World Change Starts with Educated Children®

2025 is our 25th Anniversary! Join Us in Celebrating 25 Years of Progress.

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 Officer, Research, Monitoring & Evaluation (RM&E) is a data-driven RM&E professional responsible for supporting the design, implementation, and management of Room to Read’s research, monitoring, and evaluation systems. The role ensures rigorous data quality, strong statistical analysis, and effective utilization of RM&E data across the Gender Equality Portfolio (GEP) and the Literacy Portfolio (LP). The Officer plays a vital role in safeguarding data integrity and turning evidence into actionable insights that strengthen portfolio performance and strategic decision-making.

The RM&E Officer will maintain strong working relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including portfolio leads for the Gender Equality and Literacy portfolios, regional RM&E, Operation, PDTA team, field-based colleagues, and relevant government, donor or partner institutions. The Officer represents the RM&E function with professionalism, ensuring effective communication, coordination, and evidence-driven collaboration across portfolios.

Roles & Responsibilities:

Technical Data Systems Management & Integrity

• Lead the management of RM&E data systems, including the Global Solution Database (GSD), maintenance of Program Implementation Monitoring (PIM), and, where applicable, DevResults.

• Design, program, test, and deploy digital data collection tools, ensuring high data integrity using platforms such as SurveyCTO.

• Coordinate and implement data quality monitoring (DQM) checks across all programs.

• Identify and recommend innovations in RM&E systems and software to strengthen data operations and field implementation.

Advanced Analysis, Visualization & Reporting

• Conduct rigorous quantitative and qualitative data analysis for all programs, applying statistical methods to assess trends, performance, and impact.

• Develop dynamic dashboards and visualizations using Power BI to support evidence-based decision-making.

• Prepare analytical reports and synthesize findings following field visits and routine monitoring exercises.

• Support feasibility studies and initial analytical work for program expansion or strategic initiatives.

Capacity Building & Field Implementation

• Train and mentor staff and enumerators on methodological data collection, digital tools, and RM&E standards.

• Collaborate with portfolio teams to design and implement monitoring activities (e.g., New Girls Survey, Life Skills Assessments, Alumnae tracking).

• Provide field-level support to GEP and Literacy Portfolio activities to ensure strong monitoring practices.

• Travel regularly to oversee RM&E implementation and strengthen data quality at the field level.

• Perform any other duties as assigned by the supervisor to support the overall effectiveness of the RM&E function and the successful implementation of both portfolios.

Qualifications and Experience:

Required

• Advanced degree in Statistics, Data Science, Quantitative Methods, Economics, Monitoring & Evaluation, or a closely related field.

• Minimum of 3–5 years of hands-on experience in M&E data management, statistical analysis, and research within development or education sectors.

• Strong understanding of education programming and community participation in schools.

• Experience working in rural settings is an added advantage.

• Ability to travel frequently to support field-level monitoring and technical oversight.

• Proven experience in successful implementation of a wide range of tasks, demonstrating flexibility and adaptability.

Preferred:

• Proficiency in at least one statistical analysis package (R, Stata, or Python/Pandas).

• Demonstrated experience administering M&E databases (GSD, PIM; DevResults is an added advantage).

• Strong skills in digital data collection platforms, especially SurveyCTO, and dashboard development in Power BI.

• Proven understanding of M&E methodologies, research design, and field-level monitoring.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English and Swahili.

Compensation:

Room to Read offers a competitive pay 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 transforming the lives of millions of children in developing countries by focusing on literacy and gender equality in education.

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.