Multiple Openings – The Akanksha Foundation

The Akanksha Foundation is a non-profit organisation with a mission to provide children from low-income communities with a high-quality education, enabling them to maximize their potential and transform their lives. Akanksha primarily addresses formal education through 26 Akanksha Schools in Mumbai, Pune and Nagpur. Over the past 30 years, the organization has expanded from 15 children in one centre to more than 10,000 children in 27 schools. A commitment is made to support each child by giving him or her a strong educational foundation, values and help them plan how they can earn a steady livelihood as a step towards improving their standard of living.

1. Assistant School Leader

Location: Mumbai / Pune

Position Summary
As the Assistant School Leader, you will assist the School Leader in ensuring that high standards of excellence are maintained in the school. Your primary responsibility will be to oversee the operations and smooth management and administration of the school to ensure that the School Leader is able to focus on maintaining a high quality of learning for each student.

Reports To School Leader

What your role will entail?

• Managing the operations and logistics of the school, including but not limited to the execution of all systems, processes and data requirements/analysis related to HR, Finance, Data, Government
  related and Administration
• Being the main liaison for all Akanksha Central Team support/administrative functions
• Supporting the planning and curriculum development for teacher teams as needed
• Modelling effective instruction by co-teaching daily and/or teaching one’s own class
• Observing classroom instruction and giving feedback for relevant grades/subjects of expertise and discussing relevant training plans with the School Leader
• Ensuring documentation and collection of effective plans/other resources from teachers
• Leading the recruitment of appropriate number of students each year from target communities
• Designing and executing the parent engagement plan for the year
• Ensuring student attendance through the year in order to minimise dropout rate for students
• Maintaining positive relationships with school-based government officials
• Ensuring that schools fulfil municipality requirements/regulations
• Assisting the School Leader in executing the performance management system for all school
  based staff Ensuring that the school budget is adhered to and providing ongoing analysis on
  trends to the School Leader
• Ensuring that the social worker is able to develop the team of helpers in each school

What do you need for this position?

• Bachelor’s/Post Graduate Degree and/or a Bachelor’s Degree in Education will be preferred
  5-7 years of teaching experience(preferred)
• Experience in training teachers (theory, classroom application and feedback)
• Experience in developing and documenting curriculum
• Strong understanding of pedagogical practice
• Highly motivated, persevering, problem-solving and achievement-oriented attitude
• Experience in school leadership (preferred)
• Knowledge of Hindi and Marathi language (preferred)
• Experience in the development sector is an added advantage
• Ability to drive the School Vision along with the School Leader, build a culture aligned to Akanksha
  values
• Ability to manage school operations along with the School Leader and ensure effective instructions are passed on through a well-trained team in a safe and secure environment that is conducive for the students
• Ability to work with the social work team to bring in a progressive shift in the communities from
  where our students and parents come, creating a positive and sustainable impact
• Knowledge of Child development as per different age groups and ability to transfer this knowledge to the team

2. School Leader – School Operations and Support Teaching

Job Location: Mumbai/ Pune

Position Summary
As an Akanksha School Leader, you will oversee all instructional, operational, enrichment and community initiatives at the school. You will ensure that high standards of excellence are maintained in your school by building a motivated, skilled team of teachers, developing a strong academic program, engaging families in their child’s education and creating a positive, achievement-oriented school culture to facilitate holistic education that is inclusive of building 21 st century skills.

Reports To School Coach

What do you need for this role?

• Belief in the potential of the government school system
• Humility to influence change without authority
• Demonstrated entrepreneurial ability with strong execution and project delivery skills
• Excellence in organisational, managerial and stakeholder management skills
• Strong education sector experience (knowledge of gaps, challenges & scope)
• Candidates with prior experience of working with government on projects preferred
• 10+ years of relevant work experience with 2+ years of teaching experience (preferred)

What your role will entail?

