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 8 million children by constructing more than 1,700 schools, establishing over 16,000 libraries, publishing 882 new children’s book titles in 27 local languages, and reaching over 25,000 girls through our Girls’ Education program.
Room to Read has an annual budget of approximately US$44 million and our global staff numbers over 900. Our global headquarters is located in San Francisco, and we have smaller offices in New York, Hong Kong, London, Zurich, Delhi, Mumbai, Sydney, and Tokyo. Our country offices are located in Colombo, Dar es Salaam, Dhaka, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Kathmandu, Lusaka, New Delhi, Pretoria, Phnom Penh, and Vientiane.
Background:
Through the newly formed Room to Read Accelerator, Room to Read will be working in partnership with a local entity and a Ministry of Education in the Eastern Caribbean over a 3-year period (2015-2018) to develop a curriculum, train teachers in grade 1 reading and writing instruction, train library managers on library management, and provide training and support on the development of culturally relevant local children’s books and quality reading materials.
Position Overview:
The consultant will work closely with the project manager and the Curriculum and Materials Development Committee to adapt Room to Read’s phonics-based early grades reading program for use in the Eastern Caribbean. This includes: curriculum design, teacher professional development, adapting Literacy Coach and professional development materials for use in-country, and program monitoring and support.
In addition to adapting Room to Read’s program materials, the consultant may facilitate professional development workshops for teachers and/or Literacy Coaches. Prior to fieldwork, the consultant will be trained on all related materials and expected to work in-country to develop a program and workshops consistent with the approach and components as developed by Room to Read.
This position requires in-country fieldwork starting in early July 2015 and lasting several weeks or months depending on consultant availability and to-be-determined project needs. It is anticipated that the consultant will be engaged for approximately 4 months in the first year and 1-2 months in the second and third years. Engagement will be a combination of fieldwork and remote support. We understand that consultants’ availability is unpredictable. Most important is availability for approximately 4 months between June 2015-June 2016 with considerable availability in June, July and August 2015.
Duties & Responsibilities:
Provide technical guidance for the client, both in-person and virtually, to develop an early grades reading curriculum using Room to Read’s phonics-based program, and analysis of existing curriculum and materials. This includes some side-by-side curriculum co-development, as well as remote support to the curriculum development committee in country and review of completed curriculum.
Work closely with the client, both in-person and virtually, to develop and facilitate teacher and Literacy Coach professional development workshops based on Room to Read’s materials, and understanding of local context. This includes introducing the local team to Room to Read’s professional development workshop materials and working side-by-side with the team to adapt the materials for the project.
Maintain meticulous records of program adaptations and workshop materials.
Meet regularly with Room to Read and local Project Managers to report on project progress, report strengths and challenges, and ensure project is progressing as necessary. Proactively propose course corrections, as needed.
Serve as Room to Read representative at in-country meetings, events or at other times, as requested by Room to Read Project Manager.
Adhere to project budget.
Qualifications:
Required:
Bachelor’s degree in a related field of study, e.g., Education or related development sector; Master’s degree strongly preferred
Availability to work and travel to program country intermittently over the project period
Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English
3+ years experience developing curriculum, curricular improvements, and/or educational learning materials for students or teachers
3+ years experience providing technical guidance or oversight to others in early grades reading programs
Ability to adapt materials to meet local needs while maintaining program integrity and design
Skilled communicator who understands the importance of being client-focused and committed to Room to Read’s program design
Prior success working closely and building relationships with diverse groups of people
Ability to juggle multiple priorities simultaneously and take initiative
Expert knowledge, understanding and experience of technical work in reading/literacy at the primary stage
Preferred:
A minimum of 7-10 years of relevant professional experience
Significant experience in region of assignment including visiting primary classrooms and working with teachers and children around issues of learning
Experience as a primary school teacher
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 nonprofit 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
Compensation:
Room to Read offers a competitive daily rate and kindly asks you to include your compensation requirements in your cover letter. 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.
How to apply
Please send a cover letter and resume by email, with “Accelerator Consultant – ID” 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. Applications are accepted until the position is filled.
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.