Senior Associate, Literacy Field

Full-time
On-site
India - Uttar Pradesh India

World Change Starts with Educated Children®

2025 is our 25th Anniversary!

Join Us in Celebrating 25 Years of Progress

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.

Position Overview:

The program aims to enhance Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) outcomes in Basti district through District Project Management Units (DPMUs). Room to Read will strengthen district-level capacity, coordination, and system integration. Key focus areas include improving instructional quality, building sustainable teacher capacity, fostering community engagement, and establishing data-driven decision-making processes. By leveraging existing pedagogical understanding and co-designing relevant knowledge with government systems, the program seeks to create lasting impact and drive continuous improvement in FLN education.

The position will support Sr/Program Officer in the design of the program, execution, coordination with various stakeholders (government and non-profit partners) and delivering on a roadmap for strengthening of DPMU towards to sustain the impact and interventions from the program. The position will report to Sr/ Program Officer. This position will involve frequent travel to field locations as well as regular interaction with district education officials, school administrators, teachers, and students.

Roles & Responsibilities:

Program Understanding:

  • Develop a thorough understanding of district FLN program design (Mission Prena).

  • S/he has good awareness of Foundational Literacy and Numeracy programs, their design and strategies operating in project region.

  • Develop a strong understanding of Govt’s education policies NEP 2020, NCF and FLN

On-ground Implementation and Monitoring:

  • Oversee the quality implementation of the project in the district ensuring timely, efficient, and well-coordinated implementation, adhering to the program guidelines.

  • Complete regular visits to program schools, observe classroom transactions, speak to teachers and headmasters and make suggestions for improving quality and utilization of these materials.

  • Attend government meetings, discussions and committees on Mission Prena and use those forums to advocate for enabling policies and government orders in support of program.

  • Track progress of implementation through regular review meetings and field visits; flag off deviations and delays at the earliest.

  • Participate in any other activities which may be required to be undertaken to fulfil the objectives of the organization.

  • Track program progress on key indicators according to the M&E framework during monthly meetings and throughout the project timeline.

  • Stay updated regarding new programs/interventions of the like-minded organizations in district.

  • Support the Sr/ Program Officer in the execution of the Project by supporting DPMU in the district focused on capacity building of stakeholders at district level.

Government Liaison:

  • Serve as a operational and technical resource at the district level and participate in technical assistance discussions.

  • Attend government meetings, discussions and committees on foundational literacy as well as Numeracy and use those forums to advocate for enabling policies and government orders in support of district FLN program.

  • Interact with key stakeholders (government departments and officials such as CDEO/ADPC/DEEO/RPs/DIET etc.) on a day-to-day basis to ensure delivery of program objectives and explore opportunities for systemic integration.

  • Conduct discussions with stakeholders at multiple levels across the districts reflecting on the insights collated via field visits, monitoring data and interactions to formulate the way forward for the month.

  • Strengthen district’s capacity to achieve improved learning outcomes on foundational literacy and numeracy.

Team Coordination:

  • Establish coordination with state program officer to share program updates, getting technical support as required in program and support in alignment of state level plans and priorities.

Participate in Meeting/Workshops at State and INCO Level:

  • Participate in IDTS workshops on material development, training module development and training of trainers.

  • Attend review meetings at the state/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 basis, including program data) qualitative reports and documenting event reports, case studies and best practices.

  • Responsible for high stake donor reporting, developing their annual, half yearly, quarterly and monthly work plan for implementation.

  • Develop actionable insights through analyses of data collected via monitoring visits to further inform the project implementation.

  • Assist in preparing all programmatic reports as required.

Qualifications:

Required:

  • Master’s degree in education / social sciences or equivalent preferred.

  • Minimum 3-5 years of relevant experience in the education sector. Minimum 2 years of program management experience, preferably in education

  • In-depth knowledge on state FLN program.

  • Strong written and oral communication skills.

  • Critical thinking and analytical skills.

  • Good interpersonal skills and a team player.

  • Prior experience of managing team.

  • Proven track record of achieving results and managing large stake projects is preferred.

  • Proven ability to work effectively with schools and communities.

  • Ability to travel regularly to project sites in remote locations.

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.

Room to Read is a child-safe organization.

Room to Read is a child-safe organization.

Room to Read's Core Values

C - Collaboration

A - Action

R - Respect

E - Education

S - Scale

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. Our Literacy Portfolio trains and coaches teachers of the early grades in literacy instruction; creates and publishes quality books and curricular materials in local languages; and establishes 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.