Associate, Balvatika

Position Overview:

The Government of Jharkhand, in partnership with Room to Read and JEPC, is establishing a State Project Management Unit (SPMU) to enhance the quality of education in the state, with a specific focus on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN). As part of this initiative, Balvatika will focus on early childhood learning interventions for children in the 3–6 age group. The Associate – Balvatika will report directly to Officer, Literacy at State and will support the planning, implementation, and monitoring of Balvatika-related interventions across the state.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Support the design and rollout of Balvatika interventions aligned with NCERT guidelines and NIPUN Bharat mission.
• Contribute to creating developmentally appropriate, contextualized curriculum and other instructional material with the adaptation of the National Early Childhood Education Curriculum, ‘Adhaarshila’, to the Jharkhand context.
• Coordinate with JEPC, SCERT, and DIETs to align early learning goals with the state’s academic calendar and training plans.
• Assist in developing the Training content, including framework, training modules.
• Organize and support training programs for teachers, Anganwadi workers, and master trainers at state, district, and block levels.
• Participate in classroom observations and learning assessments at selected sites.
• Provide feedback to improve ECE delivery and the learning environment based on the observation findings.
• Monitor implementation progress of Balvatika components in identified schools and Anganwadi-linked ECCE centers.
• Conduct field visits and collect qualitative and quantitative data on early learning indicators.
• Prepare documentation, progress reports, and case studies highlighting best practices and challenges.
• Provide administrative and technical support to the SPMU team related to early childhood education.
• Liaise with stakeholders including government bodies, partners, and academic institutions.

Qualifications:

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree in Education, Child Development, Social Work, or relevant field. Master’s degree preferred.
• Minimum 2-3 years of experience in early childhood education, FLN projects, or related development sector roles.
• Strong understanding of pedagogy in Early childhood years. Effective learning ways for children, the role of the classroom environment in learning.
• Understanding of ECCE curriculum and NIPUN Bharat guidelines.
• Proficient in data collection, analysis, and report writing.
• Experience working with government systems, particularly in Jharkhand or similar contexts.
• Strong communication skills in Hindi and English.
• Willingness to travel extensively within the state.

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.