• Setting a strong culture conducive to high quality work and well-being of all stakeholders
• Setting ambitious skill based goals, along with teachers, for students’ academic achievement in all grades and subjects
• Setting ambitious goals to develop soft skills in children that address their social and emotional development
• Structuring, planning and executing cohesive professional development opportunities for teachers which is inclusive of all three areas of school development – academic achievement, youth development and community engagement
• Modelling effective lessons and instructional strategies
• Overseeing collection and analysis of student data to drive school initiatives
• Ensuring documentation and collection of effective plans/other resources from teachers
• Overseeing the design of the parent engagement plan for the year
• Working with the social worker to ensure opportunities for parent engagement within the school
  community and SMC meetings
• Ensuring that the social worker is able to develop the team of helpers in each school
• Managing the operations and logistics of the school
• Maintaining positive relationships with school-based government officials
• Executing performance management system for all school-based staff
• Overseeing the school budget throughout the year
• Creating a safe environment for students, teachers and parents

What you need for this Position?

• Bachelor’s/Post Graduate Degree and/or a Bachelor’s Degree in Education will be preferred
• 5-7 years of teaching experience
• Experience in school leadership (preferred)
• Experience training teachers (theory, classroom application and feedback)
• Experience in developing and documenting curriculum
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Fluency in English Language Knowledge of Hindi and Marathi language will be preferred
• Knowledge of Child development as per different age groups and ability to transfer this knowledge to the team
• Strong understanding of pedagogical practices and curriculum and its implementation
• Ability to set and drive the School Vision, build a culture aligned to Akanksha values
• Ability to assign tasks, manage and build a rapport with school staff and team
• Ability to manage school operations along with effective instructions passed on through a well trained team in a safe and secure environment that is conducive for the students
• Ability to bring in a progressive shift in the communities from where our students and parents come, creating a positive and sustainable impact
• Organisational and time management skills
• Self-awareness/continuous learning
• Critical and objective thinking, problem solving, resilience
• Data based decision making
• Highly motivated, persevering, achievement-oriented attitude
• Strong interpersonal skills and flexibility in planning and working with a team

Job Category: School Operations and SupportTeaching

Job Type: Full Time

3. Lead- Early Years

Job Location: Mumbai/Nagpur/ Pune

Reports To Director of Learning

Overview of the Team
The Instruction Specialist / Personalised Learning team is uniquely positioned to implement Akanksha’s vision that aims at the holistic development of each child. At Akanksha we teach using a self-designed curriculum based on the principles of authenticity, inquiry and skill-development. The team designs and develops content for the Akanksha curriculum. It trains teachers and School leaders to develop strong instructional practices. The team works to identify and bridge achievement gaps through systematic data-driven inquiry. Over the next 3 years this team will lead Akanksha’s move towards Personalised Learning using the Blended Learning Model.

What your role will entail?
Leading and Managing a 2-3 member team of Early Years Instruction Specialists (at the network level) that will –

• Create skill progression for the respective grade and subject with prioritised prerequisite skills for every unit
• Curate additional content / resources that is relevant and aligned to the units and that can be used in addition to the SSC content
• Create BoY / MoY / EoY assessments for the respective grade and subject. Also creates the assessment blueprint / framework for the unit assessments
• Curate and Codify the ‘Recommended Best Practices’ for the respective key stage and subject working closely with other IS team members with a focus on integrating technology
• Build Educator Capacity through through learning spaces/workshops that train
• Coaches/SLs/Mentors/Teachers on – (i) Understanding our pedagogical approach, skills progression and content choice, (ii) Implementing Akanksha Best Practices in the classroom, (iii) Developing and
• Implementing Formative and Unit Assessments
• Collaborate with the School Coaches to understand prevailing instructional practices / areas of support for schools to inform the PD offerings in the subsequent months
• Research on Curricular Frameworks, Best Practices and Ed. Developments to build our own capacity and learn continuously

What you need for this Position?
Experience

• 5-7 years of relevant experience in education out of which minimum of 2-3 years of successful teaching experience is required
• Previous experience of working with grades K-2 / early years is required
• Previous Instruction Specialist or School leadership (SL / ASL) experience is required for this position

Knowledge/Skills

• Strong content/ pedagogical knowledge and expertise
• Expertise in curricular/ co- curricular 21st century learning skills
• Ability to analyse and use data on a regular basis to drive decision making
• Commitment to building relationships and trust with leaders, teachers, students, families, and community
• The ideal candidate will be results / outcomes oriented, determined, skilled team leader with a strong track record of academic excellence
• Organisational and time management skills
• Self-awareness/continuous learning
• Critical and objective thinking, problem solving, resilience
• Highly motivated, persevering, achievement-oriented attitude
• Strong interpersonal skills with flexibility in planning and working with a team and has the ability to influence and persuade others
• Passionate about Educator Development

