OFFICER, QUALITY READING MATERIAL (QRM)

JOB DESCRIPTION

OFFICER, QUALITY READING MATERIAL (QRM)

A. ORGANIZATION PROFILE

Founded in 2000 on the belief that World Change Starts with Educated Children®, Room to Read develops children’s foundational literacy skills, as well as life skills that promote gender equality. As a leading implementer, Room to Read nurtures these essential skills in children by strengthening education systems – all while honoring the dignity of every child. Our Literacy Portfolio supports children in developing literacy skills and a love of reading by training and coaching educators, creating quality curriculum and children’s book content in local languages, and enriching learning spaces that enable children to become independent readers. Our Gender Equality Portfolio supports all adolescents, particularly girls, to develop life skills that promote gender equality with curriculum that focuses on collaboration, resilience, leadership, decision-making and critical thinking. We are a valuable partner of choice for government, other system and program partners as well as investors focused on education. Committed to accelerating learning outcomes for more children, more quickly, Room to Read has benefited more than 50 million children across 28 countries, including Bangladesh, Cambodia, Canada, China, Grenada, Honduras, India, Indonesia, Italy, Jordan, Kenya, Laos, Lebanon, Malawi, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, Palestine, Philippines, Rwanda, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Uganda, United States, Vietnam and Zambia. By the end of 2027, we aim to double the number of children and communities we support each year. Room to Read envisions a world free from illiteracy and gender inequality, where all children have room to read, learn and grow. Visit us at www.roomtoread.org.

B. ROOM TO READ IN NEPAL

To date, we have partnered with government schools to establish over 4,944 school libraries to encourage a reading habit in primary school children, published 413 children’s books for quality materials to read, constructed over 1,249 schools and renovated 46 schools and supporting to create an enabling learning environment through comprehensive reading & writing Instruction program in 1,009 primary classrooms. Through our Girls’ Education Program, we have supported over 12,166 girls from historically low-income families to complete secondary education and beyond by providing material, academic and life skills education support. We partner with a local NGO to implement and monitor our programs in our working districts. We are at a growing stage and working to expand our coverage more in the future. 

C. POSITION OVERVIEW

The Officer, Quality Reading Material (QRM) will work under the guidance of the Manager, Literacy, with strategic direction from the Literacy Program Director, and in close collaboration with the IDTS Officer, Operations and Admin Team and the local NGO/s. This role is responsible for organizing and overseeing the entire Quality Reading Material (QRM) Unit of Room to Read Nepal, ensuring the development and production of high-quality children's books and instructional materials. The Officer, Quality Reading Material (QRM), will work closely with Room to Read’s implementing partner; Padhnako Lagi Kotha (PLK) team, specifically to strengthen the capacity of the Associate, QRM and the Admin team (based in PLK) in managing, storing, and distributing printed and procured materials. The Officer, QRM is also responsible for coordinating with the Curriculum Development Centre (CDC) along with the relevant government agencies, and key stakeholders, including publishers, writers, illustrators, designers, and both thematic and commercial/non-commercial partners. Additionally, the officer will work closely with Room to Read’s global technical support team to scale QRM program effectively, with a goal of reaching more children more quickly.

D. ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Technical knowledge 60%

• Lead the process of creation and publishing of quality children’s literature that reflect the lived realities of diverse groups of children across multiple regions of Nepal
• Develop strategies to increase the supply and demand for a variety of quality books that reflect the lived realities of diverse groups of children across multiple regions of Nepal.
• Provide strategic support in shaping book publishing supply and demand chains at all levels by facilitating public-private partnerships, leveraging our content with partners (e.g., other publishing houses) and collaborating with these stakeholders in the creation and use of children’s literature coupled with effective teaching and learning materials. 
• Provide strategic support for our work with public and private partners with an aim to influence national standards for book lists and resource allocation processes.
• Develop processes to build a culture of reading through non-commercial efforts and also fuel commercial possibilities that support programmatic growth in Nepal. 
• Develop processes, children’s literature includes a variety of books in multimedia forms created to develop the love and habit of reading. 
• Develop processes to ensure that books created by Room to Read are developmentally appropriate, diverse and inclusive (i.e., varied in language, genre, theme, representation and format) and meet book production and publishing standards or standards set for other media types. 
• Track national and international trends in children's publishing to ensure market-driven, innovative, and relevant content development jointly with partnership through co-creation and licensing.
• Facilitate writers' workshops based on global QRM guidelines for both new and experienced writers.
• Lead illustrators' workshops to develop high-quality book illustrations aligned with global QRM modules.
• Engage in continuous professional development through courses, training, workshops, seminars, visits, and orientations.
• Support technical evaluation of procured goods and services in coordination with the RtR and NGOs/PLK team.
• Manage the preparation, review, and approval of Terms of Reference (ToR) and contract agreements for consultant procurement.
• Contribute to additional organizational activities necessary to achieve program objectives.
• Execute tasks assigned by the supervisor to support the organization's mission and goals.

