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 7 million children by constructing more than 1,600 schools, establishing over 15,000 libraries, publishing 800 new children’s book titles in 11 local languages, and rewarding over 20,000 girls with long-term, holistic scholarships.
Room to Read has an annual budget of approximately US$43.7 million and our global staff numbers over 500. 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 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:
Ideally based in Zambia, Tanzania or South Africa, The Literacy Manager, Africa is part of Room to Read’s Literacy Team that specializes in Instructional Design and Teacher Support (IDTS). The primary duties of this position are participating in the research and design of the global curriculum, and supporting Room to Read’s Country Offices in updating and contextualizing their curriculum to meet the new global model. This person will also support Country Office team members with revisions and implementation of their current curriculum while the global curriculum is being developed. This position reports directly to the San Francisco based Global Director of Literacy, and is part of Room to Read’s Global Office.
Duties & Responsibilities:
Contribute to the development of the worldwide programmatic frameworks for IDTS
Review and occasionally develop global curriculum, including scope and sequence, teacher’s guides, pupil books, and other instructional materials
Work with regional counterpart from IDTS professional development team
Provide high level review of professional development materials
This position is based in Zambia, Tanzania, or South Africa but will be responsible for supporting all 3 Country Offices
Work with Room to Read country team members to develop their skills in understanding literacy curriculum from both a theoretical and practical perspective
Support Africa Country Office (CO) Program Managers in the use of and revisions to existing curriculum until contextualized worldwide materials are available. This may include the following:
Revisions to scope and sequence, lesson outlines/scripts, and/or materials
Implementing classroom based assessments, as appropriate, and strategies for reteaching
Work with CO Program Managers to contextualize worldwide curriculum when it becomes available. This may include the following:
Revising scope and sequence to fit the global template and streamlined instructional strategies
Creating new teacher’s guides and pupil books
Building classroom based assessments into the country program
Work with CO Program Managers to prepare CO program staff in the use of contextualized curriculum
Work with CO program staff, regional counterpart, and Research, Monitoring and Evaluation staff to determine next steps for curriculum development or use based on evaluation data
Other
Provide input into business development opportunities as well as communication with the Fundraising team as related to donor reporting on design and technical assistance activities
Represent Room to Read and IDTS internally and externally to message our work and advocate for our programs
Collaborate meaningfully with regional counterparts (both for IDTS Professional Development and School Libraries, Quality Reading Materials and Family & Community Engagement) to ensure coordinated support to country teams
Participate in hiring and training of new ITDS team staff
Frequent travel internationally (30-40% time)
Qualifications:
Required:
Master’s degree or higher preferred in a related field of study, e.g., Education or related development sector
Excellent knowledge, understanding and experience of technical work in reading/literacy at the primary stage
Prior experience living and/or working in Africa
Experience developing curriculum and/or educational learning materials for students or teachers
Experience in successful implementation of a wide range of tasks
Experience in developing and implementing curricular improvements
Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English
Preferred:
A minimum of 7-10 years of professional experience
Candidate located in Lusaka, Zambia or Pretoria, South Africa
Significant experience in one or more African country including, visiting primary classrooms and working with teachers and children around issues of learning
Prior success working closely and building relationships with diverse groups of people
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 organizatio
Ability to juggle multiple priorities simultaneously and take initiative
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 an up-and-coming non-profit organization
Be an innovative and creative thinker – you are 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. 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 the lifelong gift of education.
Application Procedure:
Please send a cover letter with salary expectations and resume by email, with “Africa Literacy Manager” in the subject line (no letters, calls, faxes, or drop-ins) to hiring@roomtoread.org. Due to high applicant volume you may not receive a response from Room to Read.
Room to Read is an equal opportunity employer committed to identifying and developing
the skills and leadership of people from diverse backgrounds.