Room to Read's mission is to provide under-privileged children with an opportunity to gain the lifelong gift of education. The organization was founded on the belief that education is the key to breaking the cycle of poverty and taking control of one?s own life. We currently work in Cambodia, India, Laos, Nepal, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, and Zambia – countries with a desperate lack of resources to educate their children. In 2007, we began our expansion into Bangladesh.

Room to Read is a results-driven organization that seeks to intervene early in a child's life to provide ongoing educational opportunities in their communities. We are non-governmental, non-religious and work with many local NGOs and community based organizations to implement our programs. We have developed a successful approach to building educational infrastructure and opportunities which consists of:

• Partnering with communities to build schools through challenge grants
• Establishing bi-lingual libraries
• Publishing local language children's books
• Establishing computer and language labs
• Providing long-term scholarships to girls

Since our inception, Room to Read's worldwide team has impacted over 1.7 million children by constructing more than 440 schools, establishing over 5,100 libraries, publishing 226 new children's book titles in 11 local languages, and putting over 4,000 girls onto long-term, holistic scholarships. We are one of ten non-profits to have won the Fast Company / Monitor Group Social Capitalist award five years in a row and have been featured in a variety of media including The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, CNN, The Oprah Winfrey Show, and PBS.

Room to Read has an annual budget of approximately US$22 million, and our global staff numbers over 175; both of these figures will continue to grow rapidly in 2008. Our global headquarters is located in San Francisco, our Asia Regional Office is located in New Delhi, and we have program offices in Colombo, Ho Chi Minh City, Kathmandu, Lusaka, New Delhi, Pretoria, Phnom Penh, and Vientiane. Our long-term goal is to help 10 million children to gain the lifelong gift of education.

Position Overview

The IT Director's role is to spearhead the development of technology planning and ensure the streamlined operation of IT processes in alignment with the business objectives of Room to Read and its global programs. This person will design, develop, plan, and manage IT-related activities of the organization, as well as provide administrative direction and support for daily operational activities. The IT Director will work with staff and stakeholders to identify technology solutions that increase the quality and sustainability of the programs and increase productivity and success of the HQ staff. This position will also define and implement global IT policies, procedures and best practices. The IT Director will coordinate technology needs assessments, recommend and provide technology training to HQ and global staff and be service oriented. This position reports to the Chief People Officer.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Set overall IT strategy for Room to Read, including HQ and all countries.
• Manage IT operations in the US, Asia, Africa, and additional geographies considered for expansion.
• Lead operational and strategic planning, including fostering innovation, planning projects and organizing and negotiating the allocation of resources.
• Oversee Room to Read's core Global Solutions Database (GSD) for tracking programs worldwide.
• Manage IT-related projects throughout the organization.
• Manage the deployment, monitoring, maintenance, development, upgrade and support of global IT infrastructure.
• Benchmark, analyze, report on, and make recommendations for the improvement and growth of the IT infrastructure and IT systems.
• Oversee the provision of end-user services, including outsourced help desk and technical support services.
• Work with stakeholders to define business and systems requirements for new technology implementations.
• Keep current with the latest technologies.
• Manage financial aspects of the IT department, including purchasing, budgeting and budget review.
• Develop business case justifications and cost/benefit analyses for IT spending and initiatives.
• Develop and implement all IT policies and procedures, including those for architecture, security, disaster recovery, standards, purchasing and service provision.
• Negotiate and administer vendor, outsourcer and consultant contracts and service agreements.
• Maintain asset management for IT hardware, software and equipment.
• Establish and maintain regular written and in-person communications with the organization regarding pertinent IT activities, including training as needed.
• Align IT systems and solutions to the needs of HQ and global staff.
• Develop technology job aids and train HQ and global staff on technology solutions.

Compensation

Room to Read offers a competitive salary with excellent benefits. Benefits include health, dental, vision, long-term disability insurance, and a 401K match. 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 the lifelong gift of education.

Qualifications

Required:

To Apply

Please send a cover letter and resume by email with "IT Director - ID" in the subject line (no letters, calls, faxes, or drop-ins) to hiring@roomtoread.org. Due to high applicant volume, you may not 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. 

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