Project Manager - Students Success & Career Development

JOB POSITION

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jal Bhagirathi Foundation is an established non-profit organisation founded in 2002 in response to the severe water insecurity affecting communities in the Thar Desert. Over more than two decades, it has developed substantial experience in community mobilisation, participatory development, institutional capacity-building, natural-resource management, water security, sanitation and the implementation of field programmes in partnership with rural communities and public institutions. The Foundation reports that its programmes have covered more than 500 villages and benefited over 550,000 people through water-security and sanitation interventions. Jal Bhagirathi Foundation
The Foundation’s approach is founded upon sustained community participation rather than short-term delivery of benefits. Its work has involved the creation and strengthening of village institutions, mobilisation of community contributions, promotion of local ownership, engagement with women and marginalised groups, and development of systems through which village-level assets and initiatives can be maintained over time. This experience has given the Foundation a strong understanding of rural social structures and of the practical conditions necessary for a development programme to secure community confidence and produce lasting results.
Over the years, Jal Bhagirathi Foundation has also acquired considerable organisational capacity in programme planning, field implementation, government liaison, stakeholder coordination, monitoring and evaluation, financial administration, documentation and reporting. Its programmes have required regular engagement with village communities, local institutions, government departments, technical specialists, development partners and funding agencies. This combination of grassroots presence and institutional experience makes the Foundation well placed to implement a structured educational initiative involving students, parents, schools, teachers, counsellors and government authorities.

The Foundation presently has a strong outreach network covering more than 100 villages in the Jaipur region. This network will provide the pilot programme with an established field base through which schools and communities may be approached, potentially eligible students identified, family circumstances verified and beneficiaries supported over an extended period. The existing outreach should, however, be understood as the programme’s mobilisation and implementation platform; it does not imply that the pilot will commence simultaneously in every village within the network.

Khetri Trust

Khetri Trust is a public charitable trust established under the Will of the late Raja Bahadur Sardar Singh of Khetri, with the advancement of education as one of its principal charitable purposes. The Trust seeks to translate this legacy into meaningful educational opportunity by supporting deserving students, particularly those whose academic potential may otherwise remain unrealised because of economic or social disadvantage. Its larger objective is not merely to provide scholarships, but to create pathways through which capable young people can gain access to high-quality education, professional guidance and opportunities commensurate with their merit.
The Trust recognises that financial hardship is rarely the only obstacle confronting talented students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Such students frequently lack access to career counselling, academic mentoring, competitive-examination preparation, information concerning suitable institutions and courses, and sustained guidance during critical educational transitions. Khetri Trust therefore intends to develop a comprehensive model of educational support that identifies meritorious students at an appropriate stage and accompanies them through academic planning, career selection, admission preparation and higher education.

This programme will be a flagship initiative of Khetri Trust. It is conceived as an ambitious pilot project through which the Trust will acquire practical field experience, test different methods of student identification and support, and assess the educational, administrative and financial requirements of a larger intervention. The lessons emerging from the pilot will be carefully documented and used to redesign and strengthen the programme before it is progressively scaled up.

The long-term vision is to establish a credible and replicable system for promoting educational excellence among students from economically weaker backgrounds. The programme will seek to ensure that a lack of financial resources does not become the determining reason why a brilliant student is compelled to abandon an academic ambition, accept an unsuitable course of study or remain excluded from a high-quality institution. Support may therefore extend beyond scholarships to include career counselling, mentoring, specialised coaching, application assistance, exposure opportunities and other forms of academic and institutional support required by an individual student.
Khetri Trust will provide the programme’s strategic direction, charitable mandate and institutional oversight. It will determine the governing principles, eligibility framework, standards of transparency and intended outcomes of the initiative, while ensuring that assistance is awarded objectively and directed towards students who combine demonstrated ability with genuine financial need. www.khetritrust.org

Institutional Relationship and Programme Approach

The proposed educational initiative will be a flagship programme of Khetri Trust, with Jal Bhagirathi Foundation serving as its implementing agency. Khetri Trust will retain responsibility for the programme’s vision, policy framework, funding principles and institutional oversight. Jal Bhagirathi Foundation will be responsible for field-level execution, including engagement with schools and communities, identification and preliminary assessment of students, coordination of counselling and mentoring services, maintenance of beneficiary records, monitoring of progress and preparation of periodic reports.