Management 20%

• Design and develop age-appropriate and engaging Teaching Learning Materials (TLM) and Supplementary Reading Materials (SRM).
• Develop and finalize content with precision, ensuring proper typography, layout, and design consistency.
• Manage the entire book development process from manuscript creation to final publication including digital management of Room to Read’s literacy cloud.
• Approve book manuscripts by reviewing and refining content, design, and illustrations in coordination with LP Manager, literacy director and global team.
• Edit high-quality children's book content to ensure readability, accuracy, and inclusivity.
• Track and manage project timelines to ensure timely completion within budget and quality guidelines. 
• Conduct field testing and Evaluate the effectiveness of reading materials by using research, monitoring, and evaluation findings.
• Advocate for high-quality children's literature by engaging with government agencies, publishers and literacy partners.
• Organize training sessions for writers, illustrators, and publishers to enhance the quality of children's books.
• Update Ideal Book Collection (IBC) list by conducting IBC workshops on an annual basis.

Coordination and Collaboration 20 %

• Collaborate with writers, illustrators, and designers to create engaging and high-quality children's reading materials.
• Work in a multidisciplinary team to develop inclusive, age-appropriate, and culturally relevant books.
• Establish strong networks with local, national and international authors, illustrators, and publishers to enhance content quality.
• Engage with educators, policymakers, and literacy specialists to align materials with national and international education standards.
• Coordinate with production teams to ensure seamless integration of content, design, and illustrations.
• Partner with government agencies, Palikas, universities, publishers, and NGOs to promote the development and distribution of quality reading materials for children.
• Foster teamwork among creative professionals, drive innovation and ensure diverse storytelling approaches.
• Oversee material procurement, printing, and delivery in collaboration with operations and procurement teams.
• Develop professional relationships with key stakeholders like Palika, Publication houses or Non-profit organizations or institutions (if they are interested in producing and producing QRM materials) to support literacy program implementation.
• Work closely with research and monitoring teams to assess the impact of reading materials in schools.
• Represent the organization in forums, advocating for quality children's literature and reading promotion more quickly.
• Build partnerships with organizations, writers' groups, and creative networks to strengthen literacy initiatives.

E.     DESIRED KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS 

Qualification Required:

• Master’s degree in education (specializing in Nepali) or Arts in Nepali literature or related field. 
• Minimum 2 years of experience in delivering training in the field of children's book publishing, education like manuscript development, instructional materials design, library management. 
• Experience in the book publishing industry, including content development, design, and publication. 
• Experience in book publishing supply and demand chain along with public-private partnership 
• Excellent communication skills in both Nepali and English, with proficiency in verbal and written forms. 
• Experience in typing Nepali and editing using fonts like Preeti, Kantipur, and contemporary Unicode fonts. 
• Expertise in editing Nepali language content, including creative writing, grammar, spelling, vocabulary, and sentence structure. 
• Strong event, or small project management skills with the ability to manage timelines, program budgets and resources, and ensure quality delivery. 
• Leadership and collaboration skills, with experience in managing teams and working with diverse stakeholders like publishers, government units, and printing press in content development and 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 a dynamic 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 and require minimal direction.
• Work well independently as well as part of a team.
• Thrive in a fast-paced and fun environment.

Application Procedure:

Room to Read is an equal opportunity employer and implements a Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Access (DEIA) approach to recruitment process. Thus, all qualified applicants, including minorities, women, individual with disabilities, and other diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply.     

Room to Read has zero tolerance when it comes to child abuse and exploitation and believes that all children have equal protection rights. The newly hired colleague will be expected to adhere to the child protection policy, code of conduct and standards.

Interested applicants can visit the link below and click on the position to view the detailed job description and to apply for this position:

https://osv-rtr.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/RoomToRead

E-mail or drop-in applications will not be entertained for this position.

In case you are not able to access our website, please send us an e-mail request to nepal.hiring@roomtoread.org.