Education Bachelors / Masters’ degree in Education preferable

Job Category: Central SupportSchool Operations and Support

Job Type: Full Time

4. Lead – Special Education Needs (SEN)

Job Location: Mumbai / Nagpur / Pune

Position Summary
The Lead, SEN will be a key position supporting the organization in its efforts to support children with special needs, across our schools. The Incumbent will have a chance to build a department and a team over the next few months that leads our efforts towards students with special learning needs. The incumbent will work closely with the learning team (Instructional Specialists + Counselling Leads) as well as our School Leadership & Coaches team. The big goal for the Lead, SEN is to set up a SEN wing with 4-5 special educators this year, that effectively supports all Akanksha schools with training, resources as well as direct efforts with children.

Reports To Director of Learning

Specific responsibilities will include

Setting up and leading a new team

• Department structure and design keeping in mind organisation’s needs
• Policy creation, department system and documentation
• Guiding the team in the development of the individual learning profiles or IEPs and the development of differentiated instructional strategies for teachers as per the need
• Plan spaces where special educators can collaborate with other teams like counsellors, social workers, teachers and IS
• Help the special educators to plan PD for schools and parents

Supporting School Teams

• Building awareness and understanding in school-based educators around SEN and the most effective approach towards supporting students
• Identify reasons for learning gaps
• Developing a resourcing plan for various stages of school development with government liaison support
• Develop empowerment plans for schools and ensure effective execution in schools
• Guiding the school team toward formal assessment with outside agencies
• Guiding schools with students’ transitional plans
• Constructing protocols to support the school team regarding the implementation and execution of the IEPs

Central team support & collaboration

• Create systems and spaces for special educators to collaborate with other stakeholders
• Build awareness and plan sessions for the central team regarding inclusion, UDL, different learning needs and differentiation
• Updating the central team with the government documents with regards to children with disabilities

What you need for this role?

• Deep belief and commitment towards Akanksha’s vision and mission
• A mature leader with at least 6 years of experience in Special Education
• 2-3 years of relevant managerial experience
• Should be someone who is strategic, creative, energetic and resilient and has managed diverse stake-holders
• Problem-solving, decision making and outcomes management
• Prior experience in managing / coaching teams of special educators is (highly preferred)
• Work experience in an NGO within the last 5 years (preferred)
• Graduate / Post Graduate Degree in Special Education

Job Category: Central Support

5. Project Associate – Early Childhood Care and Education

Job Location: Nagpur / Pune

About the Role: Description & Responsibilities

We see the Project Associate role at Akanksha for the multiply initiative will be a highly aspirational role where the scope to learn about and create impact at a systemic level is immense. The role will also demand quick learning, high adaptability and taking on new challenges as we expand and go broader and deeper in our initiatives. Project Associate will work with the Project Manager to play a critical leadership role in ensuring planning for and execution of the responsibilities listed below. They include but are not limited to:

Planning and Execution (60%)

• Work on planning/designing the overall project strategy for ECCE in conjunction with the Project Manager
• Work with government stakeholders to design interventions that align with government needs as well as Akanksha’s project design
• Work with angagnwadi teachers/government teachers/teacher mentors for their development as per the plan
• Execute the project strategy in coordination with government stakeholders at PCMC, NMC and new corporations as we increase our reach

Stakeholder Management (20%)

• Work with government stakeholders right from the District education officer to on-ground officers’ team of cluster heads, block education officers to build long-lasting relationships that aid project operations and expansion plans
• Manage a team of teachers, teacher mentors to execute the project and also bring about their professional development
• Plan and execute quarterly update meetings with stakeholders and provide progress towards goals of the project to all stakeholders

Personal and Professional Development (10%)

• Research and lead sessions to contribute towards the team’s personal and professional growth by introducing varied perspectives on education, equity, culture, monitoring and evaluation, policy reform, etc. based on one’s interest and expertise
• Participate effectively and drive learning in the team professional development days and team stepbacks

Documentation (10%)

• Codifying best practices from the program and disseminating them internally and externally towards building knowledge of the organisation and allowing replication across the ecosystem

What will you need for this role?

