Social Behaviour Change Communication Advisor

Reports to: TBC but likely DMI’s Regional Director (Africa)

Responsible for: Providing programme leadership on SBCC best practices, programme design of SBCC activities, and planning of integrated SBCC activities. This position will provide management support for country SBCC officers across the four ExpandPF countries of implementation.

Start date: 1 October 2023

Term: 5 years, fixed term

Based in: Lomé, Togo

Salary: $55,000 – $65,000 per annum

Application deadline: 23 August 2023

About DMI

Development Media International (DMI) creates evidence-based behaviour change campaigns to improve health and save lives. We deliver at scale to maximise impact and cost-effectiveness. We are the first organisation to scientifically demonstrate that mass media can increase life-saving behaviours. In 2018 DMI published the results of its 5-year, £7m randomised controlled trial (RCT) in West Africa which showed that 56% more children were taken for treatment for malaria, 73% more for diarrhoea and 39% more for pneumonia following exposure to our campaign. Modelling indicates that over 3000 lives were saved during the campaign and that our approach is one of the most cost-effective ways of saving children’s lives. We have subsequently undertaken a second RCT which showed that the modern contraceptive prevalence rate was 20% higher in areas exposed to DMI’s messaging compared to areas that were not.

DMI has two priorities: first, to continue to generate ground-breaking research, second, to take our proven strategies to scale, saving as many lives as possible and improving health. We work across a range of health issues, including child survival, reproductive health, nutrition, hygiene, and early childhood development. DMI works in close partnership with leading experts in health, including WHO, UNICEF and LSHTM and has been funded by some of the world’s most prestigious organisations including the Wellcome Trust, DFID, Comic Relief, the Global Innovation Fund, Unorthodox Philanthropy and the Mulago Foundation.

We are an innovative and rapidly growing organisation, working at the nexus between science and creativity. DMI has demonstrated that knowledge is not only a human right but is also the key to saving lives in a cost-effective way. Our intellectual rigour, enthusiasm, and willingness to learn from both our successes and mistakes, makes us distinct. Our ethos is non-hierarchical: all our staff are intellectually high-powered, and we have a “best idea wins” culture. By working at DMI you will have a genuine, measurable impact on improving lives in low-income countries.

DMI has a permanent presence in Burkina Faso, Madagascar, Mozambique, and Tanzania and also currently works in Mauritania, Uganda, and Zambia. DMI’s headquarters overlooks the Regents Canal near Kings Cross in London and provides the strategic direction for the whole organisation.

DMI is ranked as one of the most cost-effective non-profit organisations in the world by The Life You Can Save.

Find out more on our website.

About ExpandPF

USAID/West Africa Expand Family Planning and Sexual and Reproductive Health Activity (ExpandPF) aims to support replication and scale-up of key FP HIPs (i.e., immediate postpartum family planning, postabortion family planning, adolescent responsive contraceptive services, task sharing, community health workers, and knowledge, beliefs, attitudes, and self-efficacy) in urban and peri-urban centres, with targeted service delivery in Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Mauritania, and Togo.

Job description

DMI is looking to recruit an experienced candidate to be ExpandPF’s SBCC Advisor. The successful candidate will be located within the programme headquarters in Lomé, Togo and provide advice and leadership across the programme.

More specifically, the SBCC Advisor role will include the following responsibilities:

1. Providing program leadership on SBCC best practices and lead the design and implementation of SBCC activities in line with ExpandPF strategy across Togo, Mauritania, Cote d’Ivoire, and Cameroon
2. Providing relevant training, capacity development, and/or technical assistance in SBC activities to country-level SBC officers across Togo, Mauritania, Cote d’Ivoire, and Cameroon.
3. Providing guidance on assessing, monitoring, and evaluating SBCC activities
4. Supporting the development and initiation of protocols to monitor the implementation of media and community-based SBC activities, in coordination with country teams
5. Reviewing and providing input into ExpandPF technical strategies, workplans, tools, frameworks, and guidelines to ensure SBC is appropriately incorporated
6. Keeping abreast of, and contributing to, relevant ExpandPF technical guidance and technical literature.
7. Developing and maintaining relationships with governmental and non-governmental institutions, USAID Missions and other sexual and reproductive health and rights implementers across the ExpandPF countries and the West Africa region
8. Representing the ExpandPF consortium externally at meetings, forums, and conferences
9. Other tasks as required by DMI and the ExpandPF consortium

Person specification

Required knowledge, skills and experience

1. Master’s degree in public health, Behaviour Change, Social Science, Development, Communications, or a related field
2. 7+ years’ experience working on public health or health communication programs in low-and-middle-income countries
3. Demonstrated knowledge and experience in designing and managing effective social behaviour change activities
4. Experience working with local/national governments and capacity strengthening systems, partners and staff
5. Demonstrated knowledge and experience in the field of sexual and reproductive health
6. Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to work in cross-cultural, multi-lingual teams
7. Strong written and oral communication skills in French and English
8. Willing to spend 10 – 25% of work time on international travel and 40% of their time on regional travel across the ExpandPF countries of implementation

Desirable knowledge, skills and experience

1. Experience working on USAID projects
2. Experience implementing digital SBCC activities
3. Formal training in and demonstrated understanding of SBC theories and frameworks, and familiarity with the current SBC literature

We strongly encourage female candidates to apply for this role.

DMI is committed to equality of opportunity for all staff and applications from individuals are encouraged regardless of age, disability, sex, gender reassignment, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief and marriage and civil partnerships.

DMI operates a zero-tolerance policy on sexual exploitation and abuse and is committed to the protection and safeguarding of vulnerable individuals. Where appropriate, successful candidates will undergo background and reference checks. All DMI employees will be required to self-declare prior issues of sexual or other misconduct, termination of past employment, criminal records, and concerns registered with government authorities regarding contact with children.