About Mantra4Change
Mantra4Change is a non-profit organisation working with governments to transform public education systems in India, so that millions of children can learn better, grow stronger, and thrive. We partner closely with state education departments to design and implement reforms at scale, strengthening leadership, governance, and classroom practice across public schools. Our work is grounded in the belief that lasting change happens when governments lead their own transformation.
Through long-term collaboration with institutions such as SCERTs and DIETs, Mantra4Change focuses on developing school leaders and system leaders, building collaborative school cultures, and engaging communities as partners in learning. By combining strong on-ground implementation with continuous learning, we help systems identify what works, scale it responsibly, and sustain improvement over time.
Our mission is to enable leaders at every level of the system to drive continuous improvement, creating a virtuous cycle in which strong leadership, collective ownership, and systemic reform deliver better learning and more equitable outcomes for every child.
About STEP Bihar
We have been working closely with the education department of Bihar since 2021 to strengthen education leadership at various levels through collective action, leveraging technology to drive school improvement. Our current work in the state includes:
- Support SCERT, the Bihar Education Project Council (BEPC), and the Directorate of Primary Education (DPE) to design and implement the Project-Based Learning (PBL) programme for Grades 6 to 8 across all 38 districts in maths, science, and social subjects.
- Support DPE, SCERT, and DIETs to operationalise the Margdarshak academic-mentor cadre/CRCC for Grades 1 to 8, a government cadre of about 4,200 mentors (one per two panchayats) working through a three-tier SCERT and State Resource Group to District Resource Group to complex and panchayat structure, aligned to the National Mission for Mentoring.
- Enable DIETs to design need-based teacher professional development, leveraging the Micro-Improvement Project on DIKSHA, and support data-driven review through the Vidya Samiksha Kendra (VSK).
- Deeper intervention in 2 districts, Lakhisarai and Gaya, strengthening PBL and FLN implementation by providing governance and academic support to key stakeholders at the district, block, and complex levels.
About the Role
The State Program Lead will support the design, implementation, and monitoring of two connected state workstreams: the Project-Based Learning programme for Grades 6 to 8, and the Margdarshak academic-mentoring cadre for Grades 1 to 8, in partnership with SCERT, DPE, BEPC, and DIETs. The role involves coordinating internal teams and government stakeholders to ensure field-level execution, documentation, and review. The position requires strong organisational skills and the ability to work with guidance from the Senior Program Lead and the Program Manager.
Roles and Responsibilities
1. Project-Based Learning Programme (Grades 6 to 8), Statewide
- Support the implementation of PBL workstream goals, including printed TLM and handbooks, training, mentoring, reviews, and recognition systems, in partnership with SCERT, BEPC, and Samagra Shiksha.
- Support the training cascade (SCERT and State Resource Group to District Resource Group to school) and the use of the Grade 6-8 Classroom Observation Tool (COT), with focus on the Check for Understanding domain, to strengthen classroom practice.
- Serve as the primary point of contact for 5 to 7 districts, supporting District leadership (DIETs, DEOs, DPOs) in planning, delivery, and review of the PBL programme.
2. Academic Mentoring: Margdarshak Cadre (Grades 1 to 8)
- Support DPE, SCERT, and DIETs to operationalise the Margdarshak cadre, including mentor selection, orientation and practice, monthly review, and the three-tier SCERT/SRG to DRG to complex and panchayat structure.
- Anchor stage-wise academic focus within the mentoring model, FLN and NIPUN for Grades 1 to 5 and PBL for Grades 6 to 8, aligned to the National Mission for Mentoring and PARAKH.
- Coordinate with other CSO/partners (PRATHAM, Central Square Foundation, and KPMG) and DIETs to align mentor capacity building and continuous professional development.
3. Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning
- Establish and enable monthly review structures at state and district levels, using the Vidya Samiksha Kendra (VSK) and programme dashboards to facilitate data-driven decision-making.
- Conduct regular field visits with state and district officials to review the quality of implementation, gather evidence of impact, and identify improvement areas, drawing on COT and Micro-Improvement Project data.
- Support SCERT and DIETs in conducting annual endline student assessment surveys, and frame progress against the Bihar SQAAF (Domains 2 and 3) and PARAKH benchmarks.
4. Stakeholder Engagement and Partnership
- Build and maintain strong relationships with key state and district officials, including HODs at SCERT, the Director and Joint Director of Primary Education (DPE), the BEPC State Project Director and State Program Officers, District Magistrates, DEOs, and DIET Principals.
- Represent the programme in key state-level review meetings and consultations, and support coordination across government and civil society partners.
5. Documentation, Knowledge Management and Communication
- Draft concept notes, proposals, presentations, and other communication materials for internal and external stakeholders.
- Maintain clear records of programme activities, decisions, and learnings.
6. Team Coordination and Operational Support
- Support the Senior Program Lead and Program Manager in planning, strategy, and coordination across workstreams.
- Coordinate logistics for meetings, events, and field activities.
Experience & Competencies Required
- Must have a master’s degree with 2–6 years of experience in leading educational design projects, preferably with SCERT and DIETs.
- Familiarity with Project-Based Learning (PBL) and academic mentoring or teacher professional development structures is an advantage.
- Prior experience in the education or consulting sector is preferred.
- Must have an understanding of Bihar’s education system and key policies/frameworks such as NEP 2020, NCF-SE 2023, PARAKH, and Mission NIPUN Bihar.
- Must have functional knowledge of G-Suite tools, Canva, DIKSHA, data dashboards, and basic AI-based tools.
- Must have excellent written and verbal communication skills in both Hindi and English.
- Must have the ability to negotiate and work effectively with government stakeholders.
- Must be willing and able to travel within and outside the assigned districts as required.
Why Mantra
- A trust-based work environment that encourages independent thinking, questioning, and building solutions
- An open and collaborative culture where teams are accessible and diverse perspectives are valued
- 24 paid leave and 12 calendar holidays
- Health insurance coverage of up to ₹5 LPA for the employee and their dependents
- One menstrual leave each month for women employees
- ₹5,000 L&D fund to pursue job-related learning opportunities
Remuneration: An annual CTC of INR 8 LPA onwards, depending on the candidate’s last drawn salary, experience, and overall suitability for the role.
Location: Bihar, Patna (must travel to the field when needed).
Selection Process: Shortlisted candidates will be given a pre-work assignment. Candidates who clear the pre-work will be invited to an in-person Assessment Centre in Patna, which will include a quick assignment round, a technical interview round, and a culture interview round. Please note that candidates will be responsible for arranging and covering their own travel and accommodation expenses. The organisation will provide meals during the Assessment Centre."
Learn more about Mantra on our website, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram.
