Social Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC) Technical Advisor at the International Rescue Committee (IRC)

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC offers lifesaving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. At work today in over 40 countries and 22 U.S. cities, we restore safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted and struggling to endure. The IRC leads the way from harm to home.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Social Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC) Technical Advisor

Requisition ID: req39839
Location: Abuja (FCT), Nigeria
Sector: Health
Employment Category: Regular
Employment Type: Full-Time
Open to Expatriates: No

Job Description

• The IRC’s vision is to lead the humanitarian field by implementing high-impact, cost-effective programs for people affected by crisis and by using our learning and experience to shape policy and practice. To achieve that vision, the IRC’s Technical Excellence (TE) provides technical assistance to IRC’s country program staff and shares what we learn to influence policy and practice.
• The TE has three central objectives that we work towards:
  • Guide program design to achieve outcomes by incorporating the best available evidence.
  • Build technical capacity of country program staff to implement, measure and continuously improve programs.
  • Influence the IRC, peer agencies and donors to use proven interventions and generate new evidence to achieve change in peoples’ lives.
• Environmental Health field programs are supported by a headquarters team of seven Technical Advisors supervised by the Senior Technical Advisor Environmental Health, ensuring quality programming related to water supply, sanitation, hygiene promotion and infection prevention and control (IPC). The EH team is situated institutionally within the Health Unit of IRC alongside Health (primary health care/reproductive health, mental health) and Nutrition.

Specific Responsibilities

• The SBCC Technical Advisor (TA) will spend at least 80% of their time delivering technical assistance in-person and remotely to country EH program colleagues in selected priority countries (4-5) across the West Africa and Great Lakes Regions.
• This is a primarily field facing position with the central responsibility focused on program quality and building capacity of field teams. Priority country support will be determined in conjunction with the STA and country leadership, based on scale of programming, ambition, introduction of new approaches and existing field capacity and will be reviewed biannually.
• The remaining 20% of their time is spent in support of other EH TAs and Health & Nutrition Teams in developing policy, supporting research and influencing best practice in delivery of Social Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC) programming across our global health programming. This also includes contributing to business development for strategic, technical unit-led opportunities across Health.
• The SBCC Technical Advisor (West Africa/Great Lakes) will work closely and collaboratively with the SBCC TA (East Africa/Asia/MENA) in supporting SBCC capacity building efforts across the Health Unit. 

The SBCC Technical Advisor's specific responsibilities are as follows:
In coordination with the country specific EH TA (80% LoE)

Guiding Program Design:

• Support country program staff to design sanitation and hygiene behaviour change elements of programs and projects, ensuring that they are:
• Aligned with the IRC's strategy, which includes supporting country program staff with contextualizing outcomes and the theories of change, and selecting interventions based on the best available evidence and the local context.
• Responsive to client needs and preferences.
• Based on sound context and gender analysis
• Help define approach to teaming / partnering with other organizations.
• Support selection of indicators for country programs

Engaging in Business Development:

• Review technical quality of sanitation and hygiene components of proposals, including review of technical activities and ensuring alignment to IRC's outcomes.
• Input into go / no go decisions on proposals.
• Provide input on budgets required for project delivery.

Building technical capacity of country program staff to ensure ongoing program quality and innovation:

• Work with country program colleagues to help analyze data that inform periodic review and course correction as-needed.
• Support documentation of best practices and lessons learnt and facilitate cross-context learning with country program staff across the regions.
• Conduct technical training and ongoing technical coaching and mentorship for country program staff, including on IRC outcomes, theories of change, evidence and indicators.
• Support senior country program staff recruitment and onboarding of sanitation and hygiene staff.

In coordination with SBCC TA (East Africa/Asia/MENA) (20% LoE):

• Influence the IRC, peer agencies and donors to use proven interventions and generate new evidence
• Promote coordinated strategy and delivery of SBCC across health (sub)sectors and ensure approaches are aligned with current best practices.
• Support capacity building of Health Unit colleagues in proven SBCC approaches
• Review and share tools / resources / curricula and work with select EH team colleagues and other Health Unit Technical Advisors, to contextualize, adapt and roll-out global and country-specific materials.
• Represent the Health Unit for SBCC-related IRC global workstreams and initiatives.
• Engage with and influence the EH team research agenda and present any research findings across contexts and relevant conferences. 

Job Qualifications
Education:

• University Degree in the Social / Behavioral Sciences (Sociology, Anthropology, Psychology, health Education), with emphasis on participatory Communication, Communication Planning, Social Mobilization, Participatory Research, Training and Impact Evaluation of Behaviour Change interventions, preferably at Masters’ level, or equivalent combination of education and experience is required.

Work Experience:

• 5 to 8 years in implementing and/or managing SBCC/Sanitation and Hygiene Promotion programs in humanitarian or international development settings. Solid understanding of the principles and key elements of social & behaviour change communication across health, nutrition and Environmental Health programming.
• Experience in technical tools and materials development and research in relation to sanitation and hygiene behaviour change is highly desired.
• Experience in strategy development and working across sectors or disciplines is highly desired.
• Demonstrated expertise in transforming harmful gender norms through SBCC approaches and commitment to achieving gender equality.

Demonstrated Skills and Competencies:

• Demonstrated expertise in program design, monitoring and evaluation, with the ability to turn concepts and strategy into measurable action. Strong verbal and written communication skills. Demonstrated commitment to renewing and maintaining currency with best practices.

Language Skills:

• Fluency in French and English are essential.

Working Environment:

• Up to 40% travel may be required. This position will be based in Dakar, Abuja or London.
• All IRC staff are required to adhere to The IRC Way Standards for Professional Conduct and the IRC country employment policies.

Commitment to Diversity and Inclusivity

• IRC is committed to building a diverse organization and a climate of inclusivity.  We strongly encourage applications from candidates who can demonstrate that they can contribute to this goal.

Equal Opportunity Employer

• We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.
• We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

Application Closing Date
Not Specified.

Method of Application
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online