AGA KHAN FOUNDATION (INDIA)
POSITION DESCRIPTION
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Position Name:
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Project Manager (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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State Programme Manager, Uttar Pradesh
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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 Manager (Vocational Education Programme) will lead the overall implementation and management of the three-year Vocational Education programme in 50 government schools in four blocks of Bahraich district.
The role is responsible for end-to-end programme leadership, including planning, execution, coordination, and monitoring of the school-to-community vocational education model for students in Grades 6–10 and teachers. The position will ensure quality delivery of vocational labs, teacher capacity building, and classroom integration aligned with the National Education Policy 2020 and relevant state initiatives. The position will report to the AKF State Programme Manager, and will be responsible to guide and mentor the Project Coordinator, M&E Coordinator and the Finance and Administrative Assistant.
The position will also lead government liaison at district and state levels, strengthen partnerships with schools and communities, document learnings, and support sustainability and scale-up of the vocational education model.
Key Responsibilities
- Lead end-to-end planning, execution, and monitoring of the vocational education programme across schools (Grades 6–10), with specific responsibilities for Grades 9-10 and ITI’s.
- Develop annual work plans, budgets, and implementation roadmaps aligned with donor and organisational guidelines.
- Ensure delivery against agreed milestones, targets, and non-negotiables on quality and timelines.
- Establish strong monitoring and feedback systems; conduct periodic field visits to review progress, identify gaps, and strengthen implementation.
- Manage and mentor the project team (Project Coordinator and Community Coordinators, Finance and Admin Asst, and M&E Coordinator) to ensure high-quality programme delivery. Ensure the development of a cohesive, mission-driven team committed to achieving the goals and objectives of the programme.
- Oversee and be fully responsible for all grant management processes, including progress tracking, compliance, fund utilisation, and donor reporting (both technical and financial).
- Coordinate with the Senior Programme Officer (Education) and Finance team for budget planning, expenditure tracking, fund requests, variance monitoring, and financial projections.
- Facilitate donor visits and ensure adherence to reporting formats and communication protocols.
- Ensure documentation of best practices, innovations, and field learnings to support replication and scale-up.
- Analyse the need for TLM and other equipment and lead the procurement process with the support of the Finance and Admin Assistant.
- Design, organise and facilitate teacher training workshops to strengthen vocational pedagogy, lab utilisation, and “learning by doing” approaches.
- Support integration of vocational labs and practical learning components into the school timetable and classroom processes.
- Contribute technical inputs to strengthen the quality and impact of vocational education across programme schools.
- Facilitate the capacity building of the project team, through coordination with the technical partner. Coordinate with the Project Coordinator and the M&E Coordinator to develop and implement systems to measure outputs, outcomes, and student competencies.
- Share learnings with the national team, donor and technical support partner to refine models, iterate innovations, and support scale-up.
- Facilitate review meetings, workshops, and exposure visits for internal and external stakeholders.
- Build and maintain strong partnerships with the education department, district authorities, school leadership, funding partners, and network NGOs.
- Represent AKF in district and state-level forums and technical discussions related to vocational education.
- Share technical notes, best practices, and evidence with government stakeholders to promote adoption and institutionalisation of the VE model.
- Coordinate with external experts and partner agencies engaged in specialist or lab-based activities.
- Keep abreast of the latest developments in policy and practice related to vocational education in schools, incorporating sector best practice in programme implementation.
- Build proposals and support fundraising activities in coordination with the State Programme Manager, Senior Programme Officer (Education), Programme Officer (Partnerships) and Delhi team.
- Carry out any other organisational responsibilities as may be assigned by the organisation from time to time.
Required Qualifications and Skills
- Postgraduate degree in relevant disciplines like Education, Rural Management, or Social Sciences. Graduates with relevant experience and good verbal and written communication can also apply.
- Minimum 5-10 years of experience in education, vocational / STEM education / ATL mentoring and training, rural development, or related fields.
- Good understanding of government policies and programmes on Education, particularly related to middle and senior schools.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English and Hindi.
- Good documentation, data analysis and presentation skills. Proficiency in MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint is required.
- Excellent interpersonal and team skills – the position is required to lead a diverse team.
- Excellent project management and coordination skills. Proven expertise in team building, stakeholder communication and report writing.
- Must share a sense of urgency about development and be committed to improving lives among India’s most marginalised communities.
- Willingness to travel extensively in the programme area and in schools and educational institutions that are part of the programme.
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.