World Change Starts with Educated Children®

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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.

Position Overview:

The Program Officer, Gender Equality Portfolio (PO, GEP) at Room to Read will oversee all aspects of the Program at the field level. The role involves developing, planning, training, implementing, and monitoring programs for Social Mobilizers, supporting teachers, and enhancing the progress of participants. The position focuses on scaling up GEP activities at the school level, assisting teachers in effectively delivering global life skill sessions, improving the sustainability of the Gender Equality Portfolio, and ensuring that Room to Read participants receive a quality education and perform well academically. The position requires skills in project management, Gender responsive approach life skill education, mentoring, networking, accounting, and supervising. The Program Officer, GEP will report to the Field Manager. The Social Mobilizers are the direct reports to Program Officer, GEP.

Key Responsibilities:

Program Implementation and Training:

• Support Social Mobilizers (SM) to ensure they are providing targeted and appropriate support so that girls receive quality life skills sessions and parents receive quality parent workshops aligned to the standards in our worldwide program content packages.

• Support Social Mobilizers to facilitate group discussions which may include providing ideas for discussion topics and coaching the SMs on how to handle difficult topics.

• Ensure Social Mobilizers know how to coach to identify and support girls at risk of dropping or failing out of school using Room to Read’s risk and response protocol.

• Conduct Social Mobilizers performance reviews.

• Facilitate Social Mobilizers review meetings to discuss and identify solutions to challenges Social Mobilizers are facing, challenges with data collection, or other field- level program implementation challenges.

• Supports the Senior Program Manager to ensure overall program implementation quality, including local adaptation of Room to Read’s worldwide program content, meets Room to Read’s standards.

• Ensure school authorities and communities are supportive of the program and fulfilling the agreements they made.

• Conduct training for Social Mobilizers which may include co-facilitating training sessions with Senior Program Manager.

• Participate in regular training and meetings with Room to Read staff, as planned;

• Participate in regular review meetings and any other activities that may be required to be undertaken to fulfill the objectives of the organization.

• Coordinate with other Program Officers/Program Manager to implement GEP activities.

• Participate in donor site visits and provide information to donors about Room to Read’s Girls’ Education Program as needed.

Planning, Reporting and Documentation:

• Ensure the Social Mobilizers are monitoring and keeping records of girls including attendance, academic performance, and other program activities as required by program design.

• Prepare and review regular staff reports.

• Participate in annual planning and budgeting for project areas of assignment.

• Responsible for expenses and expense reporting in project areas of assignment.

• Document best practices, case studies and lessons learned and shared with the GEP Team, as needed.

Qualifications

Required:

• Master’s degree required in a related field of study in education, social work, Gender & Women Study or other related field.

• A minimum of 5 years of related professional work experience with NGOs, INGOs or other Development sector;

• Proven track record in developing and implementing program improvements that achieve results;

• Knowledge, understanding, and experience in conducting trainings for adults and adolescents;

• Experience adapting program and/or training content to fit different contexts;

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English;

• Strong computer skills and proficiency with Microsoft Office programs;

• Strong planning, supervising, and program development skills;

• Prior success working and building relationships with diverse groups of people;

• Understanding of monitoring, evaluation, and process documentation;

• Ability and desire to travel frequently to Room to Read program sites.

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.

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

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.