Officer, IDTS

Room to read; Jharkhand; On-site; INR 800,000 - 1,200,000; Full time

Job summary

Room to Read seeks an Officer, Literacy based in Jharkhand to anchor and support foundational literacy and numeracy efforts. The role involves frequent field travel and collaboration with state educational officials, SCERT, and PMUs to advance curriculum and teaching materials aligned with NIPUN guidelines.

The position requires a Master’s in education or social sciences with 5+ years of relevant experience.

Qualifications

• Master’s in education / social sciences or equivalent.
• Minimum 5 years of relevant experience.
• Prior experience with state governments towards literacy reforms is preferred.
• Strong written and oral communication skills.
• Knowledge about early grade reading assessments.

Responsibilities

• Lead state-level Curriculum, FLN, and TLM development in line with SCF and NIPUN guidelines.
• Guide state PMUs in reviewing learning outcomes and curricular frameworks for literacy.
• Provide technical support for inclusive textbooks and teacher materials.
• Develop FLN toolkits and capacity-building materials for state/district teams.
• Coordinate with government partners and education officials to align objectives and deliverables.
• Monitor progress with data from assessments and classroom monitoring; adapt materials accordingly.
• Participate in community mobilization events and support MEL studies related to FLN.

Skills

Communication skills

Language and reading practices

Program design knowledge

Stakeholder engagement

Education

Master’s in education or social sciences

Job description

Position Overview

World Change Starts with Educated Children® IMPORTANT: All applicants must be legally eligible to work in the country where the position is located. Room to Read is not able to provide sponsorship. The Officer, Literacy will anchor and support all literacy inputs. The position will be based at Jharkhand and will report directly to Lead- State Project Management Unit level (SPMU) and have dotted reporting to Manager, Instructional Designing and Technical Support (IDTS)- Country Office, Delhi. One Program Associate (IDTS) will report to Officer-Literacy. This position will involve frequent travel to field as well as regular interaction with educational officials, partners and external experts.

Responsibilities

• Lead and Design state level Curriculum, Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) approach, Literacy Materials and Teaching and Learning Materials (TLM): Facilitate in formulating curricular position paper and vision document for state around Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN), contributing to State Curriculum Framework (SCF).
• Provide guidance to state Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) Project Management Unit’s (PMU) in reviewing and finalizing Learning outcome framework, curricular frameworks on Literacy as per National Initiative for Proficiency in Reading with Understanding and Numeracy (NIPUN) guidelines through a consultative process with State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT).
• Provide technical support to state FLN PMUs in designing curricular materials inclusive textbooks, school readiness materials, learning gap addressing materials, in-service teacher training plan.
• Support PMU and state level institutions in development of FLN tool kits with a focus around Foundational literacy. Guide in designing curricular materials and TLMs around Literacy for early grades.
• Build relationships with state and district education officials, government partners, and school administrators to further the program. Vision building and Capacity Building of State and District Resource Groups on Literacy: Orient state curricular group on FLN principles and approaches.
• Build capacities of State Resource Group (SRG), District Resource Group (DRG) and core groups at different levels around FLN vision and approaches. Provide technical guidance to FLN core group in designing and facilitating capacity building workshops on literacy at state and district level.
• Ensure a resource group is available to the state around Literacy to support all FLN related technical work in the state.
• Provide technical support in establishing a system in the state to map level of proficiency of FLN teachers on literacy.
• Lead Teacher Professional Development and support in strengthening field implementation of Foundational literacy. Provide support in developing a roadmap for Continuous Professional Development (CPD) of teachers on Literacy. Enable development of a professional development framework on Literacy for the state. Enable creation of professional development packages for teachers on Foundational literacy. Support state FLN state level core group in developing teacher development package on Foundational literacy. Support in developing assessment mechanism for the state in assessing efficacy of professional development and teachers’ proficiency around Foundational Literacy.
• Develop/refine state team capacity building on policy level, pedagogical level and teacher training facilitation skill with the Facilitator Guides.
• Regularly participate in coordination meetings with government counterparts, implementing partners, and internal teams to stay aligned on objectives, timelines, and deliverables, to ensure the project/intervention is on track in the state.
• Keep track of progress towards the agreed outcomes. Plan visits to the field to track project progress on regular basis. Analyze data from reading assessments, classroom monitoring data and/or library rating indicators to determine trends, if any and identify areas that need more focused attention.
• Review and revise program design, materials and training content accordingly. Work with the govt and internal stakeholders to strengthen the monthly review meeting at/state/district/block level around data-driven discussions and action plans on FLN implementation.
• Support in planning and participate in community mobilization events (e.g., FLN campaigns, Melas) and annual recognition ceremonies for high‑performing teachers/officials.
• Guide and Support Technical Team at PMU level: Technically inform state FLN PMUs on conducting studies and formative assessment frameworks and tools around Foundational Literacy.
• Provide support to MEL team in designing FLN related studies in states with a focus on foundational learning and Teacher Professional Development (TPD). Provide technical support to PMUs in developing sustainability plan for FLN post NIPUN mission period. Provide technical support to state FLN PMUs in reporting the progress vis a vis Foundational Literacy as per approved work plan.
• Provide technical guidance to state FLN PMUs in developing monitoring indicators for education departments. Provide technical support to state FLN PMUs in reporting the progress vis a vis Foundational Literacy as per approved work plan. Provide technical guidance to state FLN PMUs in developing monitoring indicators for education departments.

