Job Description

World Change Starts with Educated Children
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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 Associate - Governance will play a critical role in supporting the implementation and monitoring of government programs in collaboration with the State Government. The individual will provide strategic and operational support to ensure effective coordination between internal teams and government stakeholders, policy implementation, and strengthening of governance processes at the state and district levels. The Associate will be reporting to the National PMU Lead and the State Manager.
Roles and Responsibilities:
Stakeholder Engagement & Government Liaison:Liaise regularly with senior officials and nodal officers from relevant state departments. Facilitate periodic review meetings with state and district authorities to monitor program implementation. Work closely with field teams and government counterparts to support rollout of key interventions. Assist in mobilizing government resources and enable convergence with other schemes as needed.

Training & Capacity Building:Maintain oversight of training for DIET and CAC staff. Ensure timely planning and completion of all training programs as per project timelines and quality standards, including coordination with stakeholders, resource persons, and logistics teams. Identify programmatic and administrative bottlenecks that hinder timely training rollouts and provide actionable recommendations.

Material & Program Delivery:Coordinate the timely availability and distribution of FLN (Foundational Literacy and Numeracy) and reading materials in consultation with government departments. Identify bottlenecks related to material delivery and recommend process improvements. Document and identify best practices related to FLN implementation from other states and collaborate with government stakeholders to adapt and replicate them in the SPMU framework.

Budgeting & Financial Alignment:Support preparation, allocation, and monitoring of budgets for project activities in alignment with financial guidelines. Understand and analyze government budgeting processes to ensure alignment between the SPMU project and state financial frameworks. Identify government capacity gaps and advocate for appropriate budgetary provisioning in annual state budgets to strengthen program implementation.

Monitoring, Evaluation & Reporting:Track implementation progress against agreed milestones and raise flags where delays or issues arise. Analyze state-level data to inform strategic decisions and support advocacy with government partners. Support the preparation of presentations, briefs, reports, and data decks for decision-making. Support in preparation of regular programmatic reports and updates for both internal and external stakeholders.

Documentation & Knowledge Management:Maintain accurate documentation of meetings, agreements, and official communications. Draft policy notes, SOPs, and process documents based on field learnings and government feedback. Conduct background research on relevant policies, state schemes, and national frameworks.
Develop a strong understanding of Gender Transformative Education to integrate a gender lens in all program activities.
Any other relevant work assigned by the Supervisor.

Qualifications:
Required:Postgraduate degree in Public Policy, Development Studies, Governance, or a related field. Minimum experience of 3-4yrs (1-2 years of relevant experience in the education /development sector including internships). Prior experience of working with Government at state level is must. Strong understanding of government protocols, administration, and decision-making processes. Good verbal and written communication skills in English / Hindi and the local language of the state where position is based.

Compensation:
Room to Read offers a competitive salary with excellent benefits. Benefits include thirteenth month bonus, health insurance and a retirement plan. The non-monetary compensation includes a unique opportunity to be part of an innovative, meaningful, and rapidly growing organization that is changing transforming the lives of millions of children in developing countries on literacy and gender equality in education.Room to Read is a child-safe organization.Room to Read is a child-safe organization.
Room to Read's Core Values
C - Collaboration
A - Action
R - Respect
E - Education
S - ScaleAbout 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. Our Literacy Portfolio trains and coaches teachers of the early grades in literacy instruction; creates and publishes quality books and curricular materials in local languages; and establishes 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.