Project Head, Education – Kotak Education Foundation

Job
India
October 15, 2025
Full Time

Job Overview

Job Description

Intervention

School Education

Reporting To

Director-Education

Position

Project Head – Education

Reportees

Senior Manager/Manager

Level

Project Head

About Kotak Education Foundation

It has been a rewarding sixteen years since we embarked on our mission to equip economically disadvantaged children and youth with education and foundational skills, galvanising them towards a better future. Our ‘Inch Wide Mile Deep’ approach, home-grown projects focussed on quality education for the low-income segment have been instrumental in shaping the success of our projects across India. KEF’s approach is primarily three-pronged–

  1. holistic interventions with children and educators in school,
  2. equitable scholarships for higher studies, and
  3. vocational education and skills training for livelihood.

Strengthening school leadership and teacher capacity building, creating a digital ecosystem and learning environment in schools, equipping middle school students with confidence and skills of communicative English, upskilling teachers to provide Foundational Literacy & Numeracy skills, and supporting districts in building and running Model Schools – these are key interventions run by KEF. KEF launched the Kotak Kanya Scholarship in 2021 to offer financial and academic support to meritorious girl students in pursuit of higher education from all over India. Kotak Junior Scholarship supports meritorious students from the Mumbai Metropolitan Region in pursuing 11th and 12th standards. KEF’s Vocational Education & Livelihood Project upskills unemployed youth from economically weaker sections of society and coaches them in domain know-how, the basics of IT and spoken English, life skills and personality development. It ensures placements for all eligible participants so they can stride with confidence into any professional sphere.

KEF is now at the cusp of change as it prepares for the next chapter in its journey toward empowering the youth with quality education and livelihood. Armed with its vast experience and expertise, the organisation now aims to scale its depth as well as the breadth of its reach. KEF’s philosophy is evolving from ‘school as a unit’ to working toward district/state-level education transformation. As KEF expands its ambit, it will help drive systemic reform and state education transformation to create long-term Impact at Scale.

Kotak Education Foundation is the primary implementing agency for the CSR initiatives of Kotak Mahindra Group in Education. Kotak Karma is the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) identity of Kotak Mahindra Group Companies.

Roles & Responsibilities:

Role Overview:The Project Head, will design the strategy for all KEF education based projects. S/He will ensure alignment of approaches across project activities and coordinate with the other project heads, senior leadership and project partners, in order to enhance the teaching learning process & outcomes of the teachers and students of partner schools. S/He will be accountable for building a sustainable Project and learning ecosystem in the schools to make them future ready. S/He will be responsible for launching innovative solutions to enable and strengthen technology integration in urban vernacular medium schools amongst school leaders, teachers and students.Strategy and Program LeadershipConceptualize, design, and oversee large-scale initiatives in K–12 education, teacher capacity building, and digital 2 learning. Develop and implement KEF’s Education and EdTech strategy in alignment with the organization’s mission and long-term goals. Ensure the effective execution of programs to achieve intended outcomes while continuously innovating for excellence. Drive ongoing improvements in project effectiveness, efficiency, and impact. Deeply understand the school ecosystem and the needs of multiple stakeholders — head teachers, teachers, students, and parents. Enhance student learning outcomes through the Kotak Kshamata (Capacity Building) Initiative, including the design and implementation of relevant workshops and training programs. Identify and integrate best practices to digitize the ideal learning journey for partner schools. Recommend and implement digital and technology-based solutions to expand access to quality education.Planning, Monitoring and CommunicationDevelop Annual Learning and growth Plans for leaders, Teachers, students and schools. Identify opportunities to integrate AI and digital technologies for improving learning delivery, teacher support, and student outcomes.Lead research and innovation efforts in AI in education, including adaptive learning, personalized content, and learning analytics. Ensure the design of AI-powered tools or data systems for monitoring student progress and improving learning interventions. Supervise pilot initiatives and guide the transition from pilot to scale with clear outcome frameworks. Work Closely with MIS and M & E Team for regular data point updates and keep refreshing plans as per requirement. Prepare comprehensive monthly, quarterly, and annual reports on progress, performance, and outcomes with high- quality presentations and dashboards for internal and external stakeholders.Regularly communicate about project progress to stakeholders within and outside the organization.Ensure program quality through robust assessment, design, development, and execution frameworks.Data Capturing and standard Operating ProcessesDevelop SOP for the ProjectWork closely with School Coordination Team and ensure smooth on boarding of new partner schools’ year on year to get
the program started effectively in schools and continuous smooth functioning.External CollaborationsIdentify, engage, and collaborate with external agencies — including EdTech partners, educational institutions, NGOs, foundations, and corporates — to strengthen project impact and reach.Build and maintain strategic partnerships that support innovation, scalability, and sustainability.Financial Management Develop, manage, and monitor project budgets to ensure effective fund utilization and cost efficiency.Oversee implementation of all activities within approved budgets, ensuring compliance with organizational and donor financial guidelines.Maintain transparency and accountability in all financial operations related to the program.Team Development and SupervisionLead, mentor, and guide the education team to achieve organizational goals and project milestones within defined timelines.Foster an inclusive, collaborative, and high-performance culture within the team.Provide ongoing mentorship and support for team members’ professional development and career progression.Encourage innovation, ownership, and continuous learning across the education function.
 

