Senior Technical Specialist – Evidence-Based Public Health Messaging and Community Engagement (EMCE)

Job Posting Organization:
FHI 360 is a nonprofit organization dedicated to mobilizing research, resources, and relationships to ensure that people everywhere can access the opportunities they need to lead full, healthy lives. Established with a mission to improve lives in lasting ways by advancing integrated, locally driven solutions, FHI 360 has grown to employ more than 2,000 experts who work across over 50 countries worldwide. The organization focuses on various sectors including health, education, and economic development, striving to create a positive impact in communities globally.

Job Overview:
The Senior Technical Specialist – Evidence-Based Public Health Messaging and Community Engagement (EMCE) plays a crucial role in the Meeting Targets and Maintaining Epidemic Control (EpiC) project, a global health initiative funded by the U.S. Department of State. This position is integral to the project's goal of strengthening community-centered emergency communication capabilities, particularly in the context of public health emergencies and infectious disease outbreaks. The specialist will be responsible for designing, implementing, and monitoring EMCE activities at various levels, ensuring that communication strategies are effectively integrated into the broader public health emergency management system. This role emphasizes the importance of community engagement and timely action during disease outbreaks, working closely with various stakeholders including the Department of Health (DOH), local government units, and other partners to operationalize EMCE within the EpiC GHS’s Nationwide Scale–Strategic Depth model. The position also involves contributing to planning, technical implementation, learning, and reporting across EMCE workstreams while supporting real-time adaptive management throughout the project lifecycle.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Technical Implementation and Coordination: Support the implementation of all EMCE activities across project sites, ensuring alignment with national guidelines and outbreak priorities. Assist in developing standardized national templates and toolkits for rapid emergency messaging and community engagement.
• National-Level Systems Strengthening: Contribute to institutionalizing EMCE systems within DOH structures, including social listening models and community feedback mechanisms. Provide technical inputs to national guidelines and data use strategies for EMCE.
• Strategic Depth and Subnational Support: Work with regional and local partners to operationalize localized EMCE systems, including community information channels and feedback loops. Provide mentoring and capacity building to regional implementers and community actors.
• Integration with Multidisciplinary Response: Coordinate with surveillance, laboratory, and emergency management teams to ensure EMCE activation is synchronized with outbreak triggers. Participate in field coordination meetings and contribute to integrated field plans.
• Training, Learning, and Capacity Development: Co-develop and facilitate EMCE-related training packages and webinars for partners. Support community co-creation approaches for message refinement.
• Knowledge Products and Reporting: Develop clear knowledge materials including briefs and reports. Review subaward deliverables related to EMCE.
• Monitoring, Evaluation, and Improvement: Support the development and tracking of EMCE indicators and dashboards. Document lessons learned and recommend adaptive changes.
• Cross-Team Collaboration and Representation: Coordinate EMCE-related partner engagement and represent the project in technical working groups. Support the development of donor-required reports and ensure compliance with U.S. Government branding and marking requirements.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates must demonstrate technical knowledge and practical application of communication and stakeholder engagement principles in public health emergencies. Proficiency in using various information and communication tools in health programming is essential. Excellent oral and written communication skills in English and Filipino are required, with fluency in other local languages considered an advantage. Candidates should possess strong problem-solving skills and the ability to train, mentor, and collaborate effectively with others.

Educational Background:
A Bachelor’s degree in communication, social or behavioral sciences, public health, health education or promotion, or a related field is required. A Master’s degree is preferred, indicating a higher level of expertise and understanding in the relevant fields.

Experience:
At least 7 years of relevant experience is required, particularly in implementing risk communication, social and behavior change, emergency communications, and community engagement initiatives. Experience in global health security" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">security programs or managing disease outbreaks is desired, along with specialized training or certification in risk communication and community engagement during health emergencies.

Languages:
Fluency in English and Filipino is mandatory, while proficiency in additional local languages is considered beneficial for effective communication within diverse communities.

Additional Notes:
The position is based in Manila, Philippines, and may require domestic travel of at least 30%. FHI 360 is committed to equal opportunity and affirmative action, ensuring a non-discriminatory hiring process. The organization emphasizes safeguarding against abuse and exploitation in its work environments and programs. All employment offers are subject to appropriate screening checks, including reference and criminal record checks. FHI 360 also provides a competitive benefits package and supports a healthy work/life balance.