Social and Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC) Officer

Job title: Social and Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC) Officer

Department: SBCC and Health Department

Based: Garowe, with travel to other locations.

Reports to: Senior. SBCC & Health Manager

Contract Duration: 12 months (renewable based on performance and funding)

Who we are

We're Population Services International (PSI), the world's leading non-profit social marketing organization. We work to make it easier for people in the developing world to achieve health by providing access to a range of products and services, from mosquito nets to HIV testing.

There are over 7,000 “PSI’ers” around the world. It’s a diverse group of entrepreneurs and professionals with an extensive range of backgrounds - from the medical industry to the music business - all with unique skills we bring to the job.

Join us!

We are seeking a Social and Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC) Officer to join our dynamic team at Population Services International (PSI) in Somalia. Our initiatives focus on strengthening three WHO Health System Building Blocks: health workforce, service delivery, and governance and leadership. These efforts aim to enhance knowledge, increase self-efficacy, and foster the implementation of best practices across many health issues. At PSI, we are committed to community engagement, advocacy, and outreach, coordinating campaigns to create demand for health services and disseminating our findings broadly.

The SBCC Officer will serve as an integral member of the broader health promotion team working to enhance health awareness, practices, and service uptake across Somalia. This role will actively contribute to the design, implementation, and monitoring of demand generation activities and community health initiatives throughout the region.

Key responsibilities will include organizing and participating in community meetings, health outreaches, behavior change campaigns, and the establishment and capacity building of Community Health Committees (CHCs). The SBCC Officer will also play a central role in developing and disseminating health messages through IVR platforms, media engagement, and digital solutions to promote self-care approaches and mobilize communities on a wide range of

health topics, including maternal health, family planning, immunization, nutrition, and WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene).

Additionally, the SBCC Officer will support Female Health Workers (FHWs) and community groups by providing technical assistance, conducting training sessions on key WASH and health messages, and facilitating peer learning. They will also be responsible for documenting community success stories, capturing testimonials, and producing impactful video documentaries to highlight community transformation and amplify voices from the field. Ultimately, the SBCC Officer will be instrumental in fostering community engagement, strengthening the link between communities and the healthcare system, and advancing the overall public health agenda in Puntland.

Sound like you? Read on

Your contribution

PSI seeks dynamic and pragmatic candidates with experience in health or social behaviour change communications (SBCC) programmes, consumer-level demand creation for health and working with communities in the Somali context.

Responsibilities

Community Engagement:

·   Responsible for applying and adopting the mechanics and implementation plans of demand creation and community engagement interventions across Somalia.

·         Co-develop, implement and evaluate best practice communication and engagement strategies to effectively engage a range of different communities and key stakeholders.

·   Contribute to the development and promotion of community engagement guidance documents and tools, including engaging with CSOs and community groups, and supporting country adaptation and implementation.

·   Organise and facilitate community meetings, outreach events, and campaigns, integrating digital tools to broaden reach and increase engagement. Additionally, you will initiate and establish a robust community feedback mechanism, ensuring that community insights and responses inform our strategies and actions, thereby enhancing the impact of our health initiatives.

·         Document and share impactful stories and outcomes from the community, utilizing various digital formats and platforms.

·   Develop a range of practical communication tools and materials tailored to various audiences. This could include flyers, newsletters, videos, social media content and advertising activities.

·         Support overall Community Engagement activities in strengthening and mainstreaming strategies from the service delivery side, aligning with technical and operational priorities and objectives.

·   Work closely with technical teams to assess the integration and effectiveness of community outreach campaigns within technical SOPs, tailored to the specific context and needs of the organization.

·   Collaborate with partners to ensure collaborative implementation of community engagement activities and advocacy, with appropriate monitoring and evaluation tools and mechanisms in place at the national and subnational levels, ensuring the findings are integrated into technical and operational decision-making.

·         Provide regular feedback to the incident management team, national authorities and partners on the adaptation of response strategies for practical and feasible community engagement in affected areas during response operations and deploy as needed.

·         Perform any other incident-specific related duties, as required by the functional supervisor.

·   Responsible for orienting the regional health team on new and ongoing demand creation interventions while ensuring there is coordination and synergy between the regional team and the MOH.

·         Support in engaging and ensuring the MOH is involved to secure buy-in for program activities, adaptation, and approval of communication materials.

·   Support with preparing and facilitating orientation and feedback workshops with a diverse set of Somali users, regional and state MOHs and stakeholders.

·   Provide a monthly report on the update at the community level.

·   Shall perform any other duties as may be required by Snr. SBCC & Health Manager, or the management team.

Digital Tools Integration and Management:

·         Spearhead the adoption and integration of Interactive Voice Response (IVR) systems and other digital tools to support health communication, engagement and demand generation efforts.

·         Collaborate with telecommunications companies to optimize the use of digital technologies for community health initiatives.

·         Lead the development and implementation of engaging and informative content for IVR systems, ensuring alignment with community needs and cultural relevance. With the support of the technical manager and the SBCC team.

·         Enhance social media engagement and outreach through strategic content creation and audience interaction.

·         Implement automation processes to streamline communication and data collection, increasing efficiency and impact.

·         Provide expert advice on the application of emerging digital tools and technologies to enhance community health initiatives using human-centred design (HCD) approaches.

·         Monitor technology trends and innovations, recommending tools that could support or enhance program objectives and community engagement.

·         Maintain regular communication with the regional health team and MOH, ensuring synergy and alignment of digital engagement strategies.

·         Develop and deliver detailed reports on the effectiveness of digital tool integrations and community engagement activities.

Performance would be based on the impact of community engagement within regions of responsibility, as demonstrated by behaviour and increased health service utilisation, as well as utilisation linkage to the different programs.

·         Necessary

o   University degree in health sciences, social sciences, or related field. o A master's degree will be an added advantage.

o  Fluent in Somali and English.

o Experience in Community engagement, advocacy and outreach activities

o Experience in Training and mentoring Community health workers or Female health workers .

o Strong competence in utilizing digital tools and platforms for health communication and community engagement.

o Proven ability in designing and key messages and other relevant digital communication tools.

o Demonstrated creativity and open-mindedness in leveraging technology for health promotion and community engagement.

o  Highly creative and open-minded to learning new approaches

o Demonstrated willingness and ability to work on topics and with vulnerable populations.

o  Willingness to travel across Somalia as required by duty.

o   Team player with unwavering professionalism and the ability to collaborate effectively with interdisciplinary teams

·         Desired

o   Comfortable with adapting and remaining highly flexible.

o   Community work experience.

o   Experience in working with government & communities or similar partnerships. o Proficiency in social media engagement and the development of digital content for health advocacy

o Experience in automation and data analytics to enhance program efficiency and impact.

o  Community engagement and advocacy experience.

o Natural problem-solver with a track record of identifying and implementing innovative solutions in community health.

CONTACT US IF YOU HAVE WHAT IT TAKES:

If you think you are a great fit, please submit your application and detailed resume to [email protected] with the subject line “SBCC Officer”. The closing date for the application is 22 July 2025.

Please note that we will review applications on a rolling basis and the vacancy may be filled before this deadline. We encourage early applications. Please be advised that only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.

Female candidates are encouraged to apply.

PSI is an Equal Opportunity Employer and encourages applications from qualified individuals regardless of actual or perceived race, religion, color, sex, age, national origin or disability.