Senior Technical Advisor- Social & Behaviour Change

The Opportunity

Save the Children International is inviting applications from suitably qualified personnel to fill the position of Senior Technical Advisor- Social and Behaviour Change (STA-SBC). The STA-SBC will have overall responsibility for the design, technical direction, quality improvement and coordination of the SBC component of the MOMENTUM Tiyeni activity to improve uptake of services and information related to maternal health, malaria in pregnancy, newborn health, child health, nutrition, family planning/reproductive health and adolescent sexual reproductive health and rights. 

The role will provide direct management support and technical oversight to the project’s SBC, Community Mobilization and Social Accountability Managers. The role will also provide non-technical management support to three Save the Children staff members seconded to the MOMENTUM Tiyeni project (Newborn & Child Health Advisor, ASRH Manager and Nutrition Advisor). 

The Senior Technical Advisor– SBC will work collaboratively with relevant ministries, partners, and stakeholders to co-create and deliver high quality, evidence-based SBC interventions across the socioecological model. The position will also be expected to apply inclusive, child-centered approaches grounded in gender equality and social justice, to drive the design, testing and refinement of key SBC materials and interventions for a wide array of stakeholders and communities. The position will lead:  SBC capacity development of consortium staff and relevant partners, implementation research, and the documentation of key learnings in technical and policy briefs for the Government of Malawi and other relevant implementing partners.

KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:

Technical Leadership:

• Provide SBC strategic expertise and technical direction to the consortium staff, MOH and relevant partners in the overall design, delivery, implementation, and monitoring of the SBC stream of work for the MOMENTUM Tiyeni project. 
• Coordinate the development and implementation of an integrated SBC strategy for MOMENTUM Tiyeni technical areas in line with global standards and best practices adapting global and regional technical resources and tools as needed for Malawi.
• Contribute to MOMENTUM Tiyeni’s annual work plan processes, taking lead in integrating SBC activities within the work plan technical areas. 
• Lead the SBC team on the project in compiling quarterly project reports.
• Participate in scheduled technical project strategic meetings. 
• Provide technical guidance for the development, production, adaptation, field testing, and effective use of state of-the art SBC approaches, materials, tools, and job aids.
• Lead design workshops with stakeholders, community members, and implementing partners using cutting edge, inclusive, and person-centered SBC approaches to support the development, testing, refinement and roll-out of high quality, evidence-based SBC materials and products. 
• Support implementation research in SBC and contribute to MOMENTUM Tiyeni’s learning agenda. 
• Collaborate with the MOMENTUM Tiyeni QA/QI team to support adaptive learning and management. 
• Lead the MOMENTUM Tiyeni internal project SBC technical working group monthly meetings. 
• Lead preparation and reviews of all periodic and activity reports to ensure proper reporting on SBC activities in line with the project Activity Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Plan (AMELP).
• Lead the development of SBC technical and policy briefs on lessons learned and best practices. 

Non-technical Leadership & Coordination 

• In collaboration with MOMENTUM Tiyeni’s senior leadership and SCI Malawi’s PDQ Director, provide ongoing non-technical team coordination and management support to three Save the Children staff seconded to MOMENTUM Tiyeni (Newborn & Child Health Advisor, ASRH Manager and Nutrition Advisor) around program/activity reporting and performance appraisals.

SBC Capacity Strengthening 

• Work with MOMENTUM Tiyeni’s senior leadership in providing technical stewardship to Health Education Services and National Malaria Control programme in advancing Malaria SBC.
• Lead SBC capacity strengthening efforts for the project to design, implement and monitor SBC interventions.

Ensuring Programme Quality (Design & Implementation):

