Job Opportunity for Program Associate, Girl’s Education Program at Room to Read in Maharashtra

Position Overview:

The Girls’ Education Program (GEP) Associate spends the majority of his or her time providing direct support to the Social Mobilizers (SMs) and assists the Program Officer in carrying out all activities of the GEP.  The position will be field based and will involve frequent travel to the areas of work. The location will be Maharashtra. The work will entail providing direct support to social mobilizers, supporting and sometimes facilitating SM training, working 1:1 and in groups with SMs regularly – ideally weekly  to ensure they are effective in their roles in working with girls, and when needed modeling effective life skills or mentoring sessions with girls. They will also be responsible for strengthening linkages with like- minded organizations, liaising with block/district level officials, regular program and financial tracking, collecting program data and entering it into RtR’s database and determining and delivering material support for girls

participating in the program. The Program Associate reports to the Program Officer and manages a set of SMs and a program administrative assistant

Duties & Responsibilities:

Program Implementation and Training (Manage Social Mobilizers):

• Set a schedule of weekly and monthly review and feedback sessions with direct reports
• Support SMs in planning and facilitating Room to Read’s life skills activities (sessions and clubs).
• Support may include helping an SM set her schedule of life-skill session with girls, observing a session and providing feedback to the SM, or other activities needed to help SMs succeed in their core responsibilities.
• Support SMs to mentor girls. This may include providing ideas for group discussion topics and coaching the SMs on how to handle difficult topics.
• Support the SM in identifying and supporting girls at risk of dropping or failing out of school using Room to Read’s risk and response protocol.
• Facilitate SM weekly and monthly review meetings to discuss and identify solutions to challenges
• SMs are facing in program implementation and in working with the girls and communities.
• Develop subsequent plan for capacity building of partner staff (wherever applicable) and Social Mobilizers.
• Conduct annual performance review of SMs.
• Support the PO/PM in conducting the Social Mobilizers’ training. This may include co-facilitating training sessions.
• Directly conduct life skills sessions with girls on critical issues like sexual and reproductive health, career plans and any other as deemed fit. 

Family, School and Community Engagement:

• Lead on parents workshop and parents meeting as planned with support from Social Mobilizers.
• Identify local needs of the community and explore topics for probable parents meeting topics.
• Regular meeting and providing program update to school staff including head teachers and creating playing the role of a catalyst promoting the school to think of girls education and solutions to problems affecting girls in the catchment area of the school  with support from SM.
• Share list of scholarship schemes  and entitlements with parents in an accessible form.
• Develop a linkage with school authorities and communities are supportive of the program – liaise for a GEP room dedicated for life skills classes and mentoring.
• Participate in regular training and meetings with Room to Read staff.
• Ensure feedback is given to specific Social Mobilizers or Program Assistant  and recorded in written regularly.
• Develop a school profile for each of the enhanced schools and regularly update
• Writes case studies 4 in a year.
• Participate in donor site visits and provide information to donors about Room to Read’s Girls’ Education Program as needed.
• Maintain a database of all the schemes and benefits our girls scholars are getting and facilitating all girls to get the same. 

Liaising, Networking and Building Linkages at the Field, Block and District Level:

• Plan and organize trainings and meetings for government officials (block and district level).
• Building linkages with like-minded organizations for referral services for girls after discussing with Program Officer.
• Create linkages with school management committees, child protection committees and any other as required to create safety nets for girls and conduct regular meetings with them.
• Liaison with school authorities for providing  space for life skill centers.
• Exploring and ensuring girls have access to State level scholarships and can also avail citizenship entitlements.
• Initiate networks for girls education at district level.
• Support Program Officer for creating visibility of GEP in District and State level.

Ensuring Quality Program at the Field Level:

• Conduct discussions on Program Quality with SM during review meeting jointly with PO.
• Share learnings from INCO level review meetings.
• Understand and work on factors that may impede quality and fidelity on the field.
• Tracks to see if quality standards are being met and provide updates to PO.
• Use LS observations form  and basis this provides feedback to Social Mobilizers.
• Analyzes the availability of materials for LS session, mentoring and material support and  provides corrective feedback to program Assistant as needed. 

Planning, Reporting and Documentation:

• Ensure the SM is monitoring and keeping records of girls including attendance, academic performance and other program activities as required per the program design.  Collect this data and provide to PO/PM as needed and agreed as per data flow mechanisms.
• Ensure the SM is planning, documenting, and reporting on school and home visits and parent meetings and workshops.  Collect this data, provide it to the PO/PM, and enter it into Room to Read’s database (GSD as needed).
• Manage program expenses and complete financial reporting as per RTRs accounting and finance policies. Directs Program Assistant appropriately to ensure data as required by HR and Accounts is provided in time.
• Document best practices, case studies, photos and lessons learned and share with the GEP Team.
• Track drop outs of girls  and understand reasons, flag issues of concern to PO. 

Annual Planning and Budgeting:

• Participate in the annual planning and budgeting process
• Ensure budget forecasting for the month and submit bills timely with support of the program Assistant. 

Other:

• Assist Program Officer for new geographies and school selection
• Oversee all the work related to the Program Assistant
• Provide adequate direction to ensure smooth functioning of the field teams 

Qualifications:

Required:

• Masters degree in Education/ Social Work/ development/Gender Studies.
• 3-5 years of relevant work experience in areas of  girls education, gender and life skills
• Good interpersonal skills and a team player.
• Basic computer skills.
• Strong organizational and planning skills including the ability to monitor progress of program implementation.
• Ability to juggle multiple priorities simultaneously and take initiative.
• Prior success working closely and building relationships with diverse groups of people.
• Prior experience in facilitation and/or training.
• Experience working with and or counseling adolescent girls.
• Fluency in language spoken by girls.
• Familiarity or experience with gender issues, girls’ education and/or community development preferred.
• English fluency preferred. 

Preferred:

• Prior experience of living and/ working in rural  and semi urban areas
• Prior experience of working closely with the community, school teachers and government officials. 

Compensation:

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

Location(s)

India – Maharastra 

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 leadership of people from diverse backgrounds. EOE/M/F/Vet/Disabled