AGA KHAN FOUNDATION (INDIA)
POSITION DESCRIPTION
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Position Name:
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Project Coordinator (Vocational Education Programme)
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Position Location:
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Bahraich, Uttar Pradesh
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Reporting To:
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Project Manager (Vocational Education Programme)
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Position Tenure:
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Full-time employment contract up to May 2029 (renewable as per programme funding and need)
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About the Organisation
The Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) is a leading global development organization working to tackle the root causes of poverty. For almost 50 years, AKF has helped create strong community institutions that support sustainable, locally driven initiatives to improve the lives of millions of people. AKF's programmes aim to ensure that infants have the best possible start in life, families are healthy and well-nourished, children and young people can access quality learning opportunities and grow to fulfil their potential, and adults can develop future-facing skills so they can gain employment or start their own businesses. We believe that women and young girls should not be limited in their choices or opportunities and are dedicated to fostering inclusive communities in which all voices are heard and valued. As our climate changes, we are working with the communities we serve, and especially farmers, to adapt to its challenges and opportunities and contribute to a healthy planet. But the issues we face are evolving rapidly. To meet them, we use innovation to empower communities to develop new solutions that can be quickly tested and refined, ensuring they are relevant, feasible and sustainable. Through partnerships with local communities, government agencies and programmes, we are building a future where we all thrive together.
AKF primarily works across seven thematic areas - agriculture, building community resilience to climate change, work and enterprise, education, early childhood development, WASH, health and nutrition, and strengthening community institutions to sustain and lead development interventions.
AKF started its operations in India in 1978 and implements programmes in both rural and urban areas across four states (Bihar, Delhi, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh). AKF's current interventions are under implementation across 1635 villages and 93 urban wards, benefiting 3.9 million people, 2/3rd of whom are women.
Project Summary
The Aga Khan Foundation is commencing a three-year programme (from June 2026–May 2029) to strengthen vocational education in 50 government schools in the Huzurpur (Aspirational Block), Tejwapur, Chittaura, and Risia blocks of Bahraich district. The programme will reach approximately 9000 students (Grades 6–10) and 100 teachers. Using a school-to-community model, it will introduce pre-vocational exposure and foundational VE (Vocational Education) skills in Grades 6–8, advancing to higher-order competencies in Grades 9–10. The approach will include establishing hands-on vocational labs, building teacher capacity, and implementing genderresponsive pedagogy.
Position Summary
The Project Coordinator will be responsible for designing and implementing initiatives on prevocational exposure and foundational vocational education in Grades 6-10 in 50 designated schools (including Kasturba Gandhi Balika Vidyalaya’s) and ITI’s in four blocks of district Bahraich; responsibilities will include day-to-day planning, execution, and quality assurance of activities in Grades 6–10, and mentoring, guiding and supervising a team of 10 Community Coordinators. The position will report to the Project Manager (Vocational Education Programme)
The role involves close coordination with district and block-level education officials, school leaders, and teachers to facilitate effective implementation of pre-vocational and foundational vocational components in Grades 6-10, including the operationalisation of vocational labs and strengthening community engagement that will serve to diversify understanding regarding potential vocational opportunities with the potential to thrive in the local district economy. The position will organise and facilitate teacher training, conduct joint school visits with government counterparts, and provide ongoing mentoring and supportive supervision to ensure improved understanding and integration of vocational pedagogy in classrooms.
The position will guide, mentor and supervise a team of ten Community Coordinators, monitoring progress as per the approved workplan and targets, ensuring the delivery of high-quality implementation, and supporting budgeting, reporting and compliance processes.
S/he will also contribute to documentation, reporting, and knowledge management, while coordinating closely with finance, M&E, and other programme teams to ensure smooth and compliant implementation.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead and be responsible for project implementation in the designated schools and ensure project delivery against agreed milestones and targets.
- Mentor and provide regular guidance to the Community Coordinators ensuring programme delivery aligned with the approved workplan and budget.
- Facilitate and support the development of monthly/ quarterly and annual workplans and budgets and develop systems for regular reviews.
- Develop an implementation strategy for vocational education exposure for Grades 6-8 and 910, under the guidance of the Project Manager and working closely with the field team, assign specific and quantifiable job duties, and mobilize/extend appropriate support as needed.
- Organise capacity building meetings and training of project staff/teachers and relevant stakeholders, including managing the logistics of the training, with the support of the Finance & Administration Assistant.
- Conduct regular school visits to monitor student engagement, schedules and ensure quality delivery of the programme.
- Provide classroom-based mentoring and feedback to teachers.
- Develop a plan with the field team to ensure active participation of the teachers and school leaders.
- Facilitate integration of vocational modules into school timetables and lesson plans.
- Maintain and update MIS-related data of the project. Track school-level progress and maintain implementation records.
- Lead the design of training programmes for schoolteachers to strengthen vocational education in middle schools. Closely monitor the results of training, and ensure that feedback is incorporated into subsequent training, enhancing training quality and its impact.
- Keep abreast of the latest developments related to policy and practice approaches for vocational education in middle schools and facilitate the incorporation of best practices in programme implementation.
- Identify suitable community-based vocations that could serve to motivate students and teachers for adoption – identify community role models who could be invited to share their insights with school children. Contribute to building a sense of pride in vocations with potential to thrive in the local economy.
- Undertake regular field visits, document observations through field visit reports, and submit these to the Project Manager (Vocational Education Programme), while providing necessary feedback and support to the field team.
- Lead day-to-day coordination with schools for programme implementation and provide continuous mentoring and academic support to teachers and school leaders
- Prepare high-quality reports, case studies, presentations, and review documents.
- Coordinate with Finance and M&E teams for trainings, logistics, and data collection.
- Carry out any additional duties and responsibilities as may be assigned by the organisation from time to time.
Required Qualifications and Skills
- Bachelor’s or master’s degree in education, Social Sciences, Development Studies, Management, or a related field; exposure to vocational education/skill development will be an added advantage.
- 5–7 years of relevant experience in school education or vocational/skill development programmes, preferably in collaboration with government systems.
- Demonstrated experience working with government schools and district/block-level education departments.
- Proven ability to plan, coordinate, and execute multi-school programmes, translating annual work plans into structured field implementation.
- Strong experience in teacher training, facilitation, and academic mentoring to improve classroom practices.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills in Hindi and English, with the ability to prepare high-quality reports, case studies, presentations, and review documents.
- Strong stakeholder management skills, with the ability to build and sustain effective relationships with teachers, school leaders, government officials, and community partners.
- Demonstrated leadership and team management skills, including supervision, team building, and fostering collaboration.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities to identify implementation gaps and propose practical, field-responsive solutions.
- Proven expertise in stakeholder communication and conducting workshops or review meetings.
- High level of professionalism, adaptability, and willingness to travel regularly (approximately 7-10 days per month) to support field implementation.
- Must share a sense of urgency about development and be committed to improving lives among India’s most marginalised communities
How To apply
Please apply by 17th August 2026 using the link below –
The Aga Khan Development Network is an international group of private, non-denominational development agencies and institutions that seek to empower communities and individuals, often in disadvantaged circumstances, to improve living conditions and opportunities. Visit us at www.akdn.org
The Aga Khan Foundation is committed to the principles of equal opportunity and will strive to ensure that all job applicants, staff and volunteers, do not suffer negative discrimination on the basis of their religion, race, caste, color, nationality, social class, sex, place of birth, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, HIV status, age etc. or any combination of these.
All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks. AKF also participates in the Inter-Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. You can find out more on this scheme on this link: https://misconduct-disclosure-scheme.org.