Senior Associate, Literacy Field

Room to Read

Madhya Pradesh, India

Position Overview:

The Sr. Program Associate will support the planning and execution for Center for Early Literacy and language (CELL) works related to providing technical support at SCERT, DIET , SSA level and other institutions. S/He will be responsible for implementing Room to Read’s Literacy technical support activities such as various workshops and coordinating studies for program quality and provides strategic, technical and management support. S/he would identify quality issues related to program design and management and discuss them with the supervisor keeping the country office in loop and provide solutions at the field level. The Sr. Program Coordinators will report to the Sr. Program Officer Technical Assistance (PO-TA) and will have dotted reporting to State Manager & the Instruction Design and Technical Support (IDTS) INCO.

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 district government officials and coordinate the work of other RtR staff in his/her jurisdiction.

This position would preferably be based at the project location (District/Block/Mandal/Cluster).

Duties & Responsibilities:

Program Understanding:

Have an excellent understanding of Room to Read’s Literacy program design and the ability to defend the program in various forums.
S/he has good awareness of literacy programs, their design and strategies operating in project region.
Oversee the quality of program implementation and adherence to program guidelines for the set of schools under his/her jurisdiction.

Technical assistance and advocacy:

Serve as a technical resource at the state/district level and participate proactively in technical assistance discussions. Attend government meetings, discussions and committees on literacy and use those forums to advocate for enabling policies and government orders in support of RtR literacy program. Represent Room to Read in different forums and advocate the importance of reading and need for libraries for children.
Regularly communicate and work with government counterparts to build awareness and understanding among them with respect to the Room to Read literacy program and its main features.
Participate in the state level discussions organized by government counterparts and advocate for RtR approach through developing good understanding of state curriculum, text books and various education projects/programs.
Provide technical assistance to schools in teaching-learning by using instructional materials designed and produced especially for teachers and make suggestions for improving quality and utilization of these materials.

Program coordination and monitoring:

Lead and complete CELL activities with DIETs and other district officials on timely manner.
Responsible for supporting the coordination with SCERT, SSA, Districts and DIET for the implementation of the Literacy program in the state.
Responsible for managing relationships with government counterparts and other stake holders in their jurisdiction and respond to issues that may arise in these relationships.
Working with other state team to coordinate advocacy part.
Analyze various data and information emanating from the field, develop programmatic co-relations and flag off issues for larger discussion. Undertake at least one action research project every year.
Lead and complete CELL activities with DIETs and other district officials on timely manner.

School visits:

Make regular visits to program schools along with CELL members, observe classroom transactions, library activities, speak to teachers and headmasters.
Identify design and quality issues, including problems being faced at school level. Discuss these issues with the country office (keeping State Manager in loop for any operational issues) and based on that provide solutions at the field level.

Training, workshop and meeting:

Provide technical oversight to the DIETs and district government officials and support them in their monitoring visits and communication with government teachers and schools.
Act as the point person with respect to CELL members training and capacity building of programs at the district/state level.
Participate in IDTS workshops on material development, training module development and training of trainers.
Attend review meetings at the state level and provide reflective feedback on CELL program implementation and design issues. At the same time acts as the conduit for transferring innovative ideas and practices from the national level (or from other states) on to the field.

Planning, Reporting and Documentation:

Responsible for preparing regular (monthly, quarterly and yearly) qualitative reports and documenting case studies and best practices.
Responsible for high stake donor reporting, developing their annual work plan and its implementation.
Support the State Manager in strategic planning and advocacy, technical assistance, quality assurance, sustainability planning and future expansion decisions.
Participate in any other activities which may be required to be undertaken to fulfill the objectives of the organization.

Qualifications:

Bachelor Degree in education/social sciences or equivalent.
Master Degree in education/social sciences or equivalent preferred.
Minimum 5 years of relevant experience in the education sector.
In-depth knowledge about language and reading practices and approaches.
Strong written and oral communication skills.
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 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.

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Senior Associate, Literacy Field