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

Position Overview:

The Sr. Literacy Program Associate (Sr. LPA) will be primarily responsible for planning and execution for all works related to providing technical support at SMSA, RSCERT and other institutions where scale-up technical support is required. S/He will be responsible for implementing Room to Read’s Literacy Program technical support activities such as various workshops and coordinating studies for program quality and provides strategic, support FLN Framework, review of various material on FLN, material refinement and new creations, Community mobilization, SCF development, research areas, work on MLE, foundational literacy related activities, technical and management support. S/he will oversee the quality of program implementation of the Literacy program. If needed s/he may be assigned for overseeing the literacy program implementation. 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. LPA-TA will report to the State Program Officer and will have dotted reporting to the State Manager.

This position will be based on Quality cell, SMSA Jaipur (Raj) for regular interaction with State level Govt Education officials and leading the assign tasks under the foundational literacy at SMSA as well as monthly or need based visit to state office for strategic planning and review meeting. S/he would serve as the main point of contact for the support FLN Framework, review of various material on FLN, material refinement and new creations, Community mobilization at state level tasks and other institutions and coordinate the work of other RtR staff. This position would preferably be based in Quality Cell, Rajasthan Council for School Education (RCScE) office at Jaipur, Rajasthan where key government institutions are based.

Roles & 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
• Have an excellent understanding of NEP 2020 and NIPUN and FLN Mission.
• 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 in Literacy.
• Have an update about key initiatives under FLN by state Government. 

Technical Assistance and Advocacy:

• Serve as a technical resource at the state/district level, will organize and participate proactively in technical assistance discussions and workshops organized under the system integration related activities, especially on foundational literacy & library. 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, need for libraries for children.
• Regularly communicate and work with government counterparts (SMSA, RSCERT, DIET, SSA, Education department, and others) to build awareness and understanding among them with respect to the Room to Read literacy 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, textbooks, and various education projects/programs.
• Provide technical assistance to state level functionaries in various workshops and coordinating studies for program quality and provides strategic, support on support FLN Framework, review of various material on FLN, material refinement and new creations, Community mobilization, SCF development, research areas, work on MLE foundational literacy related activities.
• S/he will also be responsible for developing capacity building of state level functionaries on foundational literacy in state and will follow up with them in providing technical support as and when required. Sr PA will support the of state level functionaries in designing and conducting action research in the field.
• Liaison with State education departments to explore opportunities for new technical assistance and devise a plan for the same.
• Build a state level literacy network and make this as an advocacy event for early grade literacy.
• Engage with print and electronic media to create visibility for Literacy.

Program Coordination and Monitoring:

• Responsible for managing the implementation of the foundation literacy at state level under his/her jurisdiction, ensuring timely, efficient and well-coordinated implementation, adhering to the program.
• Working with other program team s/he will ensure effective utilization of program budget through proper planning and tracking of planned activities.
• Analyze various data and information emanating from the state level, develop programmatic co-relations and flag off issues for larger discussion. Undertake at least one action research project every year. 

Training, Workshop and Meeting:

• Provide technical oversight to consultants and support them in their capacity building and communication with government official Identify gaps in their coordination and plan for their build -up the capacity building in discussion with the SPO.
• Participate in IDTS workshops on material development, training module development and training of trainers.
• Attend review meetings at the national 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 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 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 fulfill the objectives of the organization.
• Any others task assigned by your line manager. 

Annual Planning and Budgeting:

• Contribute to the Annual Planning and Budgeting (AP&B) guidelines for SERI.
• Prepare annual LP SERI budget of the State in assistance with the State Program Officer.
• Ensure monthly budget forecast and re- appropriation of underspending funds.
• Track implementation and spending patterns of the SERI budget. 

Qualification & Experience:

• Bachelor’s Degree in education / Social Sciences or equivalent.
• Master’s degree in education / Social Sciences or equivalent preferred.
• Minimum 5 years of relevant experience in the education sector.
• 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 collaborate effectively with state level government departments will an asset.
• 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 working with schools, teachers, administrators, and State government officials.
• Experience in successful implementation of a wide range of tasks as well as developing and implementing improvements in a prior position. 

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 transforming the lives of millions of children in developing countries on literacy and gender equality in education.

Location(s)

India – Rajasthan