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 more than 9.7 million children by constructing more than 1,700 schools, establishing more than 17,500 libraries, publishing 1150 new children’s book titles in 27 local languages, and reaching more than 31,000 girls through our Girls’ Education program.

Room to Read has an annual budget of approximately US$44 million and our global staff numbers more than 1000. Our global headquarters is located in San Francisco, and we have smaller offices in New York, Hong Kong, London, Zurich, New 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.
Position Overview:

The Director, Girls’ Education Program is responsible for overseeing Room to Read’s Girls’ Education program (GEP) at the global level. The Director provides guidance, direction, support and technical assistance for the program, including oversight and support for activities at the country level. The position reports directly to the Chief Program Officer and has regular interactions with global and country program teams as well as the Room to Read’s Management Team. This position is based at Room to Read’s Global Office in San Francisco, CA and requires U.S. and international travel.

Duties & Responsibilities:

Work closely with the Chief Program Officer, Chief Operations Officer, and Africa and Asia Directors to continue to grow and develop the overall GEP strategy for Room to Read across all countries, and assist in overseeing all aspects of Room to Read’s global programmatic work in girls’ education, including setting and meeting annual budget and programmatic goals;
Lead efforts and develop worldwide program content as well as codify best practices for Room to Read’s GEP so that they can be shared across existing countries of operation as well as new ones;
Supervise Girls’ Education program staff members in the Global Office both in San Francisco and other Room to Read locations;
Support the ongoing work of GEP staff in Global and Country Offices by serving as mentor and coach who encourages collaboration, innovation, excellence, and professional development;
In collaboration with the global Research, Monitoring & Evaluation (RM&E) Team and country teams, develop metrics and monitoring and evaluation systems and procedures to track progress and achievements against planned program outcomes;
Work closely with the Director of Strategic Expansion to start GEP in new geographies/countries;
Work closely with the Director of Strategic Partnerships to conceptualize and develop new business opportunities for GEP technical assistance projects;
Work closely with the Chief Program Officer to develop and manage of flow of information about Room to Read’s evolving Girls’ Education programming to both internal and external stakeholders, including changes in plans and overall program progress, challenges, and achievements;
Assist the Development Team by giving input into fundraising strategies for the program, preparing funding proposals and reports, and meeting with donors, as required;
Recommend improvements to Country Office GEP Program Managers and Country Directors to more efficiently and effectively manage GEP programs in countries;
Plan Girls’ Education program activities for the annual Country Management Conference, as necessary, and other program-related workshops and meetings;
Stay informed about research and trends in the area of international education and specifically girls’ education and recommend improvements for Room to Read’s programs accordingly;
Represent Room to Read by attending and speaking at relevant forums and advocate the importance of its girls’ educational work; and
Liaise with other non-profits running similar programs to identify areas of knowledge sharing and possible collaboration.

Qualifications:
Required:

Master’s degree required in a related field of study (e.g. MA, MPA, or MSc in International Education, International Relations, or Gender Studies);
A minimum of 10 years of professional experience focused on girls’ education in K-12 grade levels in the developing world, with a minimum of five years in a senior management capacity;
Reputation as a leader in the field of girls’ education;
Substantial, relevant working experience in emerging markets;
Ability to develop and link program metrics to program outcomes and to articulate and promote strong monitoring and evaluation systems and procedures;
Experience in successful implementation of a wide range of tasks;
Experience in developing and implementing program improvements;
Strong skills, training, and experience in staff management, professional development, and mentoring;
A management style that is outcome-oriented, flexible, and respects the capabilities and independence of staff while providing a clear sense of direction;
Prior success working closely with and building relationships with staff, partners, and donors;
Prior experience in a fast-paced, growth-oriented global or regional organization;
Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English;
Prior success working closely and building relationships with diverse groups of people;
Ability and desire to travel within the U.S. and internationally approximately 30-50 percent of time; and
Effectiveness in working in a non-governmental organization that is focused on maintaining high quality work and low overhead.

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

Have a passion for the mission and a strong desire to grow an up-and-coming non-profit organization;
A capacity to listen and to work with others;
An ability to inspire trust, a proven ability to lead and facilitate with strong interpersonal skills, and an ability to move from ideas to action;
An ability to communicate effectively and professionally with a diverse range of people from different backgrounds, environments, sectors, and societies;
An ability to listen to others and learn from their best ideas, demonstrating intellectual curiosity, approachability, and openness to input from all levels of staff;
An ability to give credit and recognition to others and a personal style of acting with humility and grace – in sum a superb professional and personal presence;
Be an innovative and creative thinker, not afraid to try new things 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; and
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, life insurance, commuter benefits 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 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 “GEP Director – 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.