Overview
Location: Ramallah, West Bank
Please Note: This position is under a recently awarded program and will start as soon as possible. This is a key personnel position and will require approval by USAID.
Application Deadline: We are reviewing all applications on a rolling basis until a final candidate is selected. Please apply by November 10, 2023, for consideration. However, we encourage candidates to apply immediately if interested.
Global Communities works at the intersection of humanitarian assistance, sustainable development, and financial inclusion to save lives, advance equity, and secure strong futures. We support communities at the forefront of their development in more than 35 countries, partnering with local leaders, governments, civil society, and the private sector to achieve a shared vision of a more just, prosperous, and equitable global community. We work with government, non-government, private sector, and community stakeholders to promote transparency, foster accountability, and access the channels they need to make their voices heard, promote change, and realize their full potential.
Summary:
Global Communities seeks a Senior Social and Behavioral Change Specialist for the USAID West Bank/Gaza Pioneers-Raedat Activity. This five-year $35M program is intended to leverage women’s potential to create ripple effects that shift gender-based power relations within the Palestinian community. This Activity will improve institutional frameworks and processes in select sectors to ensure they align with legal requirements and international best practices (both existing and new that might be advanced through implementation) for the inclusion of women. It will also support communities to develop the necessary tools to promote women’s inclusion in activities outside the home, build the capacity and confidence of individual women by engaging institutions of higher education and civil society, develop male allies, political structures, and the private sector; and strengthen public awareness and advocacy around women’s issues, including gender-based violence (GBV).
The Senior Social and Behavior Change (SBC) Specialist will lead the conceptualization, development, and implementation of social and behavior change (SBC) interventions focused on changing perceptions and behaviors to support women’s empowerment and create transformational changes in gender relations at the family, community, and national levels and in different sectors of the economy, academia, social and political areas. This effort will include working effectively and collaboratively with the Raedat Activity team members to incorporate SBC approaches in their work streams.
Responsibilities
- Provide technical and programmatic guidance and oversight to all the SBC activities undertaken and planned by the project.
- Develop evidence-based SBC strategies using a variety of state-of-the-art methodologies, including human-centered design, behavioral sciences, and digital technologies across different thematic areas.
- Collaborate with the project’s Senior Management Team to ensure the quality of SBC approaches and methodologies.
- Guide the performance of formative research to determine comprehensive SBC messages and channels.
- Develop related onboarding, training, and implementation support materials and tools, as required, for capacity development, sensitization, and skill development of implementing partners.
- Support the project’s implementation team in formulating locally appropriate SBC strategies and operationalizing those strategies effectively.
- Map and review already available formative research, SBC materials, awareness messages, and other information on current practices and dialogue with the community to identify facilitating factors and barriers to desired practices.
- Support tracking implementation of SBC activities, identifying gaps, and augmenting the strategies for increased reach, effectiveness, and enhancement of communication content.
- Support the documentation of experiences and lessons learned from the project, including producing learning briefs, white papers, and general documentation.
- Represent the project’s SBC work to external stakeholders via knowledge management processes as appropriate.
- Supervise the SBC team of the project.
- Other duties, as assigned.
Qualifications
- A bachelor’s degree in communications, media, marketing, journalism, public relations, or a related discipline.
- A minimum of five years of relevant experience managing and implementing development activities pertinent to strategic communications and SBC is required.
- Solid understanding and experience in using the Human-Centered Design approach.
- Strong background in formative/social science research, particularly social determinants of behavior investigation such as Doer/Non-Doer Analysis, Barrier Analysis, Positive Deviance Inquiry, Trials of Improved Practices, etc.
- Strong background in advocacy, interpersonal communication skills development, group facilitation, and SBC materials/tools development
- Experience utilizing state-of-the-art SBC approaches, including social media, ICT (information and communication technology), digital media, etc.
- Demonstrated understanding of a range of SBC approaches that address change in social norms, structures, and individual behaviors, especially those related to gender dynamics and women’s empowerment.
- Strong understanding and perspective on gender
- Demonstrated strong technical knowledge in gender equality and female empowerment desired.
- Excellent interpersonal communication and presentation skills
- Demonstrated ability and experience to manage and work in a team of professionals efficiently.
- Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills
- Fluency in English (along with very strong writing ability)
- Arabic language fluency is desired.
- Experience working in the region, preferably West Bank and Gaza, or similar cultural contexts.
- Experience in implementing advocacy campaigns and utilizing media/technology to achieve transformative change required.
- Willingness to travel as per requirement.
- Possess the ability to work with multiple stakeholders and implementation partners.
Global Communities positively welcomes and seeks applications from all sections of society. We are committed to a work environment that respects everyone’s dignity and worth and offers equal opportunity. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment.
Global Communities holds strict safeguarding principles and has a zero-tolerance policy for the conduct of sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment. In the process of recruitment, selection, and appointment, Global Communities will conduct robust reference and background screening checks, including international vetting as a signature of the Global Misconduct Disclosure Scheme to ensure children and vulnerable adults are safeguarded and abuse is prevented. The incumbent is required to carry out their duties following Global Communities Safeguarding policy and the Standards of Conduct.