Officer, Program Operations

Position Overview:

In partnership with Jharkhand education project council (JEPC), Jharkhand, Room to Read is setting up a State Project Management Unit (SPMU) Quality Education for the period of 2025-30.

The SPMU will have the mandate to design and implement quality education activities for primary grade students across Jharkhand. This will include FLN mission related activities such as Implementation, Quality Education initiatives under the SPMU–Quality Education mandate.

The Officer, Program Operations will be based at Country Office in New Delhi and will report to the National SPMU Lead. This position plays a pivotal operational and coordination role, supporting the successful execution of the project through seamless collaboration across internal departments, timely donor reporting, effective financial monitoring, and frequent engagement with the state team.

Roles And Responsibilities:

Program Activity Tracking and Coordination:

• Lead and facilitate periodic review meetings as per the established project calendar, ensuring structured follow-up on action items and cross-functional accountability.
• Represent Room to Read in state national level coalitions and working groups related to quality education and FLN, as delegated by the National SPMU Lead. Ensure effective articulation of project objectives and contributions in such forums.
• Collaborate with the Research, Monitoring & Evaluation (RM&E) and Literacy teams to co-develop and refine indicators for monitoring the impact, effectiveness, and scalability of the program. Contribute to setting up systems for data collection, validation, and use for program improvement.

Internal Coordination with INCO Departments:

• Serve as the focal point between the country office and State SPMU team for coordination with various departments in Country Office such as People Operations, Administration, Finance etc.
• Coordinate timely procurement and expense booking for all project-related activities in close liaison with the Finance and Procurement teams, ensuring alignment with internal financial controls and donor compliance requirements.
• Support documentation of MoUs, contracts, and reports aligned to SPMU needs.
• Establish a monthly cadence for program reviews and cross-departmental coordination to drive alignment, track progress, and enable timely course correction.

Donor and Partner Management:

• Coordinate and manage engagement with multiple project partners to ensure alignment, synergy, and smooth implementation of activities across all levels.
• Ensure all donor compliances are followed, and any deviation properly documented.
• Support the development and timely submission of donor reports, including narrative updates, data insights, and progress documentation.
• Collaborate with the Communications team to compile success stories, case studies, and visual content for donor visibility.
• Maintain a reporting calendar and ensure donor deliverables are met in accordance with quality standards and brand guidelines.

Financial Management and Budget Tracking:

• Lead preparation of Annual Work plans along with budgets in prescribed format in consultation with all stake holders.
• Work closely with the Finance team to track project expenditures and support monthly and quarterly financial reviews.
• Support preparation of monthly budget cash forecasts, outlook projections, variance analysis, and re-purposing as needed.
• Ensure alignment of program activities with approved budgets and donor guidelines.

Others:

• Undertake regular visits to Jharkhand to support field implementation, monitor operational efficiencies, and provide on-ground coordination support to the State SPMU team.
• Support documentation and sharing of field insights to improve implementation and reporting.
• Draft comprehensive Terms of Reference (ToRs) for individual consultants, research agencies, or technical service providers as required by the project. Ensure ToRs are aligned with project objectives, timelines, and deliverables.

Qualifications & Experience:

Required:

• Master’s degree in management, Social work or related field is required.
• Minimum 5-8 years of relevant experience.
• Excellent writing skills and high-level command on grammar.
• Ability to easily change writing styles to fit the audience and voice of the piece.
• Must have attention to detail.
• Comfortable working with advance excel and Budget.
• Poses strong oral and Interpersonal Skills to be able to communicate with potential organizations and or government contacts on the desired grant.
• Ability to interact effectively with a wide variety of people with diverse communication styles.
• Excellent coordination and problem-solving skills.
• Good interpersonal skills and a team player.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications required.
• Knowledge/ training in FLN will be an added advantage.

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; all personnel are expected to adhere to Room to Read’s Child Protection Policy and Child Protection Code of Conduct.