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 million children by constructing more than
1,600 schools, establishing over 15,000 libraries, publishing 800 new
children’s book titles in 11 local languages, and rewarding over 20,000 girls
with long-term, holistic scholarships.
Room to Read has an annual budget of approximately US$43.7
million and our global staff numbers over 500. 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 an Asia Regional
Office located in New Delhi and 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 Africa Research Monitoring & Evaluation (RM&E)
Manager’s primary responsibility is to work with the Africa Regional and Global
RM&E teams to provide strategic direction to Country-led research and
evaluation in the region and to give technical support to countries in the
design and implementation of research and evaluation projects. The manager will
also provide on-the-ground support to implementation of research and evaluation
projects, particularly in countries with no research officer position. S/he will
provide support and assistance to the Regional programs team in South Africa as
well as the local M&E Officers in-country teams in the three African
countries. A secondary responsibility for the position will be providing
guidance and expertise to teams on designing, implementing and managing our
monitoring systems across Africa. This position will be based in Lusaka,
Zambia; Johannesburg, South Africa; or Dar es Salaam, Tanzania; but will
require frequent travel to countries in Africa where Room to Read
operates.
Duties & Responsibilities:
- In
collaboration with the Global and Regional RM&E teams and the Global
and Regional Program Officers and the RM&E Officers at the Country
Offices, design, implement and analyze regional research strategy
- Work
with Global, Regional and Country Program and RM&E staff to identify
research needs and develop research proposals.
- Provide
technical support on the design of research projects to Country Office
RM&E teams
- Work
with Country Office RM&E teams to coordinate implementation of
research projects, particular in countries without a research officer
position (currently Zambia and Tanzania). This will involve regular travel
to the African Countries in which Room to Read operates.
- Train
and mentor Country Office RM&E staff to develop the necessary
knowledge and skill sets to run methodologically strong evaluations in
their projects and programs.
- Synthesize
and analyze data and write summary reports based on Country research and
evaluation projects.
- Support
African countries in Program monitoring as required
- Stay
informed about research and trends in our program areas and in research
and evaluation to inform our strategy accordingly.
- Network
with other non-profits running similar programs to find areas of
collaboration and knowledge sharing.
- Represent
Room to Read in different forums and advocate the importance of our
educational work in the developing world.
Qualifications:
Required:
- Master’s degree
in a related field, i.e. education, social sciences / economics. A
doctoral degree will be an advantage
- Proven previous
experience in research, monitoring and evaluation in
developing countries
- Strong
technical competence in research, monitoring and evaluation methods
- Strong analytical
skills
- Strong quantitative
and qualitative analysis skills, with proven ability to work with data
software packages such as SPSS/SAS and qualitative data
analysis software such as NVivo
- Ability to
travel frequently to African countries
- Strong verbal
and written communication skills in English
- Prior
experience living and/or working in rural areas
- Demonstrated ability
to work in a multi-cultural environment and establish
harmonious relationships both within and outside the organization
To be successful as a member of the Room to Read team,
you will also:
- Have a
passion for our mission and a strong desire to impact a dynamic non-profit
organisation
- Be an
innovative and creative thinker; you’re not afraid to try something new
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
- Thrive
in a fast-paced and fun environment
Compensation:
Room to Read offers a competitive salary 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 changing the world through literacy and gender equality in education.
Application Procedure:
Please send a cover letter and CV by email, with
"Africa Regional RME Manager” in the subject line, (no letters,
calls, faxes, or drop-ins) to hiring@roomtoread.org.
While every application will be carefully reviewed, we are not able to send
personalized responses to all applicants due to high applicant volume.
Applications are accepted until the position is filled.
Room to Read is an equal opportunity employer committed to
identifying and developing
the skills and leadership of people from diverse backgrounds.
