Job Description

About Peepul 
Peepul is an education-focused non-profit. We dream and work towards creating an 
education system in India that enables ‘every child to realize his/her potential.’
We work closely with governments at the national, state and Corporation levels to transform 
government schools and government systems. The poorest children in India study in 
government schools and too many of them are falling through the cracks. We are determined 
to ensure that they receive a high-quality education to help them succeed in life. 
We are restless, resilient and reflective. We aim high, we innovate, we work smart, we work as 
a team and we use rigorous research to inform our work. We run systemic education 
programmes that, together, ensure that we adopt a holistic view towards improving state 
education systems. 
i. Exemplar Schools: we run exemplar schools in partnership with the government to 
show what ‘great’ looks like. Starting with one school with 9 children in 2015, we now 
have a network of 3 schools that directly impact 1,000 children. 
ii. Systemic Interventions: we create systemic influence through large-scale 
interventions such as teacher training, capacity building of government education 
officials, working with district and state-level training institutes and advising on policy 
reform. 
iii. Government Policy and Advisory: we advise state governments on improving 
governance and accountability structures through our work on quality assurance, 
levers for school improvement and knowledge as practitioners of quality improvement. 
iv. Thought Leadership: we recognize the criticality of institutionalizing and codifying 
our best practices, content and processes so that they can be standardized, scaled and 
can be adopted by government systems to improve government schools as well as 
shared more widely with the education ecosystem in India. 
We are a fast-paced organisation that aims high. This year, we are broadening our reach to 
additional states and Corporations with the aim of working with 2,500 schools, 15,000 teachers 
and 100,000 students in 2020. By 2023, we will reach 1,000,000 students, 30,000 teachers and 
10,000 schools. 
Website: http://peepulindia.org/Job Description: Project Manager, SDMC Transformation
Reports to: Programme Manager, SDMC Transformation
Location: Delhi/Gurgaon
Role Context 
There have been many efforts towards improving the quality of education in the school system. 
There is yet room for these innovations and initiatives to have the desired impact on the quality 
of student outcomes – either for reasons of governance, implementation, or design. 
This is a fertile time for a systemic transformation effort; addressing the challenges in the 
system will require a concerted multiyear effort, tackling both administrative and academic 
reforms, and building solid institutions.
Peepul (formerly as Ark India) has been working in the South Delhi Municipal Corporation 
(SDMC) school system since 2015, starting with Delhi’s first PPP school, that has consistently 
shown excellent results; expanding later into wider teacher development through a multiyear 
training programme, that has now evolved into the effort towards setting up Teacher 
Development Centers in the state. Peepul has also embarked on a large-scale systemic teacher 
professional development initiative in Madhya Pradesh, impacting 270,000 teachers across 
100,000 schools. Through this deep partnership with governments, we have also developed a 
deep understanding of the government school system’s context, landscape, and administrative 
support structures at the ground-level. 
Peepul will be embarking on a multi-year system-wide transformation program in our 
focus states to holistically improve the system towards high-quality education in the 
government school system. The program aims to envision and create an exemplar education 
ecosystem, with high-performing teachers, a conducive environment for learning and students 
meeting or exceeding grade-level expectations. 
The programme is envisaged to have a joint Programme Management Unit (PMU) between 
the SDMC and Peepul. This flagship program will also serve as an exemplar of education 
system transformation in the municipalities in the country.
Role description 
The role of Project Manager is critical to the success of continued partnership with the SDMC 
to drive the transformation and PMU to its logical conclusion, towards achieving quality 
education for all, and to Peepul’s strategic objective of supporting quality improvement in 
the public school system in India.
This is therefore an exciting opportunity for a highly-motivated individual to play a key 
role in a flagship reform initiative with enormous potential impact. The Project Manager 
will be an individual of exceptional calibre with the flexibility, tenacity and enthusiasm both 
to support a high performing, creative team and to establish with government partners a fast moving, high-expectations culture. 
Reporting to the Programme Manager and working in close collaboration with the Education 
Director SDMC, SCERT, Directorate of Education, Government of NCT of Delhi, the Project
Manager will be accountable for the detailed design and implementation of the programme 
verticals in Delhi as well as building Peepul’s credibility across India as a leading delivery 
partner on public school sector quality improvement. 
Key Responsibilities
To lead project design, piloting and implementation of interventions towards academic 
reforms
• Taking the lead on one or more interventions/workstreams within SDMC 
Tranformation towards teacher support and accountability and student learning 
improvement. Designing, piloting and developing the interventions (e.g. Professional 
Learing Communities, supporting a cadre of mentor teachers, Recognition 
mechanisms, remedial learning and tech-based learning solutions etc.) in collaboration 
with government counterparts
• Applying content knowledge and classroom experience in developing these 
interventions. that will lead to shifts in teacher mindset, knowledge and practice
• Leading the pilot of interventions, documenting learnings and evolving the design to
have greater impact at scale 
• Working closely with government stakeholders to build knowledge as well as build 
capacity towards improved implementation
• Defining success metrics and growth aspiration for the project and communicating
effectively with all stakeholders to translate this into a multi-year state engagement 
across multiple districts
To manage best-in-class project implementation to ensure impact
• Plan and sequence the implementation of programme interventions (such as 
Professional Learning Communities), in close coordination with PMU implementation
team and Training and Content team
• Create effective workplanning systems to ensure work remains on track and effectively 
prioritised, including regular work reviews to keep the project on track
• Potentially manage 1-2 associates and provide guidance/review on their deliverables
• Work with in-house M&E team and external experts to develop appropriate project 
evaluation tools
• Facilitate sessions (e.g. training, focus group discussions, learning circles) with teachers, 
school leaders, cluster and block officials as required on high-impact teaching practices 
• Work closely with Teacher Education Institutes, district, block and cluster officers to 
ensure high-quality academic mentoring • Supporting Programme Manager with designing interventions on tech-based learning 
aids, in collaboration with consortia partners
To build an effective and sustainable delivery architecture, including working with a 
high-performing team and through strong public, private and non-profit partnerships. 
