Madagascar: Social Behavior Change Advisor

Helen Keller International

JOB ANNOUNCEMENT

Social Behavior Change Advisor
(Madagascar – exact location TBD)**

Cofounded in 1915 by our namesake and renowned activist Helen Keller, Helen Keller International (HKI) is dedicated to save and improve the sight and lives of the world's vulnerable by combating the causes and consequences of blindness, poor health and malnutrition. HKI is headquartered in New York City and presently supports national and local partners to design and implement innovative, cost-effective and high-return programs in 20 countries (12 in Africa, 7 in Asia Pacific and in the United States). Our programs directly provide basic health interventions to tens of millions of people annually and are organized around three interconnected program pillars: Eye Health, Nutrition, and Neglected Tropical Diseases.

HKI seeks a Social Behavior Change Advisor to be based in Madagascar to ensure the development and integration of high-quality and contextually appropriate SBC tools across all activities in an anticipated USAID Food for Peace (FFP) Development Food Security Activity (DFSA) program.

Functional Relationships

Reporting to the Chief of Party in Madagascar and to HKI’s Regional Director for Nutrition, based in Dakar, Senegal, the SBC Advisor will collaborate with other senior advisors on the project team and direct the work of an SBC team. The position also requires close cooperation with the government of Madagascar partner NGOs and key stakeholders, as well as with the donor.

HKI has a matrixed reporting structure that respects both the line management and authority within country office and regional hierarchies; and the accountability and oversight duties of subject matter experts at the regional and headquarters level. Regular communication and a spirit of team work among colleagues, both hierarchically and laterally are essential to make this structure thrive.

Scope of the Position

The SBC Advisor will work closely with staff and partners to develop high-quality and contextually appropriate SBC tools promoting nutrition, health, and WASH best practices for the DFSA. S/he will support project staff and partners to build capacity in SBC. S/he will provide technical support and leadership to SBC integration throughout DFSA activities and operations. The SBC Advisor will also be involved in the formative research and learning initiatives related to SBC approaches and integration and will be responsible for coordinating and supervising SBC initiatives across sectors.

Specific Responsibilities

· Work closely with DFSA COP and program advisors in all communication-related activities of the project.

· Lead the design and implementation of SBC activities that is responsive to the local context, in collaboration with government and other partner agencies. This includes providing guidance and technical input to formative assessments and the development and roll out of context responsive and gender sensitive SBC tools, such as tailored training materials, practice guides, manuals and other technical resources.

· Guide adaptation of proven SBC approaches such as the Essential Nutrition Actions (ENA) and Essential Hygiene Actions (EHA) toolkit to local context of the project, including facilitating incorporation of these proven approaches into project materials and trainings.

· Review and advise on the quality and appropriateness of all SBC materials to ensure content adheres to national policies and guidelines, and that HKI and donor branding rules are followed.

· Assess the technical capacity of staff and partners and provide training, coaching, mentoring and technical guidance for the implementation of the SBC strategy; develop capacity building plans and strategies for staff and partners staff to advance knowledge and skills in SBC.

· Collaborate with staff and partners to identify opportunities for enhancing SBC strategies and their implementation; identify relevant stakeholders and build partnerships to address gaps.

· Plan and coordinate activities in collaboration with partners and stakeholders, including providing technical support to partners in developing effective SBC strategies.

· Supervise and mentor staff through a matrix management system.

· Support the documentation of best practices and lessons learned from the intervention’s SBC approaches and facilitate their effective use to improve program quality as well as sharing these lessons.

· Manage the archives of project SBC resources and ensure the classification and proper use of photos and other documents.

· Conduct periodic project reviews (via meetings, report review, site visits, etc.) to ensure alignment with the overall food and nutrition security strategy, learning and adaptation as necessary.

· Coordinate the dissemination of new SBC approaches and technologies for adaptive management.

· Support the collection and verification of indicator data.

· Participate actively in food and nutrition security forums and platforms with government partners and other stakeholders.

· Prepare technical reports according to agreement requirement

· Represent HKI on matters related to SBC

Qualifications

· Advanced degree in social sciences, preferably in behaviour change communication, sociology, anthropology or psychology, with at least five years relevant work experience, or equivalent combination of education and work experience.

· Course(s) and documented experience in behavior change communication, social marketing, or the design of materials and communications for various media.

· Technical knowledge of health behaviors needed; nutrition behaviors is an asset.

· Proven experience and skills in advocacy.

· Strong editing skills and an eye for detail.

· Experience working in Madagascar.

· Excellent oral and written communication skills in English, French.

· Ability to work effectively with multiple partners including communities, government and NGO partners.

· Ability to develop work plans and monitor program activities in a timely manner.

· General computer proficiency and strong skills in MS Word, Excel and PowerPoint

· Able to work methodically, accurately and independently.

· An ability to work in challenging and changing environments, and to see through challenges to find solutions; an ability to maintain balance when under stress.

· Demonstrable respect for all persons regardless of religion, ethnicity, class or gender, with a high comfort level working in a diverse environment with a demonstrated commitment to high professional ethical standards.

· A team player, friendly, supportive, adaptable and flexible.

To Apply:

Qualified candidates should submit a cover letter and resume to HKI.Recruitment@hki.org noting the job title in the subject line. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

Employment is contingent upon grant and candidate approvals by the donor.

Helen Keller International is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, disability, or protected veteran status.

We are committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities.

If you are a qualified individual with a disability and need to request an accommodation during the application or interview process, please contact us at the email above or:

Tel: 646-356-1789; Fax: (212) 532-6014;