The pilot should begin with a carefully selected group of schools, villages and students rather than attempting immediate large-scale coverage. Its purpose will be to test the complete programme cycle—from identifying exceptional ability and verifying financial need to providing counselling, mentoring, academic support and financial assistance—and to determine which interventions produce measurable and sustained educational outcomes. Particular attention will be given to the transparency of student selection, the quality and continuity of mentoring, parental participation, coordination with schools, safeguarding of students and effective use of programme resources.
The experience gained during the pilot will be systematically evaluated to identify operational weaknesses, unintended exclusions, cost implications and opportunities for improvement. The programme will thereafter be redesigned upon the basis of evidence from the field and developed into a scalable model capable of being extended to a substantially larger number of students and locations. Its ultimate purpose will be to create an enduring institutional pathway through which intellectual ability and determination—not a family’s financial circumstances—govern a student’s access to educational excellence.

JOB SUMMARY:

The Project Manager – Student Success & Career Development shall serve as the operational lead for one of Jal Bhagirathi Foundation's flagship education initiatives. The role combines the responsibilities of a senior career counsellor with those of a Project manager responsible for planning, implementing, coordinating, monitoring and continuously improving the student development component of the Education Excellence Project.
The Project Manager shall be responsible not only for counselling individual students but also for ensuring successful implementation of all student-focused interventions across participating government senior secondary schools. These interventions include academic mentoring, remedial support, examination preparation, career counselling, higher education guidance, vocational pathways, scholarship facilitation, parent engagement, teacher coordination, institutional partnerships and Project monitoring.
Working closely with school leadership, government officials, subject experts, training institutions and the Foundation's management, the Project Manager shall ensure that Project objectives are translated into measurable educational outcomes. The role is central to achieving the project's objective of significantly improving student performance, transition to higher education and employability, while generating a scalable model for government school reform.

 

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

The Project Manager shall be responsible for the overall planning, implementation and coordination of the Student Success and Career Development component of the Education Excellence Project across all participating schools. The incumbent shall prepare annual implementation plans, quarterly work schedules, activity calendars and operational frameworks to ensure that Project objectives are achieved within approved timelines and budgets while maintaining consistently high standards of implementation.
The Project Manager shall establish and maintain effective working relationships with school principals, teachers, district education authorities, government departments, School Management Committees, parents, subject experts, universities, vocational institutions, coaching partners and other stakeholders whose participation is necessary for successful implementation of the Project. The position shall represent the Foundation during coordination meetings, Project reviews, institutional consultations and government interactions, while ensuring that communication between all stakeholders remains timely, professional and outcome oriented.

The Project Manager shall identify academically promising and motivated students, particularly those belonging to underserved communities, and shall develop comprehensive student profiles capturing their academic performance, socio-economic background, aspirations, strengths, challenges and support requirements. Appropriate systems shall be established for monitoring the progress of each student throughout the duration of the Project, enabling timely interventions wherever academic, personal or social challenges emerge.
The Project Manager shall personally lead the Project's career counselling and mentoring initiatives by conducting structured one-to-one counselling sessions, group guidance Projects and career awareness workshops. Students shall be guided regarding higher education opportunities, professional courses, competitive examinations, scholarships, vocational education, government schemes, skill development pathways and emerging employment opportunities. Individual career development plans shall be prepared and periodically reviewed to ensure that students receive informed guidance aligned with their aptitude, aspirations and circumstances.
The Project Manager shall coordinate academic coaching, remedial education and examination preparation activities across Science, Commerce and Humanities streams in collaboration with teachers, subject experts and external academic partners. The role shall include identifying learning gaps, strengthening examination preparedness, monitoring attendance and academic performance, and ensuring that appropriate academic support is provided to students before board examinations, entrance examinations and scholarship assessments.

The Project Manager shall oversee implementation of life skills education, leadership development, communication skills, values education, personality development, confidence building, digital literacy, employability skills and vocational exposure Projects designed to strengthen students' overall preparedness for higher education, employment and responsible citizenship. Close coordination shall be maintained with vocational institutions, training providers and industry experts to facilitate practical exposure and skill development opportunities for interested students.
The Project Manager shall ensure meaningful engagement with parents and families by organising regular parent meetings, counselling sessions, orientation Projects and home visits wherever necessary. Parents shall be encouraged to actively participate in the academic and career planning process of their children through continuous communication regarding educational opportunities, scholarship support, vocational choices and long-term career planning.
The Project Manager shall establish effective monitoring and evaluation systems to track
Project implementation and student outcomes. Comprehensive records relating to student selection, academic progress, mentoring sessions, attendance, examination results, scholarship applications, higher education admissions, vocational placements and Project activities shall be maintained with accuracy and confidentiality. Periodic analytical reports highlighting Project achievements, implementation challenges, lessons learnt, student success stories and recommended corrective measures shall be prepared for the Foundation's management, donors and other stakeholders.

