Officer, Quality Reading Material

Position Overview:
Program Officer, QRM position will be based at New Delhi, Country Office and report directly to the Program Coordinator, QRM. This position will involve frequent travel to field offices (Jharkhand, SDMC Delhi and Bihar), as well as regular interaction with education officials, partners, school administrators, teachers and students.

Roles & Responsibilities:
Program Understanding:
- Have an excellent understanding of IPEL Project & Literacy Program design and the ability to present the program in various forums.- Good awareness of literacy programs, their design and strategies operating in project region.- Build In-depth understanding on children’s literature in literacy space.- Aware of all national and state level policies related to Foundational Literacy.- In-depth understanding of project approach and goals.

Technical, financial, and reporting:
- Read and update oneself regarding the current national/international research in the field.- Update oneself regarding the changing trends and any new national/state level policies etc, as announced by the government. Engage in discussions with the state teams regarding future opportunities.- Update oneself regarding new programs/interventions of the like-minded organizations in states. Engage in discussions internally to explore opportunities for partnership, if any, including in states where RtR may not currently have presence.- Develop a thorough understanding of IPEL Project and RtR’s Literacy program design- Build understanding on children’s literature and its importance- Network and engage with state governments and government bodies for advocacy and system integration opportunities around various aspects Children Literature (CL)- Understand the gaps and need of the states around Children Literature (CL) to increase focus on books and help build an ecosystem around CL to impact the demand and supply of books- Identify need at state level, plan, organize, facilitate capacity building workshops around various aspects of CL- Engage with all stakeholders in the field of children’s literature, including the government, for advocacy on policies that impact availability of good quality children literature- As part of the QRM team, define criteria for engaging, relevant, and culturally appropriate reading material for primary school grades to create ideal book list.- Contribute to books Gap Analysis, at state level, for determining the kind of reading materials available in the market (for purchase) or in schools and therefore identify the gap with respect to the ideal book list.- Complete regular reporting documents related to engagement, events, workshops and projects- Regularly communicate with Operations/ Administration/ Finance/ HR teams at the CO and State levels to ensure smooth implementation of program activities- Coordinate with other departments as and when needed on projects and/or any other requirement of the department- Experience of having worked directly with teachers and children will be an added advantage- Strong oral and written communication skills- Interact regularly with state level government officials to explore opportunities for system integration.- Keep track of progress towards the agreed outcomes.- Communicate with Global Office and other project stakeholders including external stakeholders as needed.- Contribute in preparation of various reports, budget reviews, forecasts and documentation of good practices.- Participate actively on social media in all RtR campaigns- Undertake any other work assigned from time to time to meet the technical needs of the organization

Qualification:
Required:
- Masters / Graduate Degree in education / social sciences or equivalent- Minimum 5 years of relevant experience- Prior experience of working in the area of Early Grade Literacy/Reading and School Libraries / book publishing.- Experience on Children’s Literature.- Experience of developing teaching learning materials (TLM) and other instruction materials.- In-depth understanding of the role of supplementary materials on reading skills and habits of children.

Preferred:
- Awareness about language and reading practices and approaches- Master’s in education / social sciences or equivalent preferred- Experience of having worked directly with teachers and children will be an added advantage- Strong oral and written communication skills in English and Hindi

Location(s)

India - Main - New Delhi

To be successful at Room to Read, you will also:

- Have passion for our mission and a strong desire to impact a dynamic nonprofit organization
- Be a proactive and innovative thinker who achieves results and creates positive change
- Have a very high level of personal and professional integrity and trustworthiness
- Embrace diversity and a commitment to collaboration
- Thrive in a fast-paced and fun environment

Room to Read is proud to be an equal opportunity employer committed to identifying and developing the skills and leaders