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Literacy Program Associate, Quality Reading Materials

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 7.8 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 600. Our global headquarters is located in San Francisco, and we have smaller fundraising offices in Delhi, New York, Hong Kong, London, Mumbai, Sydney, and Tokyo. We have  program offices in Colombo, Dar es Salaam, Dhaka, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Kathmandu, Lusaka, New Delhi, Pretoria, Phnom Penh, and Vientiane.

Position Overview:

The Literacy Program Associate, Quality Reading Materials’ (“QRM”) primary responsibilities include managing and coordinating all aspects of Room to Read’s publishing initiatives including sourcing content, reviewing, editing, and negotiating agreements.  S/he will also be required to research and form networks within the publishing industry to gauge local market trends and promote Room to Read as a key player in children’s book publishing.  The position will require some travel and involves frequent interaction with authors, illustrators, publishers, printers, and officials.  The position will report directly to the Literacy Program Manager, Quality Reading Materials.  

Duties & Responsibilities:

Management, Coordination and Implementation
  • Works closely with the Instructional Design and Teacher Support (“IDTS”) unit to develop engaging teaching resources and materials.
  • Does book layout and/or organizes and oversees the complete process of publishing Room to Read books in the Country Office (“CO”).  This involves: sourcing local authors and illustrators, advising on story development, reviewing, editing, securing copy rights and ISBN codes, obtaining government approval, sending to print, etc.
  • Collaborates with authors and illustrators to produce original, high quality content that is appropriate for target age groups, suitable for the local cultural context and functional as a tool for education.
  • Facilitate dialogues between authors and illustrators; ensures attention to detail and steers efforts toward a shared vision of a final product.
  • Initiates and manages a writers’ competition in which manuscripts for children’s books are submitted and reviewed by Room to Read.
  • Collaborates with the Literacy team on book leveling and analyzes and makes recommendations for improving book content and layouts before submitting final drafts to Literacy Director for approval.
  • Ensures global guidelines are being adhered to and adapted as needed.
  • Prepares detailed cost estimations of each book title and ensures that the publishing projects stick to budget. Gets quotes from several publishers to ensure competitive pricing.
  • Collaborates with Admin/Procurement team to source and procure needed materials.
  • Participates in any other activities which may be required to be undertaken to fulfill the objectives of the organization.
Planning, Reporting and Documentation
  • Support donor affairs including supporting donor site visits and documenting anecdotes that evolve through field work.
  • Documents best practices and lessons learned during field work and shares with other project sites, relevant local staff, the Country Director and appropriate Regional and Global Office-based team members.
External Coordination and Networking
  • Establishes and manages relationships with other NGOs, government officials and local educational facilities/authorities.
  • Represents Room to Read in different forums and advocates the importance of reading and the need for local language children’s books.
  • Stays informed about the local children’s book publishing industry, investigating major children’s book publishers and local market demand.
  • Tracks changes in market trends with respect to content, format, types, age/grade levels, themes, languages (bi-lingual and/or minority languages) etc., and use this information to evaluate and inform Room to Read’s publishing initiatives.
  • Builds partnerships with organizations and associations involved with children’s books (NGOs involved with content development, writers groups, creative writing departments of universities, etc.) with the goal of becoming a key player in this community.

Qualifications:

Required:
  • Diploma (in education, languages, communications, or a related field)
  • A minimum of 3 years of related professional work experience
  • Knowledge and understanding of local book publishing industry
  • Experience managing a printing and publication process
  • Manuscript editing, design and layout experience
  • Facilitation and training skills
  • Experience in developing and implementing programmatic improvements
  • Prior success working closely and building relationships with diverse groups of people and organizations
  • Effectiveness in working or volunteering in a non-profit organization that is focused on maintaining high quality work and low overhead
  • Prior experience in a fast-paced, growth-oriented global or regional organization
  • Proven track record of achieving results
  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English
  • Ability to juggle multiple priorities simultaneously
Preferred:
  • A bachelor’s degree in a related field of study
  • Prior experience in the book publishing field
To be successful as a member of the Room to Read team, you will also:
  • Have passion for our mission and a strong desire to impact a dynamic nonprofit organization
  • Be an innovative and creative thinker that tries new things and inspires 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
  • Thrive in a fast-paced and fun environment

Compensation:

Room to Read offers a competitive salary with excellent benefits. Benefits including 13thmonth bonus, provident fund, medical allowance and check-up, health and accidental insurances; annual leave days and staff professional development. 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.

Application Procedure:

Please send a cover letter and resume by email, with “LPA, QRM” in the subject line, (no letters, calls, faxes, or drop-ins) to hiring.za@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.