2 Communications Officer Non-profit Job Opportunities – Malaria Consortium
Job Title: Communications Officer (2 Jobs)
Organization: Malaria Consortium
Duty Station: Uganda
Salary: USD 15,037 gross per annum
Reports to: Regional Coordinator
About US:
Malaria Consortium is the world’s leading not-for-profit organisation dedicated to the comprehensive control of malaria and other communicable diseases in Africa and Southeast Asia. Malaria Consortium works with communities, government and non-government agencies, academic institutions, and local and international organisations, to ensure good evidence supports delivery of effective services, providing technical support for monitoring and evaluation of programmes and activities for evidence-based decision-making and strategic planning. Malaria Consortium works to improve not only the health of the individual, but also the capacity of national health systems, which helps relieve poverty and support improved economic prosperity.
About Project:
Malaria Consortium Uganda has received funding from DFID/UNICEF to implement the Strengthening Uganda’s Response to Malaria (SURM) project which will focus on reducing the impact of the leading causes of U5M morbidity and mortality in 16 districts in Northern Uganda. The project will address lagging maternal and neonatal mortality through a combination of iCCM and selected maternal and neonatal care interventions. The project is implemented with UNICEF and spans a five-year period (April 2018-March 2023) in 16 districts in the Northern region of Uganda.
Job Summary: The Communications Officer will provide communications and implementation support to all SURM project activities in the Northern region districts of operation. This role involves implementation of communications activities which include social mobilisation and social behaviour change communication (SBCC), advocacy, documentation and dissemination of learnings and external communications/ public relations. S/he will implement these activities according to the communications strategies of the country office, the projects’ activity planning and under the guidance of the Communications Specialist and with support from the Regional Coordinator. S/he will also ensure an appropriate level of relevant visibility for the project among stakeholders through engagement with the media, regional events and other relevant forums.
Key Duties and Responsibilities:
Behaviour Change Communications (50%)
- Under the lead of the Communications Specialist and in cooperation with the Regional Coordinator, lead the implementation of behavior change communications according to country strategies and project’s work plans
- In cooperation with the project’s technical officer(s), liaise with communities, local opinion and religious leaders to ensure their involvement and participation in all behavior change communications activities
- Under the lead of the M&E Specialist and the Communications Team, ensure appropriate data is collected to monitor the impact of the communications activities
- Maintain regular communication with the SURM Regional Coordinator and compile work plan updates from the field
Documentation (25%)
- Under the lead of the Communications Specialist and in cooperation with the Regional Coordinator, ensure the implementation of documentation exercises such as story collection – including pictures and video – and coordination of research assistants for the collection of data for dipstick surveys or case studies
- Ensure the quality of the data, testimonies and pictures collected in the field and their appropriate label
- Provide support to the Regional Coordinator and M&E Officers in story writing and data analysis as required
- Support M&E Officer to ensure that all relevant project documentation is disseminated to the district health teams
Monitoring and evaluation (10%)
- Work closely with the SURM M&E Officer and Regional Coordinator in the monitoring and evaluation of project activities
- Support the conduct of surveys as required
Networking (5%)
- Provide support to the projects’ staff to maintain effective relationships with local governments and development partners when required
- Act as the main liaison agent between SURM and cultural and religious institutions in their region of intervention
- Develop effective and collaborative relationships with all project partners, including the district health teams, implementing partners and a network of CSOs
- Participate in relevant meetings, presenting project results and experiences as required
External Communications (5%): Facilitate the relationship between SURM and the regional media representatives based in their districts of intervention, in accordance with project guidelines regarding media engagement
Other (5%)
- Actively participate as a member of the SURM project Technical Team
- Adhere to all project policies and procedures
- Adhere to internationally recognised humanitarian and development principles at all times during the implementation of the project
Qualifications, Skills and Experience:
- The applicant for the Malaria Consortium Communications Officer job opportunity should hold a Degree in communications, marketing or related field, ideally with a public health bias
- At least three years of professional experience in behavior change communications, community mobilization and/ or projects documentation
- Experience implementing community activations and implementation of behavior change communications activities and documentation
- Experience in story collection and story writing to document projects’ achievements
- Knowledge of the community and local government structures
- Understanding of basic public health issues in Uganda and the required behavior change associated to them
- Skills in the use of different media outlets (photography, film, TV, radio, newspapers, websites, etc.) for communications/ advocacy purposes
- Knowledge of the Ugandan health sector
- Experience in health sector advocacy work
- Foundational knowledge of public health approaches
- Good oral and written communications skills and ability to convey messages to diverse audiences
- Strong interest in and desire to promote improved health policy and practice
- Proven skills in writing, copy editing, proof reading and documentation, excellent attention to detail
- Excellent computer skills (MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher or other design software)
- Excellent organization, planning, communication and follow-up skills
- Ability to prioritise and manage multiple assignments
- Strong interpersonal skills and ability to interact effectively with all levels of associates, including management
- Skills in the use of different media outlets (photography, film, TV, radio, newspapers etc.) for communications purposes
- Experience in public health communications campaigns
- Foundational knowledge of public health approaches
- Experience and skills in training and transfer of knowledge
How to Apply:
All interested applicants are encouraged to apply online at the web link below.
Deadline: 27th April 2018
: List of Current Job Vacancies / Opportunities in Uganda