Girls Education Program Officer -Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania

Room to Read is a global organization transforming the lives of millions of children in low-income countries by focusing on literacy and gender equality in education. Founded in 2000 on the belief that World Change Starts with Educated Children®, our innovative model focuses on deep, systemic transformation within schools in low-income countries during two time periods which are most critical in a child’s schooling: early primary school for literacy acquisition and secondary school for girls’ education. We work in collaboration with local communities, partner organizations and governments to develop literacy skills and a habit of reading among primary school children and ensure girls can complete secondary school with the skills necessary to negotiate key life decisions. By focusing on the quality of education provided within the communities and ensuring these outcomes are measured, we have created a model that can be replicated, localized and sustained by governments. Room to Read has benefited 10 million children across 17,000 communities in Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Laos, Nepal, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Vietnam and Zambia, and aims to reach 15 million children by 2020.

Position Overview:

The Girl Education Program Officer in Tanzania will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of Room to Read’s Girls Education Program (GEP), including planning, implementing and monitoring  and  quality  assurance of the program both in Morogoro (Mvomenro district) and Pwani region (Bagamoyo district).  She/He will be constantly engaged in working to improve the GEP in all working district ensuring that GEP is effectively and timelyimplemented.  This position requires skills in Project Management, Training and facilitation, alternative education program, Life Skills, Networking, Budgeting, and Supervising.  The Program Officer will directly report to the Field Program Manager and will supervise Program Social Mobilizers who are based in the field. There are two openings for this position.

Duties & Responsibilities:

• Field visit to monitor and perform onsite support to GEP activities.
• Implement the  selection enrollment and monitoring plan of GEP girls on scholarship in coordination with Field operation Program Manager and Girls’ Education Program Manager
• Play  a supportive role  to develop a holistic GEP plan with important factors such as parents, schools, communities involvement in the long term strategy of GEP in the country
• Supervise and mentor Social Mobilizers  ensuring that program activities are carried out in a timely manner and with attention to quality
• Assist in preparation of monitoring strategy and implement monitoring plan of life skills, parents and community awareness to sustain the GEP program in coordination with Field Operations Manager
• Develop a plan to monitor the girls in school and ensure that  academic performance  of girls  is in  improving  trend  and they are  receiving  support  as required  is in coordination with Social Mobilizers
• Initiate the whole school approach and Integration of Room to Read’s other programs in the schools where the girls are studying in coordination with the program team including GEP Program Manager and Field Operations Manager
• Assist in conducting monitoring and evaluation of the program, including occasional case studies as advised by your line manager
• Participate in any other activities which may be required to be undertaken to fulfill the objectives of the organization
• Support  program  manager to design  and deliver program  as per the  new  strategy
• Ensure that the budget prepared is in line with the guidance provided by Country Office operation standards.
• Carry out the technical functions of GEPPM in her or his absence of PM
• Ensure activities conducted on time as per Implementation calendar – Monitor and Follow up Implementation Calendar.
• Ensure proper documentation and reporting of GEP.
• Conduct training to GEP team on different issues to enhance capacity of team.
• Conduct Teacher training where necessary and timely interactions with them at different course of time.
• Analyze GSD data and GEP risk tool to track girls at risk as per guidelines provided.
• Facilitate Donor Visit, if required.
• Conduct and participate in school selection and material support verification exercise as and when required.
• Carry out other functions as and when required.

Qualifications:

Required:

• Bachelor Degree (Master’s Degree preferred) in the relevant field 
• Five years of proven experience in the relevant field (preferred in the field of girls’ education especially of underprivileged children). Women are more preferred for this position.   
• High energy level, comfortable performing multifaceted projects in conjunction with day-to-day activities,
• Superior interpersonal abilities. Ability to get along with diverse personalities, tactful, mature, flexible
• Good reasoning abilities, Sound judgment
• Good communication and negotiation skills
• Resourceful and well organized
• Participative management style-advocate of team concept
• Ability to establish credibility and be decisive – but be able to recognize and support the organization's preference and priorities
• Results and people oriented, but have sound judgment ability to balance other business considerations. Service oriented but assertive/persuasive.
• Good knowledge and understanding of education issues, including teaching methodologies and community involvement in schools
• Deep understanding and skill transfer in bridge course, life skills, community mobilization
• Experience implementing life skills in schools 
• Able to conduct training as a trainer 
• Good planning, supervising, and program development skills
• The Program Officer will spend at least 60% of the time in the field visiting project sites.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills in English & Kiswahili
• Proven track record of achieving results 

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

• Have passion for our mission and a strong desire to impact a dynamic nonprofit organization
• Be an innovative and creative thinker that tries new things and inspires 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 including 13^thmonth bonus, provident fund, health and accidental insurances for staff and their family; leaves and staff professional development. The non-monetary compensation includes a unique opportunity to be part of an innovative, meaningful, fun, and rapidly growing organization that is changing, transforming the lives of millions of children in developing countries by focusing on literacy and gender equality in education.

Application Procedure:

Please send a cover letter and resume by email, with GEP Officer in the subject line, totz.info@roomtoread.org or send by post to Associate Director Africa, Room to Read Tanzania, Post Box 105459, Ileje Street, Mikocheni B, Plot No 36, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. If you do not hear from Room to Read within one month of the closing date, please accept that your application was unsuccessful. Please note that late applications will not be considered and correspondence will be limited to short-listed candidates only. 

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