Content Development & Publishing Consultant

Full-time
On-site
Rwanda Rwanda

World Change Starts with Educated Children®

2025 is our 25th Anniversary! Join Us in Celebrating 25 Years of Progress.

IMPORTANT: All applicants must be legally eligible to work in the country where the position is located. Room to Read is not able to provide sponsorship.

Scope of Work

Content Development & Publishing Consultant

Room to Read – Rwanda Country Office

Overview

The Content Development & Publishing Consultant will support Room to Read’s book publishing initiatives in Rwanda by providing technical leadership in the design, development, and implementation of activities that increase the quality, availability, and accessibility of children’s reading materials in Kinyarwanda and English. Working closely with the Associate Director, Literacy Program, the consultant will strengthen the capacity of local publishers and creative professionals—including authors, illustrators, editors, and graphic designers—to produce high-quality, age-appropriate storybooks that foster children’s love for reading.

The consultant will also contribute to the development and validation of national frameworks such as the National Storybook Guidelines and the National Textbook Strategy, and will oversee the printing and distribution of literacy materials. This includes coordinating with REB and local printers to meet government standards and technical specifications. The consultant will collaborate with government institutions, private-sector stakeholders, development partners, and Room to Read’s global experts to strengthen the publishing ecosystem and the broader Teaching and Learning Materials (TLM) market system.

Key Deliverables

Publishing Sector Strengthening

  • Identify, engage, and maintain strong working relationships with private publishers, creatives, and publishers’ associations.

  • Coordinate capacity-building activities for authors, illustrators, editors, designers, and publishers to support the creation of high-quality children’s storybooks.

  • Lead co-creation and adaptation workshops for storybook development and refinement.

Planning, Budgeting & Coordination

  • Develop and review annual and quarterly budgets for book publishing activities, including capacity-building workshops, co-creation sessions, and printing activities.

  • Engage key private and public stakeholders—including REB, MINEDUC, MINUBUMWE, Kigali Public Library, publishers, associations, and development partners—to ensure smooth implementation of publishing and library interventions.

Quality Reading Materials

  • Lead and oversee the mass printing and distribution of Kinyarwanda decodable readers in close collaboration with REB and local printers.

  • Ensure printing processes adhere to technical specifications, government standards, and Room to Read quality assurance standards.

Teacher & Library Support

  • Support the pilot and rollout of training for decodable use, library management, and engaging reading activities across the country.

  • Contribute to the integration of quality reading materials into teacher and librarian capacity-building activities.

National-Level Frameworks

  • Support the development and validation of the national book policy.

  • Support the development, validation and rollout of the national textbook strategy.

  • Support the development, validation and rollout of the national storybook guidelines and their implementation plan.

Qualifications

  • Master’s degree in Education, Publishing, Literacy, Communications, or a related field, with strong grounding in book development or content production.

  • At least 8 years of technical experience in Rwanda’s children’s book publishing industry, including storybook creation, production, or capacity-building activities.

  • Strong understanding of the Rwanda publishing ecosystem, including key actors, regulations, market challenges, and capacity gaps.

  • Demonstrated ability to design, facilitate, and manage training and technical workshops for creatives, publishers, and other book-sector stakeholders.

  • Experience working with government institutions and private-sector partners, including REB, MINEDUC, publishers, associations, and development partners.

  • Excellent oral and written communication skills in English and Kinyarwanda, with the ability to prepare high-quality documentation and engage effectively with diverse audiences.

Duration of Assignment

The consultancy will follow a monthly level-of-effort (LOE) structure, with deliverables agreed upon for each period. The start date of the assignment is January 1, 2026 and the end date is June 30, 2026, with the possibility of an extension.

Level of Effort (LOE)

The Consultant is expected to provide services on a monthly level-of-effort (LOE) basis. The specific number of days or hours required each month will be agreed upon in advance with Room to Read based on planned activities and deliverables. Payment will correspond to the actual LOE completed and verified for each month.

Payment Schedule

Payment will be made once monthly upon receipt and verification of the Consultant’s timesheet and invoice.

Child Protection Principles

  • Room to Read is committed to the education and welfare of children and protecting them from abuse and exploitation
  • Room to Read has zero tolerance for child abuse and exploitation.
  • All children have the right to be free from abuse and exploitation, including neglect, maltreatment, and physical, mental or sexual violence, injury or abuse.
  • All children should be treated with respect and dignity.
  • The well-being of the child is Room to Read’s first priority when dealing with all identified or suspected cases of child abuse.
  • Room to Read shall integrate child protection into all its organizational strategies, structures and work practices.

Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) Principles

  • Room to Read Representatives must create and maintain an environment that prevents sexual exploitation and sexual abuse.
  • Room to Read has zero tolerance for adult sexual exploitation and abuse.
  • Sexual exploitation and abuse are serious violations of fundamental human rights and will not be accepted or tolerated.
  • All adults should be treated with respect and dignity.
  • Room to Read implements a survivor-centered approach, putting the survivor’s rights and dignity at the forefront.
  • Survivors referred to available professional assistance (e.g. mental health counselling), upon consent.

Room to Read is an equal opportunity employer committed to identifying and developing the skills and leadership of people from diverse backgrounds.

Read is a child-safe organization; all personnel must adhere to Room to Read’s Child Protection Policy, Child Protection Code of Conduct and Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) Policy.

About Room to Read:

Founded in 2000 on the belief that World Change Starts with Educated Children®, Room to Read envisions a world free from illiteracy and gender inequality, where all children have room to read, learn and grow – creating lasting change. Through our Literacy Portfolio, we train and coach teachers of the early grades in literacy instruction; create and publish quality books and curricular materials in local languages; and establish children’s libraries filled with diverse children’s books that can be enjoyed at school and home. Our Gender Equality Portfolio supports adolescents, particularly girls, in developing life skills that promote gender equality, helping them to pursue lifelong learning and make informed decisions.

We support young people of all genders to overcome gender biases and build the knowledge and skills to create a gender-equal world. Room to Read collaborates with local communities, partner organizations, publishers, and governments to test and implement innovative models that can be integrated into the education system to deliver positive outcomes for children at scale. To date, Room to Read has benefited more than 50 million children in 28 countries.

Learn more at www.roomtoread.org.

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