The Project Manager shall ensure effective coordination of all Project interventions delivered within participating schools, including academic coaching, remedial education, digital learning initiatives, sports and fitness activities, career guidance, leadership development and specialised educational support. Continuous monitoring shall be undertaken to ensure that Project activities are delivered in accordance with approved implementation standards and contribute directly towards the achievement of measurable educational outcomes.
The Project Manager shall actively contribute to institutional learning by documenting best practices, preparing operational manuals, developing implementation protocols, strengthening monitoring systems and supporting Project evaluations. The incumbent shall assist senior management in refining Project strategies, preparing donor reports, developing new proposals and generating evidence necessary for replication and expansion of the Education Excellence Project across additional government schools.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE:

Qualifications
The candidate should possess a postgraduate degree in Education, Psychology, Social Work, Sociology, Human Development, Management, Public Policy, or another discipline relevant to education, youth development, or Project administration. Additional professional qualifications or certified training in Career Counselling, Guidance and Counselling, Educational Administration, or a closely related field shall be preferred, particularly where such qualifications demonstrate the candidate’s ability to provide informed guidance to students and contribute to institutional development.

Experience
The candidate should have a minimum of eight to ten years of progressively responsible professional experience in education Projects, school-transformation initiatives, youth development, career counselling, project management, or Projects implemented by nongovernmental organisations and other development-sector institutions. The experience should demonstrate a clear progression in responsibility, including the planning, implementation, supervision, and assessment of complex Projects.

Prior experience of working with schools, students, teachers, parents, educational institutions, civil-society organisations, or government departments shall be important. Particular preference shall be given to candidates who have managed multi-stakeholder projects involving government institutions, developed effective partnerships with public authorities, and coordinated Project delivery across different organisations and locations. Familiarity with government education systems, administrative procedures, reporting requirements, and institutional decision-making processes shall be highly desirable.

KEY COMPETENCIES:
The Project Manager should possess strong Project-management capabilities and should be able to translate institutional objectives into structured, practical, and measurable plans. The candidate must demonstrate excellent organisational and planning skills, including the ability to establish priorities, allocate resources, manage timelines, identify implementation risks, and ensure that Project activities are completed to the required standard.

The position requires effective leadership and team-coordination skills. The Project Manager should be capable of supervising multidisciplinary teams, defining responsibilities, supporting professional development, resolving operational difficulties, and fostering a culture of accountability and collaboration. The candidate should also be able to work independently, exercise sound judgement, and remain effective in a demanding and evolving Project environment.
A sound understanding of student mentoring, career guidance, and counselling is essential. The candidate should be able to engage sensitively with students from diverse social and educational backgrounds, understand their aspirations and constraints, and guide them towards suitable academic, vocational, and professional opportunities. The role requires high emotional intelligence, empathy, discretion, and the ability to establish trust while maintaining appropriate professional boundaries.

The Project Manager should possess strong stakeholder-engagement and governmentliaison capabilities. The candidate must be able to build and maintain constructive relationships with government officials, school leadership, teachers, parents, community representatives, partner organisations, donors, and subject-matter experts. The role will require clear communication, tactful negotiation, effective follow-up, and the ability to reconcile differing institutional priorities without compromising Project objectives.
The candidate should be comfortable using data to guide decisions, assess Project performance, and recommend corrective action. This includes competence in monitoring and evaluation, development and review of performance indicators, analysis of quantitative and qualitative information, and preparation of evidence-based recommendations. The Project Manager should be able to identify implementation gaps, document outcomes, and use lessons from the field to improve Project design and delivery.
Strong report-writing and documentation skills are required. The candidate should be able to prepare clear and accurate Project reports, implementation plans, progress updates, meeting records, case studies, presentations, and other institutional documents. The candidate must also possess confident public-presentation skills and be able to communicate Project objectives, achievements, and challenges effectively to varied audiences.

The Project Manager should demonstrate practical problem-solving ability, intellectual flexibility, and resilience. The candidate must be able to anticipate difficulties, evaluate alternatives, take timely decisions, and develop workable solutions in consultation with relevant stakeholders. Above all, the candidate should have a demonstrable commitment to educational equity, student welfare, institutional excellence, and the creation of meaningful educational and career opportunities for young people.

REMUNERATION:
Budgeted consolidated remuneration is between Rs.18 to 24 lacs lacs per annum, depending on the evaluation of the candidate’s potential, qualification, experience, and job retention ability. We provide enormous opportunities for individual career growth to those who excel in a challenging work environment.

LAST DATE & ADDRESS FOR APPLICATIONS
The last date for submission of applications is 15 August 2026. Applications must be sent to the given link below and accompanied by a cover letter, recent photograph, and detailed curriculum vitae specifying the applicant’s age, current location, permanent address, educational qualifications, professional experience and extracurricular activities. Applicants must also submit a copy of their most recent appointment letter and documentary proof of their current salary.

Applications containing incomplete information or lacking any of the required documents will not be considered or processed further.

Application Link : https://forms.gle/i6q5CHkEd4CB72ZT9