Job ID: 298200

School Leader

SURAAH

Location: Vikasnagar, Uttarakhand

Apply by: 01 Aug 2026

Relevant Sectors

Social, Gender, Education, Youth, Child

Hiring for the School Lead, SURAAH
Location: Vikasnagar, Dehradun, Uttarakhand
Type: Full-time position

About SURAAH:
SURAAH is an alternative school in the hills of Uttarakhand working with tribal hill children to offer a high-rigor, contextual, and practical education that integrates head, heart, and hands.

Our work is rooted in local context and guided by six learning strands: Jagatgyan, Swagyan, Khoj, Mauj, Yogdaan, and Abhivyakti. We are building schools where children learn deeply, question the world around them, understand themselves, and contribute meaningfully to their communities.

SURAAH is opening its second school in Vikasnagar, Dehradun, this year. The first school in Katapathar village has been running for two years. This second site is the next step in building a network of rooted, high-quality alternative schools across Uttarakhand

About the role:
Leading a school at SURAAH means being the person everything runs through. You know the children, the teachers, the parents, and the village. You are in classrooms every day. You see what is working and what is not, and you do something about it. You build a team that can hold the school's values without being reminded to, and you build trust with a community that is still deciding what to make of a school like this. It is unglamorous most of the time. It is also genuinely meaningful, because the work is real, the children are in front of you, and what you build here outlasts any job title.

Responsibilities
Finding and Setting Up the Partner School
? Identify the right school to partner with: a school whose school trustees are open, whose community is a good fit, and where SURAAH's program can take root.
? Build a real relationship with the school head and trustees, not a transactional one. Understand their context, their constraints, and what they are hoping for.
? Lead the conversations that move from interest to agreement. Work with SURAAH leadership to finalize the MOU.
? Represent SURAAH in these meetings with clarity about what SURAAH is, what it offers, and what it asks for in return.
Program Execution and Teacher Development
? Execute SURAAH's academic program on the ground. Translate what the Program Lead designs into what teachers actually do in classrooms.
? Observe classrooms regularly and give teachers feedback that is specific, honest, and actionable. Directly facilitate project-based learning with a group of children.
? Coach teachers through the full cycle of planning, execution, and reflection.
? Facilitate regular training sessions with the school team. Not just attendance, but sessions that shift practice.
? Ensure lesson plans, unit plans, and school routines are in place and functional.
Team Building and Leadership
? Hire, onboard, and retain teachers who are aligned with SURAAH's philosophy and committed to the children and community.
? Build a high-performing team through clear expectations, regular feedback, and genuine investment in each person's growth.
? Address performance concerns directly, constructively, and early.
? Create structures for peer learning and shared ownership within the team.
School Operations and Culture
? Establish strong school routines, norms, and expectations from day one at the new site.
? Oversee day-to-day school operations, manage school-level resources responsibly, and maintain institutional compliance.
? Build an academic culture where rigor, warmth, and belonging coexist.
? Be a visible and trusted presence for families and the local community.

Who This Role Is For
This role is suited for someone who:
? Has 6 or more years of experience in education, with at least 2-3 years in a leadership role.
? Has built relationships in the field and seen them through to a concrete outcome.
A signed agreement, a sustained partnership, something that required persistence and judgment, not just goodwill.
? Has led a team. Has hired, coached, and held real accountability for others' performance.
? Is operationally strong. Can manage multiple moving pieces, maintain systems under pressure, and execute without needing things to be fully figured out first.
? Has coached or trained teachers and understands what good instruction looks like in a resource-constrained, community-rooted school.
? Is comfortable working in ambiguity and building structure in a school that is still taking shape.
? Can work comfortably in both Hindi and English, oral and written.
? Is ready to live and work in the hills of Uttarakhand, not as a compromise, but as a deliberate choice.
? Has a working understanding of NCF and NCERT, and exposure to progressive or alternative education approaches. Deep understanding of early childhood education is a strong advantage.

Commitment
A minimum commitment of two years (but we hope you'll fall in love with the hills and stay much longer!).
Starting Date: Immediate

Selection Process
1. Interested applicants must fill out the application Google Form.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdb__ryqsqy5mOhe6neND3xMFrFLdsNTnaOVPh2I7jMKjmIvA/viewform
2. A short pre-work task will be shared to assess judgment using sample program and partnership materials.
3. Selected candidates will have an interview with SURAAH leadership on school
leadership, partnerships, and execution.
4. Candidates who clear the interview will be invited for a 1-day on-ground school
visit to work on a live project as the final step.

Compensation and Benefits
1. Between 7,80,000 - 8,40,000 CTC. (The hills are 50% cheaper than the metro)
2. Non-monetary benefits include full ownership of building a SURAAH school, a close-knit learning community, double-digit AQI, and the chance to do work that is rooted in a place and its people.

Learn more about SURAAH:

? The Hindu: This Ulta-Pulta school in Uttarakhand is changing how children learn
? The Better India: Inside a Couple’s ‘Ulta Pulta’ School
? The New Indian Express: Lessons from the hills
? Project Update Report: Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4
? Our Educational Model: Read here

In case of any queries, email: namaste.suraah@gmail.com