to assess project strengths and identify areas for improvement.

8. Government representation:

• Proactively engage with government bodies and relevant stakeholders for implementation success, project
  sustainability, scalability & replication.
• Actively foster new Government relationships and nurture existing relationships with government partners.

9. Stakeholder engagement:

• Ensure timely and effective communication & active engagement (including periodic meetings) with all internal & external stakeholders to make communication easy and transparent regarding project progress, issues and related decisions;

10. Donor engagement & Fundraising:

• Coordinate a system for regular feedback from donors and partners;
• Build excellent professional relationships with our donors & partners;

11. Technology utilization: Utilize all technological tools and innovations as per organizational norms

12. Administration & Procurements:

• Proactively plan for procurement to meet MoUs and contractual commitments.
• Execute procurement activities timely, as per organizational policies & protocols.

13. Fundraising:

• Develop proposals timely and partner with the SP team to ensure uninterrupted project funding as well as for follow-up funding;

14. Field & facility management:

• Regulator visit to the field for effective monitoring.
• Ensure Field leasing, rent renewals and general office administration is planned & managed for safety, cost
  optimization & efficient project monitoring – adhere to all admin & HR policies applicable;

15. Organizational ambassadorship:

• Adhere and maintain utmost levels of integrity & urgency towards all legal, statutory & organizational compliances that may be required internally or externally from time to time and as per prevalent laws and/or donor requirements.
• Work smoothly with peers and managers and receive constructive feedback well;
• Go beyond own deliverables to support others in the team or the larger organization where required;
• Maintain the highest level of respect & integrity towards the organization’s policies, goals and values.

REQUIRED KEY SKILLS, QUALIFICATION & EXPERIENCE:

1. Post-graduation, with specialization in social entrepreneurship or communication or development management or economics or business studies preferred.

2. Minimum 05 years of experience- either as a lead team member in a social enterprise and/or non-profit
organization and/or eco-system building, with minimum 02 years of direct accountability as leader / manager of a project of upto/ around 1 Crore.

3. Prior experience in a consulting venture or strategic communication, fundraising and research functions would be preferred.

4. Strong personal demonstrable commitment to “serve” those who are underprivileged.

5. High personal Integrity.

6. Strong PowerPoint presentation design & delivery skills.

7. Excellent English skills –written and verbal.

8. Demonstrated excellence in time management, multi-tasking and problem-solving ability.

9. Adaptability, flexibility, and openness to feedback.

10. Ability to deliver under pressure and work on tight deadlines.

11. Ability to work in fast changing environment and continuously evolving needs,

12. Strong team playing skills.

13. “Can do” attitude.

14. Ability to work independently with large volumes of data with initiative.

15. Ability to work with across teams and supervisors.

16. Ability to respond positively to feedback.

17. Ability to respect diverse point of views.

OTHERS: Salary shall commensurate with experience.

POSITION AVAILABILITY: Immediate

APPLICATION PROCESS:
To apply for this position, please click https://forms.gle/KktuRRdkuoA8UDoD9. Only applications of shortlisted candidates will be acknowledged.