Program Associate, Book Publishing

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 7.8 million children by constructing more than 1,600 schools, establishing over 15,000 libraries, publishing 874 new children’s book titles in 27 local languages, and reaching over 20,000 girls through our Girls’ Education program.

Room to Read has an annual budget of approximately US$43.7 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 and program offices in Colombo, Dar es Salaam, Dhaka, Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, Kathmandu, Lusaka, New Delhi, Pretoria, Phnom Penh, and Vientiane.

Position Overview:

The Book Publishing Program Associate’s (LLP PA) primary responsibilities will include assisting all aspects of Room to Read’s publishing initiatives including sourcing content, reviewing and editing manuscripts, and negotiating printing agreements.  In addition, the LLP PA will be expected to be familiar with research and trends in the field of children’s books.

The position will require some travel in rural parts of the country during field testing and monitoring sessions and involves frequent interaction with writers, authors, illustrators, publishers, printers and government officials.  You will report directly to the Book Publishing Program Manager (LLP PM).

Duties & Responsibilities:

• Assist the LLP PM in, reviewing and editing manuscripts, securing copyrights and ISBN codes, obtaining government approval, assisting in the procurement of printers, sending our new books to print, etc.
• Work with authors and illustrators to produce original, high quality content that is appropriate for target age groups, suitable for the local cultural context and functional as a tool for education
• Facilitate dialogues and schedule meetings between authors, translators and illustrators; ensure attention to detail and steer efforts towards shared vision of a final product
• Analyze and make recommendations for improving book content and layouts.
• Support implementation of a writer’s competition in which Room to Read Tanzania selects new titles to publish.
• Type, edit, and review manuscripts 
• Extend support to Book Development Committee in order to get their inputs into the program
• Track changes annually in the children’s book market with respect to content, format, types, age/grade levels, themes, languages (bi-lingual and/or minority languages) etc., and use this information to evaluate and inform Room to Read’s publishing initiatives
• Assist in building partnerships with organizations and associations involved with children’s books (NGOs involved with content development, writers groups, creative writing departments of universities, etc.) with the goal of becoming a key player in this community.
• In collaboration with the Program Manager develop annual plans and budgets for the Room to Read Tanzania Book Publishing program.
• Provide the LLP PM with the information required to prepare submit timely reports as required by RtR TZ.

Qualifications:

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree in education, sociology or community development
• Three years experience in the field of publication or education
• Strong planning, supervising, and program development skills
• Ability to travel frequently to rural areas
• Strong verbal and written communication skills in English and Kiswahili
• Proven track record of achieving results
• Experience teaching and book publishing

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’re 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

Compensation:

The salary range for this position will be determined based upon the experience of the candidate hired. Health and retirement benefits are also provided. The non-monetary compensation includes a unique opportunity to be part of an innovative, meaningful, fun, and rapidly growing organization that is changing the world through gender equality and education.

Application Procedure:

Please submit your resume and cover letter by email (no calls, faxes, or drop-ins) to tz.info@roomtoread.org with Book Publishing Associate in the subject line. Due to the anticipated high volume of applicant response, only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.

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