Associate Director

About IPE Global

IPE Global Limited is an international development consulting group providing expert technical assistance and solutions for equitable development and sustainable growth in developing countries. The group’s areas of expertise include Education and Skills Development, Health, Nutrition and WASH, Urban and Infrastructure Development, , Private Sector Development, Climate Change and Sustainability, Social and Economic Empowerment, Governance, Grant and Fund Management, Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning, and Information Technology & e-Governance.

Established in 1998, IPE Global Limited (www.ipeglobal.com) is an ISO 9001:2015, ISO 27001:2022 and ISO 14001:2015 certified multidisciplinary consulting group

IPE Global has successfully implemented more than 1,000 projects in over 100 countries, across 5 continents

We have over 1100 full-time specialised team members with diversified experience and exposure to and over 1,000 empanelled sectoral experts- consultants working on various projects spread across the globe.

We partner with multilateral & bilateral agencies including Asian Development Bank, World Bank, EU, UNICEF, etc.; governments; private sector; and philanthropic organizations.

Headquartered in India with five international offices in the United Kingdom, Kenya, Ethiopia, Philippines, and Bangladesh

For more details, please visit www.ipeglobal.com;

Education and Skills Development

Equitable access to quality education and opportunities for skills acquisition is crucial for accelerated socio-economic development. It has an instrumental role to play in enhancing human capital and building capabilities to make informed choices. Central to this, strategic interventions become indispensable for realising goals of quality education to fall in lines with the larger commitments made to the SDGs to achieve integrated and inclusive development.

Backed by a team of in-house and external experts who bring together rich experience and a deep understanding of the relevant issues, we provide bespoke solutions to a variety of challenges in education and skills sector. We work in partnership with governments, multi-lateral and bilateral agencies, as well as national and international civil society organizations. We provide support to large-scale projects across diverse geographies in the form of Project Management Consultancy (PMC/PMU), Technical Support Agency (TSA), Review and research, Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning services (MEL), capacity building, and so on.

Position Summary

The Associate Director will play a strategic leadership role strengthening, guiding, and expanding the impact of Education and Skills Development vertical. S/he will be responsible for driving the growth strategy, leading large-scale multi-stakeholder engagements, fostering key partnerships, and delivering high-impact education sector programs. The incumbent shall also be responsible for leadership and guidance to the team on Technical and Financial proposals and project deliverables.

Key Performance Area:

• Business development for education/skills projects.
• Provide technical expertise across project teams and clients for education/skills to guide effective implementation.
• Technical Capability Building of Education Team at IPE.

Detailed major Functions & Responsibilities:

Business Development:

• Design and execute strategic business development plans for the department
• Guide teams and ensure quality in preparation of technical and financial proposals
• Identify new business opportunities in target geographical areas as well as across identified priority thematic areas (e.g. ECCE, higher education, school education, EdTech solutions, skill development, TVET, etc.)

Project Management:

• Provide strategic oversight and quality assurance for end-to-end project execution, ensuring alignment with client expectations, timelines, and budgets.
• Support project teams in planning, implementation, monitoring, and reporting, and ensuring adaptive management.
• Enhance program quality and utilize global and local best practices to deliver solutions as per client needs.

Innovative Approaches:

• Bring forward new ideas, unique methodologies, value-added changes to existing practices including but not limited to areas of: a) proposal preparation b) internal processes and management strategies c) client engagement and retention plans d) scaling up of opportunities.

Client Engagement:

• Serve as the primary point of contact for key clients including government ministries, donor agencies, and multilateral organizations, ensuring strategic alignment and assume accountability for achievement of set targets.
• Facilitate regular meetings, strategic dialogues, and field visits with clients to ensure transparency, responsiveness, and effective project delivery.

Partnership Development:

• Establish and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders, including,education/ skills sector firms, and government bodies.
• Develop and formalize strategic alliances and consortiums with national and international organisations for joint bidding, project implementation, and knowledge sharing.

Branding and Positioning:

• Publish in technical / trade journals, write papers on chosen technical expertise, or speak at industry events representing IPE
• Promote IPE through engagements at industry conferences/national and international retention of what forums and involvement in local business organizations

Team Leadership & Capacity Building:

• Mentor and lead a team of mid and junior-level professionals.
• Facilitate continuous capacity development and knowledge sharing within the Education vertical.
• Ensure that all work submitted as part of the proposal, research and development is technically sound.
• Promote a high-performance, inclusive, and collaborative team culture.
• Other tasks assigned by the reporting manager.

Qualifications

• MBA/ Master's degree in economics, international development, education, or a related field.
• 12+ years of experience in business development activities along with implementation of projects. Engagement on projects funded by multilateral/bilateral/international philanthropic agencies for Central/State government client is preferred.
• Working knowledge of Education sector and emerging solutions is critical. Working knowledge of skills/TVET sector will be an added advantage.

Essential skill set

• Strong understanding of relevant education/skills policies and programs.
• Strong understanding of sector best practices and business opportunities.
• Independently leading business development initiatives for the department in India and other priority countries.
• Capable of taking initiatives with minimum level of supervision.
• Excellent communication skills: able to clearly communicate complex information verbally and in writing; Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate effectively with diverse stakeholder groups including governments, donors, and teams.
• Open to working in multi-cultural environments and effectively managing large teams.