Job Description

Overview:
The Education Practice team at Oxford Policy Management (OPM) is seeking a Senior Education Specialist on a fixed-term basis, contingent on the successful outcome of a bid for an upcoming project.
The position would be located in Bengaluru.
We are an international development consultancy working to improve lives through sustainable policy change in low- and middle-income countries. Our vision is for fair public policy that benefits both people and the planet.
Through our global network of offices, we work in partnership with national stakeholders and decision makers to research, design, implement, and evaluate impactful public policy. We draw on our local and international sector experts to provide the very best evidence-based support. We deliver projects with expert knowledge and experience and can be relied upon for excellence in all aspects of project delivery. We work collaboratively, with ambition, to help deliver impactful public policy that will bring about lasting change.
The Education Practice works to strengthen public education systems around the world, delivering sector assessments, program design, implementation support, and evaluations. Our work has supported major education reforms, enhanced teacher development programs, improved learning outcomes, and helped governments to navigate challenges such as COVID-19 recovery, inclusion, and education technology integration. Position Summary:
The role will lead critical work to strengthen public education systems, including conducting sector assessments, supporting program design, and working closely with government stakeholders to deliver systemic reforms.
As a senior professional in the Education Practice at OPM, you would:
Strategic Leadership and Project Management
Set up and guide the technical team, providing overall direction on strategy development, sector assessment, and project planning
Take overall responsibility for completing key program design documents within tight timeframes while maintaining technical quality and relevance
Coordinate closely with internal teams and external stakeholders, including senior government officials and development partners
Lead regular status updates, reviews, and discussions with government counterparts and donor agencies
Technical Delivery
Undertake a comprehensive assessment of the school education sector, covering demographics, enrolment trends, learning outcomes, infrastructure, education technology, teacher development, vocational education, and education financing
Analyze the impact of government initiatives, including inclusion programs, NEP 2020 implementation, and COVID-19 recovery measures
Support the preparation of a five-year education sector plan, including the roadmap for scaling integrated public schools
Design a program results framework, disbursement-linked indicators (DLIs), and key elements for results-based financing operations
Stakeholder Engagement and Coordination
Facilitate consultations with state departments, education institutions, NGOs, CSOs, and development partners
Coordinate field visits to various school types to inform diagnostics and design
Support the design of institutional mechanisms, such as program management units (PMUs) and fund flow mechanisms
Provide inputs across critical documents including monitoring and evaluation frameworks, fiduciary assessments, risk mitigation plans, and social analysis reports Key Qualifications / Experience / Skills / Behaviours:

• Masters degree in Economics, Public Policy, Education, Statistics, MBA/PGDM, or a related field from a reputed institution
• Minimum of 15 years experience leading large-scale education, skills, or social sector projects in India
• Demonstrated experience in sector diagnostics, program design, and systems reform in the education sector
• Proven track record of coordinating multi-stakeholder teams and managing complex, multi-component assignments
• Strong understanding of school education systems xe2x80x94 including pedagogy, learning outcomes, teacher development, education technology, governance, and financing
• Experience engaging with state and national governments and familiarity with government education programs (e.g., Samagra Shiksha, NEP 2020)
• Past experience working with multilateral organizations (ADB, World Bank, etc.) and familiarity with Results-Based Lending (RBL) processes is highly desirable
• Excellent skills in strategy development, stakeholder management, communication, and team leadership
• Ability to produce high-quality deliverables under tight deadlines and adapt flexibly to evolving client needs
• Fluency in English (spoken and written); knowledge of Kannada would be an advantage but is not mandatory

Our Offer:
Whether you join us in a corporate position, as a project delivery colleague, or as an independent contractor driving programme management - at OPM you will find a company that places equal value on excellence and integrity. As a leading international development consulting firm, we strive to enable and empower everyone who works with us to do their best work in an environment that welcomes ambition, creativity and passion for positive change.
Our commitment to diversity and inclusion
We strongly believe in a fairer distribution of power between all stakeholders, and we commit to reflecting this in our organisational structures and in the design and delivery of our projects. We proactively work to evolve ourselves and our stakeholders to shape inclusive and fair programming, implementation, and policies. Our recruitment and procurement processes reflect our ambition to make the international development sector more diverse and inclusive. Application:
If you share our vision for fair public policy that benefits both people and planet, we would love to hear from you. Please submit your application through our careers site. We review and interview applicants on a rolling basis and encourage you to apply by way of CV via our careers site at the earliest.