• Provide direct technical oversight and management support to MOMENTUM Tiyeni’s SBC, Social Accountability and Community Mobilization Managers.           
• Collaborate with partner organizations (Pakachere, ECM, PACHI) as they support technical oversight to the districts in their respective MOMENTUM Tiyeni activities. 
• Work closely with consortium partners identify and pursue opportunities that allow for both integration into broader programmes and standalone SBC projects; engage with technical partners, donors, and colleagues across MOMENTUM Tiyeni 
• Promote a health system strengthening approach as the overarching framework, which supports working in collaboration and partnership with governments and local partners and working towards impact, scale, and sustainability.
• Promote a collective action approach, centred in empathy, inclusion, gender equality, and social justice, to all community-level SBC interventions. 
• Provide oversight and guidance to the programme implementation teams to ensure that SBC thematic programme components are technically sound, implementation methods are consistent with national and global strategies, acknowledged good practice and are likely to achieve scale, as well as equitable and sustainable results. 
• Promote and monitor integrated programming in a way that increases overall impact of SBC programming across the socioecological model. 
• Work with Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability & Learning (MEAL) team to ensure development and periodic update of SBC indicators in the Activity Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Plan (AMELP).
• Ensure effective monitoring and reporting of SBC activities.
• Work with the MEAL team to design and implement SBC research related activities, translate and use of research and routine programme data for ongoing improvement of the SBC activities.
• Ensure application of participatory methodologies that promote gender equality, social inclusion, and social justice (including child-friendly and gender sensitive/transformative methodologies). 
• Contribute towards the creation of an organizational learning culture that promotes the use of disaggregated data, evidence, and analysis (including gender and power analysis) and understands its link to quality and accountable programming; Contribute to strengthening the use of equality-focused programme principles and good practice across themes and sectors.
• Collaborate with MOMENTUM Tiyeni’s Technical Lead, District Health Planning and Strengthening Advisor and District Managers in identifying field support needs for SBC:  undertake field visits to project sites; work with implementation teams to understand impact, operational challenges, and continuously identify opportunities for learning and improvement
• Contribute to Save the Children’s organisational learning on SBC ensuring that learning from our programmes is shared across the Country Office and our partners, as well as with colleagues in the wider regional and global health, nutrition, and SBC community within the Save the Children movement. 

Networking & External Engagement:

• Provide on-going technical expertise/direction on project representation and participation in SBC national t technical working groups and other stakeholder coordination platforms. 
• Ensure that the project is influencing and learning from others through national technical coordination and networking bodies such as health clusters and working groups. 
• As delegated by MOMENTUM Tiyeni leadership, represent the program to national and local government representatives, donors, partner agencies, etc. as required. 
• Ensure the quality, clarity, and consistency of technical components of internal and external reports (e.g., programme reports, internal updates). 
• Leverage and liaise with technical colleagues from across MOMENTUM Tiyeni partners, including technical working groups and centres of excellence, ensuring that learning from the project is shared with others and global lessons brought back.

In order to be successful you will bring/have:

• Master’s degree in public health, behavioral science, or related field preferred, equivalent level of experience acceptable.

EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

• At least 10 years’ progressive experience of leading SBC program design and delivery at scale in Malawi or a similar context (required). 
• Demonstrated experience in people management. 
• Superior interpersonal communication skills.
• Demonstrated experience in managing a diverse multidisciplinary team. 
• Strong command of SBC theories and non-communication approaches. 
• Understanding of the current MNCH, RH/FP, nutrition, malaria in pregnancy, COVID-19 and cholera context in Malawi. 
• Demonstrated excellence leading SBC formative research, behavioural prioritization and integrated SBC strategy development, implementation, monitoring, and iterative refinement (required). 
• Demonstrated experience leading human centred design processes for the development of high-quality SBC materials/interventions for a wide array of stakeholders, such as pre-adolescents, very young adolescents, older adolescents, and first-time parents (required). 
• Demonstrated experience in participatory facilitation, community mobilization, community capacity strengthening and social accountability approaches. 
• Demonstrated experience in wide stakeholder engagement.
• Demonstrated experience using data and evidence to innovate and enhance program interventions (required).   
• Superior analysis, writing and reporting skills (required).

KEY COMPETENCIES 

• Focus on People centred Approaches: 
• Advancing Equality & Inclusion: Displays a commitment to ensuring everything we do considers the most deprived and marginalized children.
• Building & Strengthening Partnerships: Promotes working with diverse partners as critical to delivery.
• Child Rights: Promotes the rights of children in own work and in work with colleagues and peers.

Location: Lilongwe

The Organisation

We employ approximately 25,000 people across the globe and work on the ground in over 100 countries to help children affected by crises, or those that need better healthcare, education and child protection. We also campaign and advocate at the highest levels to realise the right of children and to ensure their voices are heard.  

We are working towards three breakthroughs in how the world treats children by 2030:

• No child dies from preventable causes before their 5th birthday 
• All children learn from a quality basic education and that,
• Violence against children is no longer tolerated 

We know that great people make a great organization, and that our employees play a crucial role in helping us achieve our ambitions for children.  We value our people and offer a meaningful and rewarding career, along with a collaborative and inclusive environment where ambition, creativity, and integrity are highly valued. 

Application Information:

Please attach a copy of your CV and cover letter with your application, and include details of your current remuneration and salary expectations.  A copy of the full role profile can be found at www.savethechildren.net/careers

We need to keep children safe so our selection process, which includes rigorous background checks, reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.

All employees are expected to carry out their duties in accordance with our global anti-harassment policy.

To avoid disappointment, you are advised to submit your application as soon as possible as we reserve the right to close the vacancy early if a high volume of applications are received. This is to ensure that we can manage application levels whilst maintaining a positive candidate experience. Unfortunately once a vacancy has closed, we are unable to consider further applications.