Job Opportunity for Program Associate, Operations and Technical at Room to Read in Jharkhand

Position Overview:

The Program Associate will assist the planning and execution for all work related to implementing Room to Read’s program at the field level and provides strategic, technical and management support. S/he will oversee the quality of implementation, coordination, development and reporting related to the program.

S/he would identify issues related to program design and management and discuss them with the supervisor and provide solutions at the field level. S/he would assist Program Officer with respect to teacher training and capacity building of government officials. The PA will report to the Program Officer/State Manager. 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. 
• Ensure the District/state level officials engagement in program. Encourage and facilitate field visit and create favorable environment for program implementation.
• Contribute to the preparation of conceptual notes, operation manuals/guidance and related tool kits as per requirement.
• Contribute in the co-creation of foundational literacy resources with the State Education Department.
• Contribute in policy (NEP/NIPUN/NCF) level strategic discussion with the Distrct/State education Department
• Liaison with State/District education departments to explore opportunities for technical assistance.
• Provide technical oversight to SCERT/State 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 meeting, trainings and development workshops.   
• Support the ongoing implementation of programs at state and district level to ensure timely, efficient, and well-coordinated implementation, adhere to the program and budget guidelines. 
• Manage relationships with school, community and government counterparts   and respond to issues that may arise in these relationships.   
• Ensure that all target teachers access and go through the digital resources shared under teacher professional development plan.   
• Ensure effective utilization of the 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.
• Maintain high level of data quality. 
• 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.  
• Read and update oneself regarding the current national/international research in the field.  
• Identify design and quality issues, including problems being faced by LFs/LbCs. Discuss these issues with supervisor and based on that provide solutions at the field level.  
• Act as the resource person with respect to teacher training. Assist in planning for teacher training at the district/state level. 
• Should maintain high quality accurate and up to date documentation and systemic record keeping of different activities and ensure sharing on a regular basis with PO/State Manager.
• Participate in training of trainers (TOT), central and monthly review meetings, and 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 3-5 years of relevant experience in the education sector. 
• Good knowledge of Hindi and English 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 of engagement with State/District Education department
• 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. 

Room to Read is a child-safe organization.

Location(s)

India – Jharkhand