Job Description
- Literacy
Program Officer, Quality Reading Materials
Tanzania - Main -
Dar Es Salaam
The Literacy Program
Officer, Quality Reading Materials’ (“QRM”) primary responsibilities include
managing and coordinating all aspects of Room to Read’s publishing initiatives
including sourcing content, reviewing, and editing. S/he will also be required
to research and form networks within the publishing industry to gauge local
market trends and promote Room to Read as a key player in children’s book
publishing. The position will require some travel and involves frequent
interaction with authors, illustrators, publishers, printers, and
officials. The position will report directly to the Literacy Program
Manager, Quality Reading Materials.
Duties &
Responsibilities:
Manuscript
development
- Assisting the Literacy Quality Reading
Materials Manager to source writers and illustrators’ pre-workshop
(preparation and implementation)
- Assisting the Literacy Quality Reading
Materials Manager with content preparation for workshops
- Assisting the Literacy Quality Reading
Materials Manager to conduct the writers’ and illustrators’ workshops
- Assisting the Literacy Quality Reading
Materials Manager in mentoring writers on story development
- Monitoring story selection, story
review, and approval
- Monitoring development of sketches and
illustrations
- Mentoring illustrators during
storyboard development
- Assisting the Literacy Quality Reading
Materials Manager in monitoring the review and approval of illustrations
- Coordinating and monitoring the
translation of Adaptation stories
- Assisting the Literacy Quality Reading
Materials Manager to prepare designers’ briefs
- Assisting the Literacy Quality Reading
Materials Manager to give feedback and edit layout and design
- Assisting the Literacy Quality Reading
Materials Manager prepare the manuscripts for language evaluations
- Assisting the Literacy Quality Reading
Materials Manager to coordinate the implementation of language
evaluators’ comments
- Assisting the Literacy Quality Reading
Materials Manager to coordinate the submission of both new titles and
adaptations for Government approval
- Assisting the Literacy Quality Reading
Materials Manager in working on all comments given at different stages by
Government evaluators
- Assisting the Literacy Quality Reading
Materials Manager to coordinate the selection of re-prints
- Assisting the Literacy Quality Reading
Materials Manager to prepare re-print titles for printing
- Will be responsible for translating
English portions of published books, including dedication language,
copyright information, story summaries, and author/illustrator
biographies and submit them to the Literacy Quality Reading Materials
Manager for review and approval.
- Assisting the Literacy Quality Reading
Materials Manager to translate QRM documents, agenda and to adapt content
of GO titles
- Assisting the Literacy Quality Reading
Materials Manager to review and revise the layout of QRM books.
Distribution
- Prepare the distribution plan and
submit it to the Literacy Quality Reading Materials Manager for review
and approval.
- Assisting the Literacy Quality Reading Materials
Manager to prepare technical documents and provide technical advice to
publishing partners regarding printing specifications for QRM books
- Supervise printing process with
printing houses
- Warehouse visits and quality checking
books once delivered from printers.
Book list
- In collaboration with Administration
Team, keep contact with publishers and bookstores – keeping abreast with
latest catalogues and pricelists
- In collaboration with the IDTS team,
take the lead in categorizing books by genre and reading level, and
inputting the data
- Conducting orientation and working with
the Book Selection Committee to review and categorize books
- Take the lead in dividing the books
into main booklist, standby list, and into school list
- Assisting the Literacy Quality Reading
Materials Manager to prepare technical documents and providing technical
support (contacting publishers, receiving feedback from publishers,
finding, and replacing books on the booklist, checking packing process)
to Admin-team regarding technical requirements for the booklist, and
developing the booklist report.
Other Technical
Tasks
- Attend trainings/workshops/activities
of other Literacy Program components
- Conduct other operational tasks
relevant to Literacy Program team
- Visit book market and publishers to
stay informed about the children’s book publishing industry
- Assisting the Literacy Quality Reading
Materials Manager to contextualize documents from GO
- Coordinate meetings with publishers on
co-publish and licensing
- Organize research on book publishing
land scape survey and publishing eco-system
- Assisting the Literacy Quality Reading
Materials Manager to support Literacy Cloud team on book selection and
translation /versioning
- Perform other technical tasks assigned
by Literacy Director and GO
- Assisting the Literacy Quality Reading
Materials Manager on strategic planning for collaboration with
the Ministry of Education Science and Technology (MoEst).
Operational Tasks
- Assisting the Literacy Quality Reading
Materials Manager to forecast budget monthly and quarterly, and reporting
to Finance (12 forecast monthly, 4 forecasts quarterly)
- Assisting the Literacy Quality Reading
Materials Manager to prepare annual plan and budget for the QRM program
including detailed cost estimation of each book title and ensuring cost
efficiency
- Assisting the Literacy Quality Reading
Materials Manager to support GO Development team to provide technical
information for obtaining donors' grants
- Collaborate with Communication Officer
in compiling Fact Sheets about QRM.
- Conduct warehouses visits, and
providing audit assistance
Qualifications:
Required:
- Bachelor’s degree (in education,
languages, communications, or a related field)
- A minimum of 3 years of related
professional work experience
- Knowledge and understanding of local
book publishing industry
- Experience managing a printing and
publication process
- Manuscript editing, design, and layout
experience
- Facilitation and training skills
- Experience in developing and
implementing programmatic improvements
- Prior success working closely and
building relationships with diverse groups of people and organizations
- 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
- Proven track record of achieving
results
- Excellent verbal and written
communication skills in English
- Ability to juggle multiple priorities
simultaneously.
Preferred:
- A master’s degree in a related field of
study
- Prior experience in the book publishing
field
Compensation:
Room to Read offers
a competitive pay 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 transforming the lives of millions of
children in developing countries by focusing on literacy and gender equality in
education.
Application
Procedure:
Please visit our
website at www.roomtoread.org and click on the “careers” link under
about us tab. This will take you to Room to Read’s Career Portal. Click on the
See Current Vacancies to find this vacancy, select the vacancy you are
interested and click apply to begin the online application process. If
you do not hear from Room to Read within one month of the closing date, please
accept that your application was unsuccessful. Please note that late
applications will not be considered, and correspondence will be limited to
short-listed candidates only.
Room to Read is
proud to be an equal opportunity employer committed to identifying and
developing the skills and leadership of people from diverse backgrounds, Women
are encouraged to apply. Room to Read is a child safe organization. CLOSING
DATE: February 14th, 2022.
Location(s)
Tanzania - Main -
Dar Es Salaam
To be successful at Room to Read, you will also:
- Have passion for our mission and a
strong desire to impact a dynamic nonprofit organization
- Be a proactive and innovative thinker
who achieves results and creates positive change
- Have a very high level of personal and
professional integrity and trustworthiness
- Embrace diversity and a commitment to
collaboration
- Thrive in a fast-paced and fun
environment
Room to Read is
proud to be an equal opportunity employer committed to identifying and
developing the skills and leadership of people from diverse backgrounds. EOE/M/F/Vet/Disabled
CLICK HERE TO APPLY