Policy Director

Job Title: Director - Policy and Government Partnership for the Early Learning Collaborative (ELC)

About The Convergence Foundation and TCF Network:

The Convergence Foundation (TCF) is an Indian philanthropic foundation dedicated to catalysing rapid and sustained economic growth to enhance the lives of all Indians. Established by Ashish and Manisha Dhawan in April 2021, TCF builds on their legacy of impactful philanthropy, including the founding of transformative institutions like Ashoka University and the Central Square Foundation.

Our mission is clear: to transform the lives of all Indians through rapid, sustained, and inclusive economic growth. To achieve this, we focus on seven key program areas that influence job creation, human capital development through education and skilling, and strengthening state capacity to deliver outcomes.

In each area, TCF works on:

• Building pioneering institutions to address India's most complex socio-economic challenges.
• Shaping the larger ecosystem and sharing knowledge, insights and learning with other philanthropists, governments and key stakeholders

We believe that the government is the key actor for system change, and the role of philanthropy is to strategically support the government.

The TCF Network includes 20 organisations, each committed to addressing specific areas of India's socio-economic development, from school education and governance to women's economic empowerment and export competitiveness.

About the Early Learning Collaborative (ELC)

Over the past decade, foundational literacy and numeracy (FLN) has become a national priority in India. Alongside leading education NGOs, researchers, and government champions, The Convergence Foundation (TCF) has played a catalytic role—shifting the focus from inputs to learning outcomes, expanding access to early learning, contributing to NEP 2020, and supporting large-scale implementation through ASER-based measurement. India is now witnessing strong momentum in foundational learning, demonstrated by a fourfold improvement in Grade 3 reading levels in Uttar Pradesh—from 7% in 2016 to 28% today—alongside high-level political recognition and strong political and financial commitment, including ₹13,000 crore in Ministry of Education funding through the NIPUN Bharat mission.

Yet 56% of late-primary children still face learning poverty. Progress remains fragile—and to sustain it beyond 2027, the sector must double down on aligned efforts across government, NGOs, funders, and—critically—political leaders. To sustain and accelerate impact, TCF is launching the Early Learning Collaborative (ELC)—a hub to strengthen technical capacity, funding, and political alignment—with the ambitious goal of halving learning poverty in India by 2032. This is a once-in-a-decade opportunity to lock in gains and build a resilient FLN architecture—by doubling down on technical capacity, funding, and political will.

Position Summary

Building on the momentum of NIPUN Bharat and a decade of foundational learning reforms, ELC aims to deepen technical, financial, and political support across India’s FLN (Foundational Literacy and Numeracy) ecosystem to halve India’s learning poverty by 2032.

To lock in and sustain high-level political commitment to FLN, ELC is launching a strategic policy push—including the development and rollout of NIPUN 2.0, securing national-level buy-in, and facilitating the launch of FLN-focused missions in 3–5 states with leadership buy-in.

We are seeking a seasoned Senior Policy professional (Associate Director/Director) to lead ELC’s policy strategy and implementation. This individual will drive ELC’s efforts to support the SSOs and engage with national and state governments, align with government priorities, and position FLN as a central development agenda. The role involves developing strong relationships with key decision-makers, raising awareness of ELC and its partner SSOs’ work, and ensuring high-quality, credible policy inputs are delivered to inform reform.

The Associate Director/Director will work closely with SSOs, internal teams, and sectoral experts to identify and drive reform initiatives focused on sustaining political will and translating commitment into long-term, system-wide impact for foundational learning in India.

Key responsibilities include:

• Sustain Leadership Buy-in at the Highest Levels: Develop and implement strategies to secure long-term commitment to foundational learning—positioning FLN as a national development priority across administrations.
• Policy Development: Support the articulation and communication of next-gen FLN goals, frameworks, and pathways, ensuring alignment with NEP 2020 and national/state development priorities.
• Strategic Communications: Craft compelling policy briefs, talking points, and presentations for use by senior leaders to advocate for FLN at the highest levels. Lead the design and rollout of a unifying national campaign on foundational learning—akin to Beti Bachao Beti Padhao and Swachh Bharat Abhiyan—to mobilize political attention around learning outcomes as a key national priority.
• Collaboration with SSOs: Work closely with System Support Organisations (SSOs) to ensure policy initiatives are grounded in implementation realities, and to align political strategies with on-the-ground technical efforts across states.
• Political Strategy at the National and State Level: Design and execute a high-impact policy strategy to secure national-level endorsement for NIPUN 2.0, building on the success of NIPUN Bharat. Facilitate the conceptualization, buy-in, and launch of FLN-focused missions in 3–5 key states, in partnership with the leadership and state education departments.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Engage with senior political leaders, bureaucrats, think tanks, and sectoral experts to drive sustained commitment to FLN.

Ideal Candidate Profile

Experience

• A proven track record in government, policy, public affairs, or roles with strong government partnerships, with atleast 15-20 years of experience in public policy, government advisory, or political strategy—ideally in education or social sector reform
• Prior experience working with or within government (e.g., PMO, NITI Aayog, state CMO/CS offices, MoE)
• Demonstrated success in working closely with government bodies at the national and state levels, and a deep understanding of the policy-making process

Skills

• Proven ability to work with senior political and bureaucratic leadership and influence high-stakes policy decisions
• Demonstrated commitment to equity and learning outcomes in education
• Ability to master and effectively communicate complex reform ideas within education (FLN) and policy development
• Exceptional relationship-building skills, capable of establishing credibility and rapport with senior government officials, stakeholders, and influencers
• Strong communication and strategic thinking abilities, with a talent for identifying opportunities and "connecting the dots" to drive impactful outcomes
• Analytical acumen, with the ability to conduct deep dives into complex issues and synthesise actionable insights that inform strategic decisions

Attributes

• Passionate about TCF and ELC’s mission and driven to make a measurable impact on India's learning outcomes through policy reform and government engagement
• Proactive in outreach and relationship management, with a deep understanding of the policy landscape and the dynamics of government partnerships
• A credible and trustworthy demeanour that fosters respect, confidence, and lasting relationships with diverse stakeholders

How to Apply: Please send an email to the following address: vishal@theconvergencefoundation.org or click on "APPLY HERE!" to submit your application.