POSITION SUMMARY

The School Finance Access Lead will lead the identification and mobilization of first-time borrowing low-fee private schools in India, as well as the delivery of school finance access workshops. The goal is to support these schools in accessing loans from partner financial institutions. This role will play a key part in designing and implementing strategies to reach schools currently excluded from formal financial services, while also identifying and cultivating partnerships to help scale the program.

RESPONSIBILITIES include the following. Other duties may be assigned.

Regional Strategy and Goal Development

• Collaborate with the in-country Senior Technical Assistance Advisor to design and implement a strategy for scaling the School Leadership Academy.
• Identify target regions, potential partnerships, and delivery mechanisms to expand the Academy’s reach and impact.
• Undertake research to inform program strategy and increase the value provided to school stakeholders.

Workshop Delivery

• Lead the end-to-end event management of School Leadership Academy workshops.
• Design and deliver sessions aimed at building the capacity of low-fee private schools to borrow and increasing awareness of EduFinance products offered by partner financial institutions.

Partnership Management

• Build and maintain relationships with private school associations and school aggregators to mobilize schools for Academy participation.
• Identify and nurture partnerships that enable the program to scale effectively.
• Explore, vet and develop partnerships with key stakeholders working with schools such as edtech, infrastructure, technology providers to identify opportunities for collaboration or cost-sharing. 

Research, Data Management, and Analysis

• Capture, manage, and analyze participant data to understand the profile of school leaders, demand for finance and challenges faced in accessing finance .
• Responsible for monitoring and evaluating post-training outcomes, including follow-up surveys to assess impact on loan uptake. 
• Analyze internal data to assess the effectiveness of the delivery model and and use insights to refine Academy content and inform ongoing strategy. 

Field Support

• Conduct school visits as needed to understand individual school needs and challenges.
• Provide hands-on support for schools to meet the requirements necessary to access loans and improve their readiness to borrow, including guidance during the loan application process.

Coordination with Partner Financial Institutions

• Engage with financial institutions to understand loan eligibility criteria and address any barriers to school financing.
• Build strong working relationships with financial institution partners to encourage commitment to supporting schools with their financing needs. 

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY      

• None

QUALIFICATIONS

Please note that we encourage candidates to apply even if they don’t’ fulfil all criterions. 

• Undergraduate or Postgraduate Degree in social sciences, education, international development, finance, international studies or equivalent disciplines (or work experience).
• Demonstrable experience in project coordination, stakeholder engagement and  managing projects within strict budgets and timelines (minimum 5 years).
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel with a strong attention to detail and ability to present findings or translate data into a coherent visual representation.
• ·Strong work ethic and results-driven attitude.
• Experience working in a fast-paced environment, across multiple time zones, languages, and cultures with a focus on collaboration and teamwork.
• Demonstrated curiosity and willingness to quickly learn about affordable school financing and other new areas relevant to this role.
• Proven ability to design and deliver effective training to adult learners, including creating interactive sessions, adapting to varied learning styles, and providing actionable tools and strategies. 
• Prior experience with or deep understanding of low-fee private schools including their operations, financial management and access to finance challenges.
• Experience with financial inclusion or desire to learn about the mechanics of financial inclusion in the school financing space is strongly desired. 
• Passionate about Opportunity’s mission. Able to promote and communicate the organization’s goals and objectives to external and internal stakeholders

LANGUAGE SKILLS

• Written and verbal fluency in English. Must be able to attend & fully participate in meetings conducted in English.
• Written and verbal fluency in Hindi and the ability to deliver trainings in Hindi. 
• Gradually, the role will expand into non-Hindi speaking regions of India which will require fluency in other languages so additional knowledge of those would be a plus. 

TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS

• Must be able to travel regionally up to 50%, depending on partner locations and school finance workshop sites.

ABOUT OPPORTUNITY INTERNATIONAL

Opportunity International is a global non-profit that has been empowering people to work their way out of poverty since 1971. Opportunity provides 18.7 million people with innovative financial resources, training, and support to grow their small businesses and send their children to school. In 2023, Opportunity International and its partners served 20 million clients, helped fund 7,000 schools that reached 1.9 million children, and they released more than $1.85 billion in capital across 31 countries. We respond to Jesus Christ's call to love and serve people living in poverty. We seek to emulate the Good Samaritan, whose compassion crossed ethnic groups and religions. We serve all people regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, or gender. Discover more at opportunity.org or join the conversation on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

CHILD PROTECTION COMMITMENT

Opportunity believes that all children have a right to protection from any form of abuse regardless of gender, culture, ethnicity, age, religion, sexual orientation, or ability. Opportunity operates in line with international best practices for child protection and recognizes its responsibility to ensure that all employees. This policy applies to anyone acting on behalf of Opportunity or is involved in its programs in any capacity. All employees are subject to background checks, which include criminal checks and sex offender list checks, as allowed by local law.