Candidates Specifications:

Educational Qualification: 

  • Master’s in Education/Development/MBA with specialization in CSR, sustainable development/ Education Technology
  • Prefers 20+ years of experience in Educational initiatives / Training

Years of Experience: 

  • Minimum 10 years of experience in designing, implementing, and leading school education projects, including at least 5 years in training and capacity-building roles within the education sector.
  • Proven expertise in leadership development, teacher training, school learning management systems (LMS), and digital learning solutions.
  • Experience in managing and delivering CSR-funded education projects with measurable impact.

Core Competencies:

  • Strategic Visioning: Ability to conceptualize and execute technology-led education initiatives at scale.
  • EdTech & AI Expertise: Understanding of emerging AI applications in education, digital content, and learning management systems.
  • Program Management: Proficiency in planning, budgeting, and performance tracking for complex
    education projects.
  • Collaboration & Partnership: Ability to engage with government, corporate, and civil society
    partners effectively.
  • Innovation & Impact Orientation: Passion for leveraging technology to enhance learning equity
    and quality.

Age: 45+

Technical skills: 

  • Excellent interpersonal skills, and ability to build effective relationships with different stakeholders
  • Excellent command over quantitative and qualitative data analysis, report writing, presentation
  • Project planning, designing and implementation
  • Time management
  • People management

Other skills:

  • Learning Orientation: Continuously seeks new knowledge and skills
  • Familiarity with using computer and web-based Kotak Kshamata applications
  • Organized, team player, self-starter and results-oriented individual
  • Problem solving
  • Strong creative instincts to develop new approaches and solutions
  • Implement futuristic projects aligned with NEP
  • Ability to envision blue ocean projects and run pilots to ascertain success of the same.

Attributes:

  • Analytical: breaks down problems and applies a systematic approach
  • Organized: demonstrates concern for accuracy and detail
  • Self-motivated: displays interest and persistence in doing the tasks at hand
  • Integrity: achieves a high level of trust in relationships

Job Specifications:

Nature of Job: Permanent 

Location: Head Office, Mumbai

Hours of Work: 6 days, 8 hours; 2 Saturdays off every month in addition to the regular weekly off on Sundays

Working Conditions: The job can involve working conditions that include 8 hour shifts between 8 am to 7 pm. There are two week offs in a month apart from casual and privilege leaves. This job will also involve working in challenging community areas with infrastructural and other disadvantages.

Benefits:

  • Privilege Leaves (PL) and Casual & Sick Leave (CSL)
  • Coverage under Health Medical Insurance for self & family from date of joining
  • Life Cover from date of joining

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