• Foster a positive and collaborative culture of trust and high expectations in the team
• Develop and maintain strong operational relationships with government partners, 
putting in place mechanisms to support collaboration and cross-organisational 
working
• Design and build effective, fully aligned partnerships with other education non-profits
and agencies, to leverage external expertise and resources where appropriate
• Build capacity within government teams to ensure ongoing, sustainable organisational 
self-improvement after the formal end of the project
Person Specifications
The successful candidate will demonstrate the following experience, skills, and attributes. 
Experience:
• Direct classroom and teaching experience of 3-6 years, preferably within the 
government school system. An education degree in Education is preferred
• Strong track record of success in managing projects with multi-functional teams in 
complex, fluid situations. Demonstration through previous experience of this in either 
the corporate sector or development sector. 
• Experience of working in government systems and awareness of education structures 
in India would be preferred. 
• Extensive experience of collaborating and partnering with senior internal and external 
stakeholders, including senior political figures, and communicating to a variety of 
audiences. 
Skills and Knowledge:
• Extremely strong analytical skills and good judgement, able to lead and manage
project design and implementation. 
• Ability to create technical documentation and liaise with both tech and non-tech 
stakeholders effectively
• Proficiency in data visualization and presentation 
• An appreciation for education overall, and specific areas of expertise in education (e.g. 
primary school curriculum, digital content delivery, school leadership, etc.) would be 
preferable• The intellectual creativity and innovation to develop pragmatic solutions to operational
challenges as they arise, while maintaining focus on strategic goals.
• Strong research instinct; ability to gather information, examine perspectives and create 
synthesized solutions/recommendations
• Exceptional stakeholder management skills with the ability to build strong relationships 
with a wide range of individuals in public, private and non-profit sectors. 
• Effective leadership skills and interpersonal skills, to be able to foster a strong Peepul
delivery team and to work with public sector colleagues and associates with a 
consultative and collegiate decision making style.
• Bias to action, with an ability to step back and see the larger picture
• An ability to work successfully under pressure with the capacity to manage competing 
priorities and deliver to deadlines.
• Strong interpersonal, written, and oral communications skills, to ensure the goals and 
operations of the project are well understood across all stakeholder groups
Personal attributes:
• A passion for education and a genuine commitment to Peepul’s mission and values. 
• The tenacity, flexibility and resilience to adapt rapidly to changing priorities in a fastmoving, complex environment. 
• High levels of personal impact with the ability to command the respect of wide range 
of senior stakeholders. 
• Significant personal drive, energy, ambition and enthusiasm. 
• Enthusiasm for taking on a start-up role, in what will be a fast-paced, growing, 
changing network 
• Performance orientation - sets and achieves high standards for self and others
Language skills: Fluency in English and Hindi Recruitment Process 
Application Process
To apply, please send a copy of your resume along with a covering letter explaining why you 
are interested in applying for the role, to recruitment@peepulindia.org with a cc to 
anoop.aravind@peepulindia.org, ensuring you specify the role you are applying for in the 
subject line of the e-mail. Please include the details of at least two referees within your 
application.
Reference checking & Probation
This role will be subject to enhanced background checks. Additionally, all new staff will be 
subject to a probation period of three months
Selection 
The selection process will involve written tests/assignments and interviews with the senior 
management team of the organisation. More about Peepul
Who we are and how we work:
One principle unites us in all our endeavors: we put children first.
We believe that all children should have choices in life. And we must fight to make this happen. 
Sometimes that means making difficult decisions – we will have to say or do things that are 
hard for us and for other people. 
All our actions are driven by what is best for the children we work for.
We are:
Restless
We are proud of our achievements but know that there is so much still to do. So, we never 
stop striving, and we are ready for new challenges. We will work on new projects, in new 
communities, wherever we think we can make a difference. We are never complacent. 
Reflective
We are self-critical. If we think we could have worked in a better or smarter way, we 
acknowledge that and learn from it. 
Resilient
We know that our task is not an easy one. But we are determined to transform children’s lives, 
despite setbacks. When we encounter obstacles, we do not give up. We are tenacious and will 
see things through.
When we work, we:
Aim high
We have the highest expectations. We ask everyone to give their best in everything they do. 
The children at our schools are expected to aim high, and the staff at Peepul does the same. 
We do not accept excuses, and we do not make excuses.
Use rigorous researchWe use the latest research and data in all our work, and we scrutinize our results. Our approach 
is evidence-based, and we direct our resources to those projects that we are sure will make a 
difference.
Work smart
We work hard to achieve our aims. But, more important, we work smart. 
We are systematic, seeking models that are already successful and finding ways of building on 
that success. We share our expertise – between teams, between schools, across the world. 
This way, we maximize our results.
Work as a team
Tough challenges take grit and determination, and teamwork too. None of us can succeed on 
our own. We need to support and learn from each other, and we work best when we work as 
a team. 
Together, we make the biggest difference