Education & Experience

• 2-3 Years of experience executing projects
• Prior experience in ECCE as a teacher/instruction specialist or professional development expert

Knowledge, Skills & Capabilities

• Excellent written and oral communication skills – and functional knowledge (oral and written) of Marathi is a non-negotiable
• Strong ability to create outstanding presentations, work with Microsoft Excel, Google Suite, and varied data sets
• Belief in the potential of the public sector and that government systems can and will change towards overcoming systemic inequities and ensuring improved outcomes for all citizens
• Being able to take initiative and work in an autonomous, semi-structured environment
• Adaptability to changing responsibilities and resourcefulness to respond to them
• High openness to learning
• Ability to build and sustain relationships with multiple stakeholders & partners across public and private spaces
• Patience and resilience to stick it out in the face of setbacks and uncertainties

Job Category: Central Support City Support

6. School Teacher – Grades 1 to 7

Job Location: Nagpur

Position Summary
As an Akanksha teacher, you will be directly responsible for at least 30 students in a class. Your role will be to guide the students towards academic achievement while inculcating self-esteem and values in their curriculum that will empower them to think critically and make informed choices in their life. You will cultivate an environment of high achievement coupled with fun learning in the classrooms. You will build strong bonds with children to understand each child’s needs and work with parents as partners in their child’s education and future.

Reports To School Leader

What your role will entail?

• Teaching the Akanksha curriculum through effective pedagogical practices
• Designing and executing lesson plans that will engage students
• Designing assessments that thoughtfully evaluate student progress
• Varying teaching strategies and styles to meet different learning needs
• Providing a positive environment to engage students in the learning process
• Establishing and maintaining cooperative working relationships with students, parents, community and the school team
• Clearly articulating high expectations for students
• Creating and maintaining an aesthetically positive environment
• Actively participating in in-network opportunities for professional development
• Attending and participating in all school training and meetings
• Meeting professional obligations through efficient work habits
• Actively participating in all extra-curricular and celebratory activities in school
• Making occasional community visits to stay connected with parents

What do you need for this position?

• For Grades 1 to 5 – Graduate from any stream with a Diploma in Elementary Education
• For Grades 6 to 7 – Graduate from any stream with a Bachelor in Education
• Candidates with relevant teaching experience are preferred but freshers may also be considered
• Strong content knowledge and expertise
• Love for children and learning
• Adaptability to new instructional approaches
• Patience and capacity to solve problems
• Good planning and organising skills
• Strong team player
• Self-motivated with strong work ethics to achieve school goals
• Openness to feedback and critical reflections
• Strong oral and written communication skills in English and other languages like Hindi & Marathi for language vacancy

Job Category: Teaching

Job Type: Full Time

7. Associate – Alumni Support & Engagement

As the Associate, Alumni Support and Engagement (ASE) you will be responsible for ensuring that all Akanksha alumni are provided opportunities to prepare them for college and career. You will also be a point of contact for the Akanksha school/s to enable smooth operations and coordination for all ASE initiatives.

Job Location: Mumbai /Pune

Reports To City Leads, Alumni Support and Engagement

About the team
Akanksha’s vision for alumni is to create an ecosystem of support for all alumni to lead Empowered Lives. Through our Student Vision Framework, we empower our students with a sense of Mastery, Autonomy, and Purpose to make informed choices and become responsible individuals. We are striving to build a community of our alumni which will also help us to create career pathways based on their interests.

What your role will entail?
Central POC (Point of Contact)

The associate will be incharge of 2-3 larger central goals (Financial Aid, Vocations, University admissions, Alumni Engagement etc.) which will need coordination and collaboration with both city teams. The key responsibilities are as follows:

• Strategising and creating support system for School POCs and designing new initiatives
• Calendaring and scheduling activities based on goals in coordination with Schools and central teams
• Research and creation of resources for the respective knowledge domain
• Orienting and training the team
• Working as POC for Partnerships pertaining to the goal being handled
• Keeping track of activities as defined in the Quarterly calendar and collation of Data metrics for the year
• Handling exception and difficult cases with the School POC
• Strategising and creating support system for School POCs and designing new initiatives
• School POC (Point of Contact)

The associate will be incharge of one school (with 4 or more batches graduated) or two schools (with 1 or 2 batches graduated) and will be responsible for:

