Program Officer, Girls' Education and Gender Equality Program

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 Program Officer for the Girls' Education and Gender Equality Program (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 Girls' Education and Gender Equality Program activities at the school level, assisting teachers in effectively delivering global life skill sessions, improving the sustainability of the Girls' Education and Gender Equality Program, 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, Girls' Education and Gender Equality Program will report to the Field Manager. This position is based in Jhalakathi and the Social Mobilizers are the direct reports to Program Officer, Girls' Education and Gender Equality Program.

Duties & Responsibilities:Program Implementation and Training:

• Support Teachers in providing targeted and relevant assistance to ensure that girls participate in high-quality life skill sessions aligned with global program content standards. Support Social Mobilizers in delivering parent workshops to ensure that parents benefit from well-structured sessions aligned with global program content standards

• Guide Social Mobilizers (SM) to conduct group mentoring sessions and well as need based Individual mentoring support

• Ensure that Social Mobilizers (SM) are trained to recognize and support school authority to implement different activities at school level

• Coach Social Mobilizers (SM) to ensure they are providing appropriate support to Master Trainer and Teachers for financial literacy session preparation

• Ensure that Social Mobilizers (SMs) regularly update the Weekly Action Plan (WAP) and deliver tasks as per the plan

• Organize review meetings for Social Mobilizers (SM) to discuss challenges they face, address data collection issues, and find solutions related to field-level program implementation

• Observe life skill sessions, financial literacy sessions, parenting sessions, and community events conducted by Social Mobilizers (SM) and provide onsite support and coaching for continuous improvement and efficient implementation of planned activities

• Guide Social Mobilizers in building and maintaining relationships with community leaders, local government officials, and other stakeholders to advocate for the Girls' Education and Gender Equality Program

• Collaborate with both Technical and Operations team to ensure that program implementation meets Room to Read's standards, including local adaptation of program content

• Verify that school authorities and communities actively support the program and fulfill their agreements

• Ensure that all Girls' Education and Gender Equality Program schools have a functional LSE Club room

• Conduct training sessions for Master Trainer, teachers and Social Mobilizers, possibly co-facilitating with the country office Girls' Education and Gender Equality Program technical team

• Attending planned training sessions, meetings with Room to Read staff, school authorities and regular review meetings to achieve organizational objectives

• Develop PR, TOR, TOT, Logistic support (Different Journal, Register, Manual, Event, training, meeting etc); Provide support to the admin team

• Organize various events according to the program's yearly plan. Collaborate with Country Office Girls' Education and Gender Equality Program technical team for getting technical support and guidance  

• Participate in donor site visits, providing information about Room to Read's Girls' Education and Gender Equality Program as needed

• Maintain liaison with government officials and various networks

• Conduct performance reviews for Social Mobilizers (SM)

Planning, Reporting and Documentation:

• Ensure Global Database is updated promptly with appropriate and reliable data 

• Prepare PIM report and submit it to Field Manager

• Ensure that teachers are monitoring and recording girls' attendance, academic performance, and other program activities as required by the program design

• Ensure the Social Mobilizers are monitoring and maintain records of girls' information record book, different tools; including attendance, academic performance, and other program activities as required by the program design

• Prepare and compile various reports (both internal and external)

• Support the Field Manager in developing Girls' Education and Gender Equality Program annual plan and budgets

• Review the Girls' Education and Gender Equality Program budget monthly and assist the Field Manager in preparing the monthly cash forecast, budget expenses report 

• Take responsibility for expenses and expense reporting in project areas of assignment

• Document best practices, case studies and lessons learned and share them with the Girls' Education and Gender Equality Program Team

Qualifications:Required:

• Only female candidates will be considered for this position

• Bachelor/master's degree or equivalent in a related field (e.g. Education, Social Work, Community Development, Social Science, Women & Gender Studies,)

• Minimum 5 years of relevant work experience

• Prior experience in planning and facilitating training

• Prior experience coaching others

• Good interpersonal skills and a team player

• Strong organizational and planning skills including the ability to monitor progress of program implementation

• Ability to juggle multiple priorities simultaneously and take initiative

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

• Experience working with and or mentoring adolescent girls

• Strong computer skills including Microsoft Office and Outlook

• Fluency in language spoken by girls

• Fluency in English

Preferred:

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

• Effectiveness in working or volunteering with a non-profit organization focused on maintaining high-quality work and low overhead

• Ability to travel frequently within the project area, including remote and rural locations

• Prior experience in a fast-paced, growth-oriented global or regional organization

• Proven track record of achieving results

• Ability to juggle multiple priorities simultaneously and take initiative

• Prior experience living and/or working in hard-to-reach areas

• Experience working with schools, teachers, administrators and government officials

• Experience in successful implementation of a wide range of tasks and developing/ implementing improvements in a prior position

Compensation:

We offer a competitive salary. The benefits include:

• Provident Fund

• 13th Month Allowance

• Gratuity

• Health coverage for staff and dependents

• Insurances

• Professional Development opportunities. The most significant benefit is the opportunity to work with one of the fastest growing international organizations, which has sole focus on education & continuously innovating efficient & effective social entrepreneurship

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. Disabled people of all types are encouraged to apply. 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.

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