State Literacy Specialist
Organisation : Language and Learning Foundation (LLF)
Location : Patna, Bihar – state-level role with district travel as required
Reports To : State Programme Lead / State Academic Lead
Type : Full-time
ABOUT LLF
Language and Learning Foundation (LLF) is an education nonprofit that partners with state governments to strengthen Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN) outcomes at scale. In Bihar, LLF serves as a technical partner to the State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT), Patna, supporting the design and implementation of state-wide FLN initiatives under the NIPUN Bharat mission.
ROLE PURPOSE
The State Literacy Specialist is a senior technical role and the primary subject matter lead for literacy and language pedagogy within LLF’s embedded team at SCERT Bihar. The role’s principal responsibility is state-level academic support — working alongside SCERT, DIETs, and the district academic system to co-develop instructional materials, strengthen teacher training systems, build DIET and DRG capacity, and design multi-modal CPD frameworks for FLN teachers across Bihar. Where LLF implements district-level demonstration projects, the Specialist also provides direct academic support to those districts, deepening the state-level work with on-ground evidence and practice.
This role will be meaningful for someone who is deeply committed to improving literacy outcomes for children, can work effectively within government systems, and brings both intellectual rigour and practical field orientation to their work.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Technical Leadership for Foundational Literacy (State Level)
- Provide technical inputs to SCERT and state institutions on foundational literacy, early language learning, and FLN pedagogy.
- Support the development and implementation of state FLN strategies, academic plans, and NIPUN Bharataligned initiatives.
- Ensure coherence across academic inputs by aligning them with NEP 2020, NIPUN Bharat, and Bihar state priorities.
- Represent LLF in state-level academic consultations, reviews, technical working groups, and government meetings.
Strengthening Teacher Training Systems
- Lead the design, development, and review of literacy-focused teacher training modules, facilitator guides, and learning materials.
- Support the planning and execution of large-scale teacher training programmes, including cascade training models.
- Build the academic capacity of DIET faculty, master trainers, Block Resource Persons (BRPs), and other education functionaries.
- Promote practice-oriented professional development through demonstration lessons, peer learning circles, and mentoring.
- Improve training effectiveness through systematic observation, structured feedback, and continuous academic support.
Academic Support to State and District Systems
- Work closely with district teams to strengthen training delivery, improve classroom practices, and develop local academic leadership.
- Support district-level officials (BEOs, BRPs, DIET faculty) in academic planning, review processes, and onground problem-solving.
- Facilitate contextualised, responsive solutions to FLN implementation challenges at the block and cluster level.
Strengthening Classroom Practices
- Guide district and block-level teams on effective classroom observation and structured academic support processes.
- Strengthen teacher practices across oral language development, reading fluency, comprehension, vocabulary, writing, and multilingual approaches.
- Identify persistent classroom challenges and design targeted academic support interventions to address them.
Academic Resource Development
- Lead or contribute to the development, contextualisation, and quality review of teacher training modules, teacher guides, TLMs, assessment tools, and academic frameworks.
- Ensure all materials are pedagogically sound, contextually appropriate, and aligned with state curriculum and FLN frameworks.
- Work collaboratively with SCERT and LLF teams to iteratively refine and improve academic resources.
Institutional Capacity Building
- Support SCERT and DIETs to strengthen their academic leadership functions and teacher support systems.
- Design and implement capacity-building initiatives for DIET faculty, BRPs, and academic support cadres.
- Mentor government functionaries to improve training quality, classroom support delivery, and academic monitoring.
- Contribute to building sustainable, government-owned systems for continuous professional development.
Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning
- Support the use of classroom observation data, training assessments, and learning outcomes data to inform academic decisions.
- Analyse implementation evidence and surface priorities for academic improvement.
- Prepare academic reports, case studies, technical briefs, and learning documents for internal and government audiences.
- Contribute to LLF’s organisational learning and knowledge management processes.
Support to Demonstration Districts (where applicable)
- Where LLF implements district-level demonstration projects, provide intensive on-ground literacy academic support to selected districts alongside the state-level role.
- Work with DIET faculty, BEOs, and BRPs in demonstration districts to strengthen planning, training delivery, classroom support, and academic review processes.
- Document innovations, field challenges, and learnings from demonstration districts to inform and strengthen state-level academic strategy.
KEY DELIVERABLES
- Strengthened literacy-focused teacher professional development systems at state and district levels.
- Improved quality of literacy instruction and classroom practices across districts.
- Enhanced academic capacity of SCERT, DIET, and district-level structures.
- High-quality academic resources, training modules, and support tools, developed and reviewed periodically.
- Regular academic reports, documentation, and technical inputs for state stakeholders and LLF leadership.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE
- Master's degree in Education, Language Education, Elementary Education, Linguistics, or a closely related field.
- 6–10 years of relevant experience in education programmes, with a strong focus on foundational literacy and language learning.
- Demonstrated experience in teacher professional development, academic support, and instructional design.
- Prior experience working with government education systems, particularly SCERTs, DIETs, or large-scale state programmes.
KEY SKILLS & COMPETENCIES
- Deep understanding of foundational literacy and language pedagogy, including multilingual and early childhood approaches.
- Strong instructional design and academic content development skills.
- Proven ability to design and facilitate effective teacher training programmes.
- Skilled at facilitation, mentoring, and coaching, including of government functionaries.
- Ability to engage constructively and build credibility with senior government stakeholders.
- Strong analytical, documentation, and report-writing skills.
- Excellent communication skills in both Hindi and English.
PREFERRED EXPERIENCE
- Prior experience working with SCERTs, DIETs, SIEMATs, or within government academic systems.
- Hands-on experience with FLN implementation under NIPUN Bharat.
- Involvement in state-level education reform, technical assistance, or system-strengthening projects.
- Multi-district programme implementation experience.
- Familiarity with the Bihar education landscape and ecosystem.
WHY THIS ROLE MATTERS
Bihar's commitment to NIPUN Bharat represents one of the most ambitious educational undertakings in the country. This role offers a rare opportunity to work at the core of that effort — directly shaping the academic systems, teacher development practices, and institutional capacities that will determine whether millions of children achieve foundational literacy. LLF's close partnership with SCERT means this position carries real influence and real responsibility.
Please apply using the link below. :-
https://forms.gle/LDSZTJXMDRmwYRBB8