Social and Behavior Change Communication (SBCC) Specialist

Job Posting Organization:
Relief International (RI) is an international non-profit organization that partners with communities impacted by conflict, climate change, and disaster to save lives, build greater resilience, and promote long-term health and wellbeing. Established with a mission to provide essential services and support to vulnerable populations, RI employs a team of more than 7,000 staff and local volunteers who work in 15 countries across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. The organization focuses on Health and Nutrition, WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene), Education, and Livelihoods programming, which are designed to create a foundation for community resilience. RI operates as an alliance of four organizations—Relief International, Inc., Relief International-France, Relief International-UK, and Relief International-Europe—under a unified leadership structure that emphasizes collaboration and shared goals.

Job Overview:
The Social and Behavior Change Communication (SBCC) Specialist will play a pivotal role in providing technical leadership for the design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of social and behavior change interventions aimed at enhancing health, nutrition, hygiene, and caregiving practices among target populations served by Relief International. The position requires a deep understanding of behavioral evidence and the ability to respond to the social, cultural, and environmental factors that influence individual and community behaviors. The SBCC Specialist will work closely with project teams, government counterparts, community stakeholders, and implementing partners to develop and implement strategies that raise community awareness, promote positive behaviors, strengthen demand for quality services, and contribute to sustainable health and nutrition outcomes. The role also involves ensuring that all SBCC interventions align with national policies, donor requirements, and international best practices in health promotion and behavior change programming.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The SBCC Specialist will be responsible for leading the development and implementation of the project's SBCC strategy, framework, and annual work plans. This includes conducting behavioral assessments, audience segmentation, and barrier analyses to identify determinants of priority health and nutrition behaviors. The specialist will provide technical guidance to project staff and partners on evidence-based behavior change approaches and ensure the integration of SBCC methods across all project components. Additionally, the role involves managing humanitarian grants in compliance with donor requirements, developing project implementation plans, budgets, and reporting schedules, and coordinating the preparation and submission of high-quality narrative and financial reports. The SBCC Specialist will also develop, adapt, and oversee the production of communication materials, ensuring they are technically accurate, culturally appropriate, and accessible to target audiences. Community engagement is a key aspect of the role, as the specialist will work to strengthen community participation and ownership of health and nutrition interventions, support the establishment and capacity building of community health volunteers, and promote inclusive approaches that engage diverse groups. Furthermore, the specialist will collaborate with the MEAL team to develop SBCC indicators and monitoring tools, analyze data to inform adaptive programming, and document lessons learned and best practices for dissemination. Coordination with local government units, health and nutrition offices, and other stakeholders is essential, as is ensuring alignment of project interventions with national strategies.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates must possess a Bachelor's degree in Public Health, Nutrition, Health Promotion, Development Communication, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Community Development, Social Work, or a related field. Additionally, at least five years of professional experience in social and behavior change communication, health promotion, public health, nutrition, or community development programming is required. Demonstrated experience in designing and implementing behavior change interventions in health and/or nutrition projects, developing communication strategies and IEC materials, conducting formative research, and facilitating training and capacity-building initiatives is essential. Strong report-writing, documentation, and communication skills in English are also necessary.

Educational Background:
A Bachelor's degree in a relevant field such as Public Health, Nutrition, Health Promotion, Development Communication, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Community Development, or Social Work is required for this position. This educational background provides the foundational knowledge necessary for understanding the complexities of health and nutrition programming and the social and behavioral factors that influence community health outcomes.

Experience:
The position requires a minimum of five years of professional experience in areas related to social and behavior change communication, health promotion, public health, nutrition, or community development programming. Candidates should have a proven track record of designing and implementing effective behavior change interventions, as well as experience in developing communication strategies and conducting community engagement activities. Experience working with local government units and health facilities is also important, as is the ability to facilitate training and capacity-building initiatives for various stakeholders.

Languages:
Fluency in English is mandatory, as strong report-writing and communication skills are essential for this role. While English is the primary language required, knowledge of local languages may be considered an asset, as it can enhance communication and engagement with target communities.

Additional Notes:
This position involves a significant amount of travel, estimated at 60-70%, to various project sites. The role is classified under the T5 - Technical job family level and requires standard pre-employment checks. The SBCC Specialist will not have direct reports or budget responsibilities but will work closely with various teams and stakeholders to achieve project objectives. The position is full-time and may involve working in diverse and challenging environments, necessitating a strong commitment to humanitarian values and ethical conduct.