Job Opportunity for Senior Associate, Literacy Field at Room to Read in Chhatishgarh

Position Overview:

The Sr. Program associate (s) will work closely with the Program Officer in engaging with the respective block, district  and state education department of Chhattisgarh for delivering Foundational Literacy initiative. S/he will support the Program Officer in design of the program, execution, coordination with various stakeholders (Blocks/District/state level government and non-profit partners) and delivering on a roadmap for building government capacity to sustain the impact and interventions from the program. He will report to the Program Officer.

Roles & Responsibilities:

The Sr./Program associate will be responsible for the intervention in his / her districts and domain areas, and will have the following specific key roles and responsibilities:

Program Understanding:

• Have an excellent understanding of Room to Read’s Literacy program (Demonstration and scaled up ) design and the ability to defend the program in various forums
• S/he has good awareness of literacy programs (Demonstration and scaled up)  , their design and strategies operating in project region.
• Oversee the quality of program implementation and adherence to program guidelines for blocks and district under his/her jurisdiction.
• Develop a strong understanding of Govt’s education policies NEP 2020, NCF, NIPUN Mission, FLN.
• Must be having an overview of FLN implementation in other states of India and how the developmental partners are working to achieve FLN mission. 

Support Program Strategy and Approach:

• Support to program officer on designing program strategy and creating an action plan with specific inputs from district, state.
• Co-develop actionable implementation plan for the district with clear timeline, budget targets, M&E framework, along with the program officer.
• Support program officer in adapting program strategy based on on-ground learnings from blocks and district level.
• Attend review meetings at state level and provide reflective feedback on program implementation and design issues. At the same time acts as the conduit for transferring innovative ideas and practices from the state level on to the field. 

On-ground Implementation and Monitoring:

• Interact with key stakeholders (government departments and officials such as CACs, BRCs, DMCs DEOs and DM etc.) on a day-to-day basis to ensure delivery on program objectives.
• Provide technical oversight to DIET, district level officials and support them in their coaching and communication with government teachers and schools. Identify gaps in their capabilities and plan for their capacity building in discussion with the team.
• Create ownership for the program among stakeholders.
• Develop strong working relationships with government officials at block, district and state level.
• Ensure program is delivered as per the plan and within the budget and timeline targets.
• Identify operational bottlenecks and weaknesses, wherever applicable and come up with solutions for the same in consultation with program officer.
• Track program progress on key indicators according to the M&E framework during monthly meetings and throughout the project timeline.
• Conduct regular field visits and joint visits with Govt officials in the block and district level.
• Co-ordinate all  activities (trainings, review meetings) related to Project.
• Develop community engagement plans as applicable.
• Identify gaps in the operational capabilities and plan for their capacity building in discussion with the program officer. 

Planning, Reporting and Documentation:

• Support to preparing regular (monthly, quarterly and yearly basis, including program data) qualitative reports and documenting case studies and best practices.
• Support to high stake donor reporting, developing their annual work plan and its implementation.
• Support to prepare implementation calendar for literacy program and development of program tracking system for timely and quality implementation of activities.
• Support the program officer 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 fulfil the objectives of the program/organization. 

Qualifications:

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree in education/equivalent is required.
• Work experience of minimum 5 years in development sector.
• Experience with on-ground program implementation in a team lead role is crucial.
• Experiences working with government and in education sector is required.
• Fluency in Hindi is required and basic communication in English is preferred.
• Good knowledge of PowerPoint and Excel.
• Desired skills include problem-solving and analytical skills, written and oral communication skills,
• Good presentation skills.
• interpersonal skills and networking skills, and ability to work on tight deadlines. 

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.

Location(s)

India – Chhattisgarh