Qualifications

• Master’s in education / social sciences or equivalent.
• Minimum 5 years of relevant experience.
• Prior experience of working with state governments towards state reforms in literacy would be desired.
• In-depth knowledge about language and reading practices and approaches, including national and international research on the same.
• Knowledge about early grade reading assessments.
• Experience of having worked with program design and log frames will be an added advantage.
• Strong written and oral communication skills.

Compensation

Room to Read offers a competitive salary with excellent benefits. Benefits include thirteenth month bonus, health insurance and a retirement plan. The non-monetary compensation includes a unique opportunity to be part of an innovative, meaningful, and rapidly growing organization that is changing transforming the lives of millions of children in developing countries on literacy and gender equality in education. Room to Read is a child-safe organization.

Child Protection Principles

Room to Read is committed to the education and welfare of children and protecting them from abuse and exploitation. Room to Read has zero tolerance for child abuse and exploitation. All children have the right to be free from abuse and exploitation, including neglect, maltreatment, and physical, mental or sexual violence, injury or abuse. All children should be treated with respect and dignity. The well-being of the child is Room to Read’s first priority when dealing with all identified or suspected cases of child abuse. Room to Read shall integrate child protection into all its organizational strategies, structures and work practices.

Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) Principles

Room to Read Representatives must create and maintain an environment that prevents sexual exploitation and sexual abuse. Room to Read has zero tolerance for adult sexual exploitation and abuse. Sexual exploitation and abuse are serious violations of fundamental human rights and will not be accepted or tolerated. All adults should be treated with respect and dignity. Room to Read implements a survivor-centered approach, putting the survivor’s rights and dignity at the forefront. Survivors referred to available professional assistance (e.g. mental health counselling), upon consent.

Equal Opportunity

Room to Read is an equal opportunity employer committed to identifying and developing the skills and leadership of people from diverse backgrounds. Room to Read is a child-safe organization; all personnel must adhere to Room to Read’s Child Protection Policy, Child Protection Code of Conduct and Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (PSEA) Policy.

About Room to Read

Founded in 2000 on the belief that World Change Starts with Educated Children®, Room to Read envisions a world free from illiteracy and gender inequality, where all children have room to read, learn and grow – creating lasting change. Through our Literacy Portfolio, we train and coach teachers of the early grades in literacy instruction; create and publish quality books and curricular materials in local languages; and establish children’s libraries filled with diverse children’s books that can be enjoyed at school and home. Our Gender Equality Portfolio supports adolescents, particularly girls, in developing life skills that promote gender equality, helping them to pursue lifelong learning and make informed decisions. We support young people of all genders to overcome gender biases and build the knowledge and skills to create a gender-equal world. Room to Read collaborates with local communities, partner organizations, publishers, and governments to test and implement innovative models that can be integrated into the education system to deliver positive outcomes for children at scale. To date, Room to Read has benefited more than 50 million children in 28 countries. Learn more at www.roomtoread.org.

Personal Reflection

I was first attracted to Room to Read because of the mission to create a world free from illiteracy and gender inequality. What I have found here is the joy in working with a group of extraordinary people towards this bold goal. In my work, I aim to shape an inclusive and supportive organizational culture where everyone feels valued and respected, and where we each thrive. Our team members are our greatest asset, and I am personally committed to creating an environment that supports both personal and professional growth and empowers individuals from everywhere in the world to contribute their best. I hope you will join us in creating a better, more equal world.

Signature

Cynthia Orme
Chief People and Technology Officer