Senior Reading & Writing Instruction Program Officer

Organization Profile:

Room to Read seeks to transform the lives of millions of children in developing countries by focusing on literacy and gender equality in education. Working in collaboration with local communities, partner organizations and governments, we develop literacy skills and a habit of reading among primary school children, and support girls to complete secondary school with the relevant life skills to succeed in school and beyond.

We are non-governmental, non-religious and work with many local NGOs and community based organizations to implement our programs. We currently work in Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Laos, Nepal, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Vietnam, and Zambia – countries with a desperate lack of resources to educate their children. Since our inception, Room to Read’s worldwide team has impacted over 6 million children by constructing more than 1,500 schools, establishing over 13,000 libraries, publishing 700 new children’s book titles in 11 local languages, and rewarding over 16,000 girls with long-term, holistic scholarships.

Room to Read has an annual budget of approximately US$44 million and our global staff numbers over 600. Our global headquarters is located in San Francisco, and we have smaller fundraising offices in Delhi, New York, Hong Kong, London, Mumbai, Sydney, and Tokyo. We have an Asia Regional Office located in New Delhi, a Southern Africa Regional Office in Pretoria, and program offices in Colombo, Dar es Salaam, Dhaka, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Kathmandu, Lusaka, New Delhi, Pretoria, Phnom Penh, and Vientiane.

Position Overview

The Reading and Writing Instruction Program at the Global Office (GO) provides technical guidance to regional teams and in-country teams in the development of supplemental reading and writing intervention programs in grades 1-2, classroom implementation including the monitoring of program activities as well as technical guidance for periodic evaluations and research that assess student learning outcomes that can be attributed to the intervention. The Global Reading and Writing Instruction Program collaborates with the Regional Offices (ROs) in providing technical support to the Country Offices (COs). The ROs generally take the lead in providing assistance in oversight and ongoing technical support, and the GO generally takes the lead in the production of key documents such as guidelines, standards, professional development and program modules, and concept papers while providing key assistance in designing the methodology and conducting the analysis of the baseline/midline/endline assessments.

The Senior Reading and Writing Instruction  Officer’s primary responsibilities will include providing support and assistance to the Global Reading and Writing Instruction Director in San Francisco as well as to the Regional Office and country teams, with a primary focus on managing a portfolio of country level baseline/midline/endline assessments and annual evaluations of program efficacy. This position will also play a role in supporting the documentation of the approach to reading and writing instruction by developing comprehensive guides to program and assessment development and implementation at the country level. The position will report directly to the Global Director of Reading and Writing Instruction and will be based in San Francisco.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Support program development, implementation and assessment  activities in-country and at the Global Office
• Determine content for comprehensive guides to program and assessment implementation in collaboration with the Regional Offices; Reading and Writing teams in Room to Read countries; and the Research, Monitoring and Evaluation team staff
• Define key questions for evaluating program efficacy and a coherent approach to program development across countries
• Develop concept papers for cross-national and country-specific  Reading and Writing Instruction program evaluations and case studies at the country level that provide important evidence for program efficacy
• Provide leadership in developing the content and guidance to Regional and Country level staff in the implementation of reading and writing programs including a professional development guide for key staff
• Provide support for convergence plans through ongoing collaboration with other programs
• Serve as the point person on the Reading and Writing Instruction team for ongoing relations with universities and other institutions that provide assistance with reading research and early grade reading instruction activities
• Collaborate on the development of data collection instruments for assessment and research studies
• Collaborate to develop a system to evaluate the fidelity of implementation of the reading and writing intervention through a comprehensive and systematic classroom observation protocol
• Assist with budgeting, forecasting and annual planning and budgeting for the Reading and Writing Instruction program
• Build in-country staff capacity in conducting professional development in identified areas of need, including planning, coordinating, and facilitating conferences and trainings for the in-country Reading and Writing Instruction Regional and Global teams
  • Represent Room to Read in different forums (within the organization and externally) to educate about our programs and advocate for them with a particular focus on Room to Read’s approach to primary grade classroom reading and writing interventions
  • Other duties as necessary

Qualifications

• Master’s Degree in related field
• 10+ years of professional experience strongly preferred
• Prior experience living and/or working in a developing country setting
• Experience and technical competence in early reading acquisition and the science of how children learn to read
• Experience in international education, preferably in teaching reading in primary schools
• Strong quantitative and qualitative analytical skills, including software such as SPSS, SAS, or STATA
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English
• Experience in managing consultants, preferably in an international setting
• Prior success working closely and building relationships with diverse groups of people
• Ability and desire to travel frequently internationally (25-50% time)
• Effectiveness in working or volunteering 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
• Legally eligible to work in the United States; no sponsorship provided

To be successful as a member of the Room to Read team, you will also:

• Have a passion for our mission and a strong desire to impact a dynamic non-profit organization
• Be an innovative and creative thinker; you’re not afraid to try something new and inspire others to do so
• Have a very high level of personal and professional integrity and trustworthiness
• Have a strong work ethic and require minimal direction
• Work well independently as well as part of a team
• Thrive in a fast-paced and fun environment

Compensation:

Room to Read offers a competitive salary with excellent benefits. Benefits include health, dental, vision, long-term disability insurance, commuter benefits, a flexible spending account and a 401K match. The non-monetary compensation includes a unique opportunity to be part of an innovative, meaningful, fun, and rapidly growing organization that is changing the world through education.

Application Procedure:

Please send a cover letter and resume by e-mail, with “Sr RWI PO” in the subject line, (no letters, calls, faxes, or drop-ins) to hiring@roomtoread.org.  Due to high applicant volume, we regret that we cannot send personalized responses to all applicants.  Applications are accepted until the position is filled.

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