JOB DESCRIPTION 

Position title: Associate, Literacy Field

Department: Literacy Program

Location: Pune, Maharashtra

Organization Profile:

Room to Read is a global organization transforming the lives of millions of children in low-income communities by focusing on literacy and gender equality in education. Founded in 2000 on the belief that World Change Starts with Educated Children®, our innovative model focuses on deep, systemic transformation within schools during two time periods that are most critical in a child’s schooling: early primary school for literacy acquisition and secondary school for girls’ education. We work in collaboration with local communities, partner organizations, and governments to develop literacy skills and a habit of reading among primary school children and ensure girls can complete secondary school with the skills necessary to negotiate key life decisions. 

By focusing on the quality of education provided within the communities and ensuring these outcomes are measured, we have created a model that can be replicated, localized, and sustained by governments. With its global headquarters in San Francisco, Room to Read till date has benefited 32 million children across 21 low-income countries. 

Room to Read India was established in 2003 and presently has programs in eleven states – Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Delhi NCR, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Telangana, Uttarakhand, and Uttar Pradesh. 

Position Overview:

The Program Associate, Literacy Field leads the planning and execution for all work related to implementing Room to Read’s Literacy program at the district & field level and provides strategic, technical and management support. S/he will oversee the quality of implementation, coordination, development and reporting of the support interventions for FLN-NIPUN Bharat Mission in the allocated districts of Maharashtra state. S/he would identify quality issues related to program design and management and discuss them with the supervisor and provide solutions at the field level. S/he

would lead the teacher training and capacity building of government officials in assigned district of NIPUN Maharashtra. The PA will report to the Program Officer. This position will involve frequent travel to field locations as well as regular interaction with education officials, school administrators,

teachers and students. S/he would serve as the main point of contact for the school and local government officials and coordinate the work of other RtR staff in his/her jurisdiction.

Roles & Responsibilities:  

• Develop a thorough understanding of Room to Read’s Literacy program design & FLN-NIPUN Bharat Mission.
• Lead the FLN roll out program independently of assigned project area and ensure the program outcome in consultation with Reporting manager.
• Ensure the district & block level official engagement in FLN-NIPUN Maharashtra program, Encourage, and facilitate field visit and create favorable environment for program implementation.
• Manage the ongoing implementation of the Literacy program for FLN Roll out under his/her jurisdiction, ensure timely, efficient, and well-coordinated implementation, adhere to the program and budget guidelines.
• Manage relationships with government counterparts and respond to issues that may arise in these relationships.   
• Ensure that all training and capacity building activities are held as per plan and program guidelines, including the receipt of necessary approvals.
• Ensure effective utilization of program budget through proper planning and tracking of planned activities. Ensure that financial and procurement norms are adhered to, and efforts are made to reduce cost to the extent possible, without compromising on the quality. 
• Prepare cash advance, settlement, and reimbursement for program activities.
• Supervise and ensure all data entry and compilation   on monthly, quarterly, and yearly basis, including GSD data. Maintain high level of data quality.
• Assist the Literacy Program Operations Officer in preparing programmatic and financial reports.
• Track progress of implementation and expenditures through regular review meetings and field visits; flag off deviations and delays at the earliest; ensure proper documentation of the meeting including follow-up actions.  
• Liaison with district education departments to explore opportunities to Scale-up.
• Read and update oneself regarding the current national/international research in the field.  
• Provide technical oversight to DIET/ district level officials and support them in their coaching and communication with government teachers and schools.
• Attend review meetings at the district and state/national level and participate in key government level meetings, trainings, and development workshops.   
• Assist PO in preparing regular (monthly, quarterly, and yearly basis) qualitative reports and documenting case studies and best practices.   
• Assist PO in literacy program AWP&B, IC and development of program tracking system for timely and quality implementation of activities.    
• Make regular visits to program locations alone and with key government officials from block/district/state level.
• Act as the resource person with respect to training and capacity building. Assist in planning for all training at the district/state level. 
• Participated in training of trainers (TOT), central and monthly review meetings, provide reflective feedback on program implementation and design issues. 
• Ensure proper implementation of community engagement plans.
• Participate actively on social media in all RtR campaigns.
• Participate in any other activities which may be required to be undertaken to fulfill the objectives of the organization. 

Qualifications:

Required: 

• Bachelor’s Degree in education / social sciences or equivalent. 
• Master’s degree in education / social sciences or equivalent preferred.
• Minimum 3 years of relevant experience in the education sector.
• Strong written and oral communication skills in state language.
• Critical thinking and analytical skills.
• Good interpersonal skills and a team player.
• Proven track record of achieving results.
• Proven ability to work effectively with schools and communities.
• Ability to travel regularly to project sites in remote locations.  

Preferred: 

• Prior success working closely and building relationships with diverse groups of people. 
• Prior experience of working in a non-profit organization that is focused on maintaining high quality work and low overhead.
• Prior experience in a fast-paced, growth-oriented global or regional organization.
• Ability to juggle multiple priorities simultaneously and take initiative.
• Prior experience living and/or working in rural areas.
• Prior experience working with schools, teachers, administrators and government officials.
• Experience in successful implementation of a wide range of tasks as well as developing and implementing improvements in a prior position. 

To be successful as a member of the Room to Read team, you will also:

• Have passion for our mission and a strong desire to impact a dynamic non-profit organization.
• Be an innovative and creative thinker that tries new things and inspires others to do so.
• Have a very high level of personal and professional integrity and trustworthiness.
• Have a strong work ethic and require minimal direction.
• Work well independently as well as part of a team.
• Thrive in a fast-paced and fun environment. 

Compensation: 

Room to Read offers a competitive salary with excellent benefits. Benefits include thirteenth month bonus, health insurance and a retirement plan. The non-monetary compensation includes a unique opportunity to be part of an innovative, meaningful, and rapidly growing organization that is changing transforming the lives of millions of children in developing countries on literacy and gender equality in education.

Room to Read is a child-safe organization; all personnel are expected to adhere to Room to Read’s Child Protection Policy and Child Protection Code of Conduct. 

Application Procedure: 

Kindly CLICK HERE to apply.

Due to the high volume of applicant response, not all applicants may receive a response from Room to Read. Room to Read is an equal opportunity employer committed to identifying and developing the skills and leadership of people from diverse backgrounds. We always encourage women to apply.