About Us - Career Opportunities

Job Description

Country Director, India

Organization Profile

Room to Read partners with local communities throughout the developing world to provide quality educational opportunities by establishing libraries, creating local language children's literature, constructing schools, providing education to girls, and establishing computer labs. We seek to intervene early in the lives of children in the belief that education empowers people to improve socioeconomic conditions for their families, communities, countries, and future generations. Through the opportunities that only education can provide, we strive to break the cycle of poverty, one child at a time.

We are non-governmental, non-religious and work with many local NGOs and community based organizations to implement our programs. We currently work in Cambodia, India, Laos, Nepal, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, and Zambia - countries with a desperate lack of resources to educate their children. In 2007, we began our expansion into Bangladesh.

Since our inception, Room to Read's worldwide team has impacted over 1.9 million children by constructing more than 440 schools, establishing over 5,600 libraries, publishing 226 new children's book titles in 11 local languages, and putting over 6,900 girls onto long-term, holistic scholarships. We are one of ten non-profits to have won the Fast Company / Monitor Group Social Capitalist award five years in a row and have been featured in a variety of media including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, CNN, The Oprah Winfrey Show, and PBS.

Room to Read has an annual budget of approximately US$22 million, and our global staff numbers over 175; both of these figures will continue to grow rapidly in 2008. Our global headquarters is located in San Francisco, our Asia Regional Office is located in New Delhi, and we have program offices in Colombo, Ho Chi Minh City, Kathmandu, Lusaka, New Delhi, Pretoria, Phnom Penh, and Vientiane. Our long-term goal is to help 10 million children to gain the lifelong gift of education.

Position Overview

We are seeking the services of a professional with extensive experience within India to fill the position of Country Director. The position is the highest position of Room to Read's in-country organizational structure.

The Country Director will steer the in-country management team which includes the Program Director, Finance Officer, Human Resources and Administration Officer and M&E officer and is ultimately responsible for all aspects of Room to Read's in-country programs. This position requires ability to lead and oversee the in-country staff in strategic and tactical execution of implementation, coordination, development, expansion, monitoring and evaluation of current and prospective work. The duties will include staff management, organizational development, developing and maintaining relationships with key partners, community building and training, compiling various program, financial, and donor reports, and managing the project funds in accordance with the organization's procedures. The position will report directly to the Asia Regional Director of Room to Read. All staff in India will directly or indirectly report up to the Country Director. This position will be located in New Delhi. Travel to all states in India where Room to Read works will be required as needed.

Duties & Responsibilities

  • Oversee the management, development and implementation of all programs activities
  • Direct the management team and supervise appropriate staff, providing them with all the necessary assistance to ensure that program activities, finance reporting, Management Information Systems (MIS) and reporting requirements are carried out effectively and efficiently in alliance with headquarter requirements
  • Conduct regular staff meetings to asses organizational progress and communicate updates and developments as needed
  • Communicate all program-related activities, issues, and updates to the regional headquarters and seek approval for budget activities and any related program developments
  • Train staff, conduct appraisals, identify and ensure support for capacity building needs
  • Visit project sites as needed to launch and implement activities; supervise as needed to ensure that school and official authorities deliver on all terms of agreement
  • Oversee and work with the Monitoring and Evaluation Officer to implement and establish M&E activities within each program area
  • Work with Development Officer to explore scope for Fund-Raising and communication
  • Develop ideas that address organizational priorities and conduct strategic and operational planning exercises
  • Work with relevant in-country, regional and headquarter staff to strengthen and improve program impact and sustainability
  • Work with the Finance/Admin /HR Officers to manage the organization's legal compliance in India
  • Participate in any other activities which may be required to be undertaken to fulfill the objectives of the organization
  • Explore opportunities for partnerships and knowledge sharing with NGOs, experts and institutions involved in related education initiatives
  • Develop and manage relationships with other NGO's, government officials and appropriate educational facilities/authorities; schedule and attend meetings with them as needed to coordinate planning and implementation of projects
  • Identify, track and document program trends, lessons learned and best practices
  • Represent Room to Read at relevant meetings and plan and host donor visits as needed

Qualifications

Required

  • Master's degree or relevant qualification
  • A minimum of 5 years of professional experience in a leadership position and at least a total of 10 years of professional work experience
  • At least 8 years work experience in India
  • Experience in leading and managing a core team of 20+ staff
  • Experience of working with NGOs/INGOs
  • Experience of working with Central and State Governments
  • Good knowledge and understanding of education issues, including teaching methodologies and community involvement in schools
  • Strong planning, supervising, and program development skills
  • Ability to travel frequently to provinces throughout India
  • Fluent reading, writing and oral communication skills in Hindi and English
  • Proven track record of achieving results
  • Computer literate
  • Finance literate / appreciation
  • Prior success working closely and building relationships with diverse groups of people
  • 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
  • Ability to juggle multiple priorities simultaneously and take initiative

Preferred

  • Advanced degree in a related field, i.e. education, development
  • Experience of work in an NGO or INGO
  • Prior experience living and/or working in rural areas
  • Prior experience working with schools, teachers, administrators and government officials
  • Experience in successful implementation of a wide range of tasks as well as developing and implementing improvements in a prior position
  • Experience developing and/or implementing large-scale literacy initiatives

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 an up-and-coming non-profit organization
  • Be an innovative and creative thinker - you are 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, take initiative, and require minimal direction
  • Work well independently as well as part of a team
  • Thrive in a fast-paced and fun environment

Compensation

The salary range for this position will be determined based upon the experience of the candidate hired. Benefits including health and a retirement plan are also provided. Additional benefits include a unique opportunity to be part of an innovative, meaningful, and rapidly growing organization that is changing the world through the lifelong gift of education.

Application Procedure

Please send a cover letter and resume by email with "Country Director, India" in the subject line (no letters, calls, faxes, or drop-ins) to asia.hiring@roomtoread.org. Due to high applicant volume, you may not receive a response from Room to Read. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

Room to Read is an equal opportunity employer committed to identifying and developing the skills and leadership of people from diverse backgrounds.