Program Manager - Operations

About Rocket Learning

Rocket Learning is a high-growth ed-tech non-profit with the mission of catalyzing early childhood education and community engagement in India. We work with the central government (Ministry of Women & Child Development, NCERT, SPNIWCD, NITI Aayog) and 11 state governments to impact over 4.5 million children. Established by a passionate founding group (IIT, IIM, HBS, Rochester, MBB, start-up alumni) and backed by reputed funders, we are a team of diverse, passionate, energetic, and optimistic individuals with a shared ambition of transforming India’s education system.

Role Details

Role: Program Manager – Operations

Location: Shillong, Meghalaya (with travel across districts)

Experience: 1–3 years in the development sector

Role Overview

The Program Manager – Operations will work directly with the Program Lead and rest of the Meghalaya team to implement ECCE (Early Childhood Care and Education) initiatives across Meghalaya. The role will involve close engagement with key government departments including the Social Welfare Department, Directorate of Elementary Education (DEE), and the Meghalaya Early Childhood Education Mission, as well as community-level stakeholders in tribal regions.

Given Meghalaya’s unique socio-cultural landscape, spanning Khasi, Garo, and Jaintia communities the role will require a deep appreciation for indigenous community engagement, a working knowledge of local languages, and the ability to navigate tribal governance structures. The Program Manager will translate program strategies into actionable field plans, drive day-to-day coordination, monitor progress, and support field teams to deliver timely and high-quality execution of program activities.

Key Results

• Establishing and maintaining strong connections with district-level stakeholders across Meghalaya’s diverse regions
  

• Positioning Rocket Learning as a trusted partner on Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) with government and community bodies
  

• Achievement of key programmatic metrics and early identification of implementation challenges
  

• Regular sharing of relevant and actionable field insights including community feedback from Khasi, Garo, and Jaintia regions to inform program decisions
  

• Smooth and timely district-wide implementation of program activities
  

Key Responsibilities

1. Stakeholder Engagement

• Build and maintain relationships with state and district government officials, Autonomous District Councils, village councils (Dorbar Shnong in Khasi areas, nokma-led structures in Garo areas), and other community stakeholders
  

• Facilitate meetings, field visits, and program review discussions as required
  

• Share regular updates and monthly progress reports with relevant government departments
  

2. Program Implementation

• Support the execution of ECCE program initiatives across districts in alignment with implementation plans
  

• Coordinate with field teams to ensure smooth rollout of activities, trainings, and interventions, with sensitivity to local community calendars and traditions.
  

• Take full ownership of assigned projects/work-streams end-to-end, ensuring adherence to program timelines, processes, and implementation guidelines
  

3. Community & Field Team Support

• Work closely with Anganwadi Workers (AWWs), community mobilizers, and field teams to provide operational guidance and ensure effective program delivery
  

• Use language skills in Khasi/Garo/Jaintia to bridge communication between field staff, communities, and program teams
  

• Support capacity-building efforts for field teams, including orienting them on culturally appropriate engagement practices.
  

4. Cross-Functional Coordination

• Work with teams across functions (policy, content, M&E, tech) to implement programs in Meghalaya and launch new initiatives
  

• Facilitate smooth communication and information flow across teams to support effective program delivery.
  

• Support contextualization of program content and materials into local languages where required
  

5. Documentation & Reporting

• Prepare regular progress updates, implementation reports, and documentation of program activities
  

• Capture field insights, community feedback, lessons learned, and implementation challenges to inform program improvements.
  

• Document context-specific learnings from tribal and indigenous community engagement for internal knowledge building
  

Requirements

Language Requirements

Given the community-embedded nature of this role, proficiency in local languages is essential for effective field engagement and stakeholder communication:

• Proficiency in at least one of the following is required: Khasi, Garo, or Jaintia
  

• Proficiency in both Khasi and Garo is strongly preferred
  

• Working knowledge of English for official correspondence and reporting and coordination with other team members
  

Preferred Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Public Policy, Social Sciences, Education, Management, or a related field with 2–3 years of relevant experience in program implementation, operations, government programs, or development sector initiatives; or
  

• Master’s degree in the above fields with at least 2 years of relevant experience.
  

• Prior experience working with government systems in Meghalaya, or with tribal governance bodies (Khasi Hills Autonomous District Council, Garo Hills Autonomous District Council, Jaintia Hills Autonomous District Council), is strongly preferred.
  

• Experience working at the district or block level in Meghalaya’s hill districts will be an added
  

Critical Factors for Success

• Ability to communicate and build trust with government officials, community leaders, and field staff in Khasi, Garo, and/or Jaintia
  

• Ability to liaise with government systems and tribal governance structures on a regular basis
  

• Ability to take leadership in ambiguous situations, even when unsupervised, especially in remote areas
  

• Ability to interpret data and conduct basic data analysis in Excel, and comfort with technology
  

• Comfort with working on multiple different initiatives across geographically dispersed districts
  

• Seamless communication with managers and team members across language and cultural contexts
  

• Close alignment with Rocket Learning’s core values and principles
  

• Mission-driven, action-biased, problem-solver, enthusiastic and optimistic - committed to transformation.