School Room Program Associate, Laos
Organization Profile:
Room to Read seeks to transform the lives of millions of children in developing countries by focusing on literacy and gender equality in education. Working in collaboration with local communities, partner organizations and governments, we develop literacy skills and a habit of reading among primary school children, and support girls to complete secondary school with the relevant life skills to succeed in school and beyond.
We are non-governmental, non-religious and work with many local NGOs and community based organizations to implement our programs. We currently work in Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Laos, Nepal, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania, Vietnam, and Zambia – countries with a desperate lack of resources to educate their children. Since our inception, Room to Read’s worldwide team has impacted over 6 million children by constructing more than 1,500 schools, establishing over 13,000 libraries, publishing 700 new children’s book titles in 11 local languages, and rewarding over 15,000 girls with long-term, holistic scholarships.
Room to Read has an annual budget of approximately US$44 million and our global staff numbers over 600. Our global headquarters is located in San Francisco, and we have smaller fundraising offices in Delhi, New York, Hong Kong, London, Mumbai, Sydney, and Tokyo. We have an Asia Regional Office located in New Delhi, a Southern Africa Regional Office in Pretoria, and program offices in Colombo, Dhaka, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Kathmandu, Lusaka, New Delhi, Pretoria, Phnom Penh, Vientiane, and we are setting up operations and hiring staff for a new office in Tanzania.
Position Overview:
The School Room Program Associate will assist and report to the School Room Program Officer (SRPO). Primary responsibilities entail monitoring construction projects and interacting with school/partner construction committees to assure high quality and timely implementation of construction projects. This position will be based outside of Vientiane in the districts where our construction projects are located.
Primary duty & Responsibilities:
- Write weekly report on the status and progress of project sites to the School Room Program Officer (SRPO) and School Room Program Manager (SRPM);
- Assist SRPO with community orientation and training at all construction project sites;
- Work with school construction committees to assure their understanding of the design and time line of the project as directed by the SRPO;
- Monitor usage of funds at project site; ensure all of Room to Read’s financial procedures are followed correctly;
- Assist in hosting donor site visits as needed and document inspiring stories from the field;
- Participate in any other activities which may be required to be undertaken to fulfill the objectives of the organization.
Qualifications:
Required:
- Bachelor or diploma in construction and field work or experience related to the tasks mentioned above;
- 1-2 years experience in construction, particularly school construction;
- Ability to travel frequently and spend several weeks at a time in the province and district where the construction projects are located;
- Good command of English and Lao (both written and oral) and good command of computer;
- Prior experience working with INGOs, schools, teachers, administrators and government officials.
To be successful as a member of the Room to Read team, you will also:
- Have passion for our mission and a strong desire to impact a dynamic nonprofit organization
- Be an innovative and creative thinker that tries new things and inspires 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
Compensation:
The salary range for each position will be determined based upon the experience of the candidate hired. The non-monetary compensation includes a unique opportunity to be part of an innovative, meaningful, and rapidly growing organization that is changing the world through literacy and gender equality in education.
Application Procedure:
Please submit your resume and cover letter by email (no calls, faxes, or drop-ins, please) to: Laos@roomtoread.org or sathaphone.chanthavong@roomtoread.org.
Due to the high volume of applicant response, not all applicants may receive a response from Room to Read.
Room to Read is an equal opportunity employer committed to identifying and developing the skills and leadership of people from diverse backgrounds.