• Providing all-round support to Schools from 9th Grade onwards w.r.t careers, meetings, academic hubs, college admissions, financial aid and other alumni initiatives with the support of School Leader and Alumni Ambassador
• Coordinating with the school alumni for school specific events and other platforms with a purpose to build a sense of community
• Working closely with the Central POC to ensure participation of the school alumni for all opportunities presented to them
• Coordinating with the Central POC for data tracking, documentation and follow up with the alumni
• Supporting data requirements and analysis within the team and the organisation
• Creating a check-in and data tracking system for the alumni of the designated school with the help of interns and ambassadors
• Developing and executing a customised support plan for alumni who are at risk of dropping out of education
• Developing and executing a customised support plan for alumni identified as High performers and alumni with high Potential
• Creating a bank of inspiring and motivational alumni stories from the designated school for social media handles

What you need for this Position?

Experience 1-3 years of experience in the development space preferably working with adolescents in the aspect of career readiness

Knowledge/Skills

• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English
• Organisational and time management skills
• Highly motivated, persevering, achievement-oriented attitude
• Strong interpersonal skills and flexibility in planning and working with teams and across functions
• Strong Research and Data Management skills

Education Minimum Qualification Required – Bachelor’s degree in any discipline

Job Category: City Support

Job Type: Full Time

8. School Counsellor – School Operations and Support

Position Summary
As an Akanksha Counsellor, you will support the schools from thelens of a “whole school approach”. Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) & Development form the foundation of this approach. This will involve addressing the needs of learners, staff and the wider community not only within the curriculum but also across the whole- school and learning environment. You will work with schools and key stakeholders to build spaces where different learners thrive in an inclusive classroom setting, where learning is holistic. You will also work to meet the needs of students with specific social/emotional challenges and/or disabilities.

Reports To City Lead Counsellor

What your role will entail?

In Schools

• Visiting different schools across the city (as allocated. you will be allocated either one/two schools)
• Classroom Observations (whole class and/or individual)
• Identifying children with socio-emotional, behavioural and learning difficulties
• One-on-one sessions with children referred for individual counselling
• Small group sessions with children to address similar needs/concerns
• Documenting cases as per the format
• Conducting sessions with children in classrooms on various socio-emotional or life skills as per the developmental need of the class (e.g. sessions on self- awareness, communication, compassion)
• Supporting children who require critical therapeutic intervention due to a traumatic event/reported abuse

With Teachers, Social Workers and School Leaders

• Facilitating sessions in every school with the aim of building teacher, social worker and school leader awareness on child development and child safety
• Capacity building of teachers to support children in the classroom
• Regularly briefing the teachers, social workers and School Leaders about the status and progress of the children who are undergoing counselling
• Collaborating with the school social worker to ensure necessary followups are done for individual counselling cases and for child safety cases
• Conducting home visits and meeting parents to work in collaboration to support the child

Outside the Schools and With the Community

• Visiting homes in the community with the aim of understanding the family, its dynamics and other aspects which affect the children
• Conducting one-on-one sessions with the parents of children being counselled
• Capacity building of parents to help them address their concerns and buildtheir parenting skills
• Working with the Social worker and collaborating with parents as partnersin the child’s development

With External Agencies

• Coordinating with government hospitals for psycho educational testing, Speech therapy, Occupational therapy
• Collaborating with external experts for counselling of cases of severe distress or abuse
• Collaborating with external experts for conducting capacity building sessions for the teachers and parents

With the team

Working with a team of Counsellors and participating actively in opportunities for training and collaboration
Supporting team members and being open to sharing and learning skills

What you need for this Position?

Experience

• Experience of working directly with children/youth
• Experience in documenting case-work and planning workshops
• Prior experience in building capacity in teachers and parents with respect tochild development and allied areas (preferred)
• 2 years or more of relevant experience in the field of education working with children and parents (preferred)

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities

• An empathetic and patient approach towards counselees
• Having knowledge of trauma-informed and systems approaches
• Having group facilitation skills
• Comfortable using technology and working on online platforms
• Positive and solution-oriented with demonstrated strong work ethics and professionalism
• Highly motivated and perseverant
• Demonstrated openness to learning and willingness to actively participate in personal and professional development for self
• Flexibility, adaptability and ability to function in an unstructured environment
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to collaborate with different stakeholders

Education

• A Bachelor’s degree with specialisation in psychology and/or counselling (Required)
• A Master’s degree with specialisation in psychology and/or counselling (Preferred) or post-grad training or diploma in psychology and/or counselling