Program Officer at Centre for Communication and Social Impact

• The Program Officer provides programmatic support to the Faith and Community Champions (FCC) project as well as the Family Planning investment. He/She is responsible for supporting the project team in programme design and implementation.
• The Programme Officer also supports the SPO in coordinating the activities of the IFCCs, ensuring that project strategies are successfully adapted and executed to meet project objectives.
• The role centers on operationalizing the FCC/FP programme strategies by building and managing partnerships with critical stakeholders, including Implementing Faith and Community Champions (IFCCs), community consultants, advisory groups (AFCCs), and media partners.
• This requires a deep, nuanced understanding of the state’s health landscape and the sociocultural and religious norms shaping behaviors in Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health (MNCH) and Childbirth Spacing. Success in this position depends on exceptional programme management, strategic communication, and emotional intelligence to navigate diverse community structures.
• The Program Officer will uphold organizational values while fostering a collaborative, adaptive, and results-oriented culture dedicated to sustainable impact. The position is based in the FCC project-supported states (Kano and Kaduna)

Responsibilities

Program Implementation & Coordination

• Support the implementation of FCC/FP activities at the state and LGA levels in line with approved work plans and budgets.
• Coordinate FCC/FP activities with AFCCs, IFCCs, community structures, and partners.
• Ensure timely execution of community dialogues, sermons, media engagements, referrals, and other FCC interventions.
• Support integration of messages into religious, cultural, and community platforms.

Stakeholder Engagement & Relationship Management

• Maintain strong working relationships with AFCCs, IFCCs, religious leaders, and traditional leaders.
• Support onboarding, mentoring, and continuous engagement of IFCCs at the state level.
• Represent the FCC& FP project at relevant state and LGA meetings when required.

Monitoring, Documentation & Reporting

• Support routine monitoring of FCC/FP activities to ensure quality, compliance, and learning.
• Collect, verify, and submit activity reports, attendance registers, referral data, and success stories.
• Document best practices, lessons learned, challenges, and community feedback for continuous improvement.
• Support data entry and timely submission of reports in line with project M&E requirements.

Capacity Building & Technical Support

• Support trainings, workshops, refresher sessions, and coaching of AFCCs, IFCCs, and community actors.
• Provide technical support to IFCCs to ensure accurate and culturally appropriate messaging.
• Support adaptation of SBC materials to local contexts while maintaining approved messaging.

Community Engagement & Social and Behavior Change (SBC)

• Support implementation of strategies targeting key audiences, including married adolescents, young couples, and families.
• Facilitate community conversations that promote positive norms around childbirth spacing, maternal and child wellbeing, and family health.
• Ensure community feedback is captured and used to refine project approaches.

Administration & Compliance

• Support logistical planning for meetings, trainings, and community activities.
• Ensure compliance with organizational policies, safeguarding standards, and donor requirements.
• Perform any other duties assigned by the State Program Manager to support project success.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences, Public Health, Development Studies, Education, or a related field.
• Minimum of 3–5 years’ experience supporting community-based development, health, or SBC programs.
• Experience working with faith leaders, traditional institutions, or community structures is a strong advantage.

Required Skills & Competencies

• Strong community mobilization and interpersonal skills.
• Good understanding of social and behavior change communication approaches.
• Ability to work respectfully with religious and cultural leaders.
• Strong documentation and report-writing skills.
• Ability to work independently and manage multiple activities across LGAs.
• Proficiency in MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and basic data tools.
• Fluency in English; ability to communicate in local languages (e.g., Hausa) is a strong advantage.

Personal Attributes

• Strong commitment to community development and social impact.
• Culturally sensitive, respectful, and collaborative.
• Organized, proactive, and solution-oriented.
• Willingness to travel frequently to project communities