Outreach and Partnerships Lead- A School in Coimbatore- Urgent Joining

This role will be based out of Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu.

Objectives of this role:

This role has the following overarching objectives

i. Design a campaign for the initiative and manage the end-to-end process of outreach to selection of natively brilliant children from Coimbatore. This would include but not be limited to hands-on involvement in community mobilization, workshops, and student outreach events/activities in various rural areas;

ii. Optimize student and parent journey from application, testing and selection to development and mentoring of selected students; and

iii. Build strong partnerships with key stakeholders like parents, academic support providers etc. to strengthen student outcomes to ensure 100% student placement to top higher education institutions in India or globally.

Key roles and responsibilities:

1. Community Building and Student Outreach

• Actively seek out underprivileged communities, corporation/Government Schools, and organizations to identify talented students who demonstrate academic potential despite their socio-economic background.
• Liaison with Government Education Officers (e.g. District Education Officers), senior government officials, NGOs, and locally influential private individuals/entities who can help in this outreach; explore alternative partnerships in case of lack of effectiveness of above outreach methods.
• Design and organize campaigns, outreach programs, information sessions, and workshops aimed at informing potential applicants and their caregivers about the school and the project.

2. Student Selection and Management

• Design and manage the application process to ensure accessibility for underprivileged students, potentially including simplified or alternative application methods.
• Review applications and assess candidates based on academic achievements and extracurricular activities, income status of the household etc.
• Design and conduct the entrance process, interviews to evaluate candidates’ potential, ambition, and suitability for the scholarship program.
• Ensure robustness of selection processes to only shortlist students with the highest calibre and potential for strong future academic outcomes.
• Track the reaction/progress of the siblings of the selected students who are studying in other schools and their impact if any on the selected student.
• Serve as a key member of the admissions committee, providing insights and recommendations regarding underprivileged applicants.
• Contribute to the development of admissions policies and procedures to ensure equity and inclusivity in the selection process.
• After the selection of students, ensure continuous monitoring of student achievement, holistic development, mental and physical wellbeing, nutrition, and enabling services such as transportation provisioning from the school.

3. Parent Communication and Background Verification

• Design and conduct/organise background verifications of the selected students to rule out any discrepancy or fraud; ensure verification is process is robust and has detailed methodologies to account for various methods of income manipulation.
• Maintain clear and consistent communication with applicants throughout the application process, providing guidance and support as needed.
• Maintain clear communication with the parents of the selected students and develop a process for guiding them to support the growth of their children.
• Build strong partnerships with parents, guardians, and community stakeholders to garner support for students’ educational journeys.
• Organise and supervise all the requirements for the students and their parents through the selection like arrangement of transport to and from the centre of exam, etc. and after selection the regular commute to school. Also, the supply of books, stationery, uniform, all the requirements for studying.
• For the students who are not selected, provide pointed insights into the child’s development areas, and familiarise or introduce parents/caregivers to resources and materials that can enhance the academic outcomes of their children.

4. Other Administrative Responsibilities

• Collaborate with school administrators, teachers, and community leaders to share the narrative and identify prospective candidates and advocate for the project.
• Track and analyse recruitment and application data to evaluate the effectiveness of outreach efforts and the success of selecting candidates through the entrance and interviews.
• Prepare budgets and expenditure proposals for approval, monitor spends and ensure adherence to budgets, present monthly MIS as required.

5. Develop pathways to higher education

• Identify various pathways to higher education for natively brilliant children across all academic streams .i.e. humanities, commerce, sciences (e.g. engineering, medicine, law, design, aviation, fundamental research, management & commerce etc.).
• Identify and finalise partnerships with career counselling providers with demonstrated success with student higher education pathways.
• Create and keep up to date a long list of national and international competitive and/or standardized examinations/assessments these children could appear for and prioritise ones for which the school should provide additional academic support (e.g. CLAT, JEE, NEET, CUET, NIFTEE, SAT etc.).
• Network with and finalize partnerships with prominent competitive examination preparation providers within Coimbatore area.
• Network with higher education institutions (public and private) who could be potential higher education providers for selected natively brilliant children, and create awareness about the program, its success and overall student outcomes.
• Provide selected students information and guidelines about student aid options for higher education (e.g. scholarships, low-cost loans, work/study programs etc.).

Outcomes

Community Building & Student Outreach

• Establish wide-spread brand awareness of School amongst underprivileged communities in Coimbatore and gradually other parts of India.
• Create strong demand for admissions to the “Natively Brilliant Students” program amongst people from the relevant socio-economic bracket in Coimbatore

Student selection & management

• Ensure admission of students with the highest calibre and potential to achieve strong school and higher education outcomes.
• Ensure selected students achieve higher education placements

Parent Communication & BG Verification

• Ensure accurate representation of socio-economic position of students seeking admission.
• Create supportive environment for selected students to boost overall academic, learning, and social outcomes

Other Admin Responsibilities

• Ensure receipt of large application numbers from relevant communities in Coimbatore

Pathways to higher education

• Generate best-in-class higher education outcomes across various disciplines including medical, engineering, law, design, and other fields of student interest

Education Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in education, social sciences, social work, engineering or related fields.
• MBA from premier institute or Master’s degree or higher in management (marketing, sales, communications), social sciences, social work, education policy and administration etc. from top ranking Indian or global HEI.

Language requirements:

• Proficiency in speaking, reading, and writing in both English and Tamil is a key requirement for the role.

Experience:

• 8-10 years’ work experience, with at least 5 years’ experience in management/strategic operations in school or higher education institutions/ EdTech companies (e.g. student experience design, institutional partnerships etc.).
• Proven experience in student recruitment, admissions, or educational outreach, preferably in a diverse or underprivileged community. Familiarity with scholarship programs and financial aid processes.

Skills:

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to engage effectively on the ground with students, families, and community stakeholders.
• Ability to manage teams with diverse experiences and expertise and rally a shared vision.
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail in managing application processes and data.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team, demonstrating initiative and creativity in outreach efforts.
• Commitment to Equity: A passion for promoting educational equity and a deep understanding of the challenges faced by underprivileged students in accessing quality education.
• Cultural Competence: Sensitivity to cultural and socio-economic diversity, with the ability to build rapport and trust across different communities.
• Ethical Standards: Commitment to ethical standards and confidentiality in handling sensitive student information and application materials.

Compensation:

• Salary for this position is competitive and dependent on prior work experience/success in previous roles.