Communication Officer at International Medical Corps

Specific Job Responsibilities
Social Mobilization and Behavioral Change Communication:

• Develop and implement a social mobilization and behavioral change communication strategy for the project.
• Raise awareness about the project’s scope and strategy.
• Support the project to implement socially acceptable solutions that address the common barriers to Oral Polio Vaccine (OPV) and general Routine Immunizations (RI) uptake within the project’s geographic context.
• Develop a well-targeted public awareness campaign and behavioral change communication strategy that will overcome myths and misconceptions about Oral Polio Vaccine and immunization in general.
• Support CBOs to initiate and implement grassroots social mobilization processes to improve OPV and RI coverage in targeted communities

Design Innovative Community-based Interventions that Improve Access to Care:

• Support community-based organizations (CBOs) in the design of programs that will assist local communities to access unhindered healthcare delivery.
• Support mapping of community needs and priorities for collective action leading to solutions to those problems, and to make that process self-sustaining and self-managing.

Advocacy and Capacity Building of CBOs:

• Lead the advocacy for the acceptance of the project’s OPV and RI interventions at the state, LGA and community level
• Lead the training of consortium staff, partners, and CBOs in social mobilization and behavioral change communication
• Build the capacity of CBOs in the development and prioritization of social mobilization activities that will improve access to RI services

Documentation and Development of Information, Education and Communication (IEC) Materials:

• Develop unique, impactful IEC materials (e.g. pamphlets, CDs, radio messages, etc.) that will overcome the barriers and misconceptions about Oral Polio Vaccine and RI in the focal states
• With the Project Officer M&E, develop a mechanism for documenting best practices and case studies in the area of social mobilization/BCC

Dissemination of Secretariat’s Activities:

• Craft quarterly and annual reports through the collaboration of the M&E Officer and Secretariat Director
• Create success stories to share through NGO and INGO networks and social media
• Disseminate success stories to national media when appropriate, utilizing sensitivity to the content matter and the security issues of CBOs

Key Working Relationships
Internal:

• S/he will be expected to work in close collaboration with other CGPP in-country consortium members (CRS, Save the Children and IMC) in the area of knowledge sharing, mentoring and training opportunities.
• S/he will liaise with CBOs and NGOs in the consortium to ensure there is a uniform social mobilization and BCC protocol for the country program.
• S/he is expected to maximize opportunities for cross-learning between all CGPP technical officers and other technical officers in all CGPP-supported programs in-country. S/he will receive support from the global CGPP KM & Comms advisor.

External:

• S/he is expected to work closely with social mobilization officers in key partner organizations like WHO, UNICEF, Breakthrough Action Nigeria (BA-N), government agencies like the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), Nigeria Centers for Disease control (NCDC) as well as the National Polio Emergency Operations Centre (EOC).

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• A Degree in fields related to Community Organization, Development and Empowerment such as Social Science, Sociology, Human Development, Communications and Socio-economics.
• At least 5 years of experience in implementing social and behavior change communication programs
• Proven ability to work on a team
• Knowledge of one of the local languages in the North e.g. Hausa
• Experience using Microsoft Suite, Adobe PDF
• Flexibility to work in harsh field conditions in the communities is a major requirement
• Proven experience working with and through partner organizations including the public sector
• Experience in designing IEC materials to improve access to and uptake of immunization services
• Flexibility to work in harsh field conditions in the communities is required
• Ability and willingness to travel to Northern Nigeria at least 50% of the time or as required.
• Experience in the field of immunization in Nigeria
• Excellent writing and oral communication skills
• Experience in Canva preferred
• Strong training & facilitation skills.

Ethical Conduct for IMC Staff

• The International Medical Corps maintains a code of standards of conduct that shall govern the performances of its employees engaged in the award and administration of contracts.
• No employee, officer, or agent shall participate in the selection, award, or administration of a contract supported /by donor funds if a real or apparent conflict of interest would be involved.
• Such a conflict would arise when the employee, officer, or agent, any member of his or her immediate family, his or her partner, or an organization, which employs or is about to employ any of the parties indicated above, has a financial or other interest in the firm selected for an award. IMC officers, employees, or agents shall neither solicit nor accept gratuities, favors, or anything of monetary value from contractors, or parties to sub-agreements.
• These standards shall provide for disciplinary actions to be applied for violations of such standards by IMC officers, employees, or agents.

Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse:

• Actively promote PSEA (Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse) standards within International Medical Corps and amongst beneficiaries served by International Medical Corps and Any other duties that may be assigned from time by supervisors.