Social and Behavior Change Communication Specialist (Cotabato City)

Job Description

Title: Social and Behavior Change Communication (SBCC) Specialist

Location: Cotabato City, Philippines

Travel: 60-70% of Travel

Job Family and Level: T5 - Technical

Pre hire checks: This role is classified as requiring standard pre-employment checks

1.          Scope

Responsibility: Country level

Department: Programs

Reporting to: Humanitarian Manager/Medical Coordinator

Direct reports: None

Budget responsibility: None

Relationship management: Programs team, MEAL, Support, BARMM ministries and LGUs, and implementing partner  

2.         Context

Relief International (RI) is an international non-profit organization that partners with communities impacted by conflict, climate change and disaster to save lives, build greater resilience and promote long-term health and wellbeing.

Our team of more than 7,000 staff and local volunteers work in 15 countries across Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, providing Health and Nutrition, WASH (Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene), Education and Livelihoods programming that creates the foundation for community resilience.

We do this by working with local actors to develop safe and inclusive local programming that is evidence based, conflict sensitive, climate smart, and reaches those in need.

Relief International is an alliance of four organizations with one shared mission, comprised of Relief International, Inc., Relief International-France, Relief International-UK and Relief International-Europe, which operate under a one-team concept under a single senior leadership team.

3.         Job Profile

The Social and Behavior Change Communication (SBCC) Specialist will provide technical leadership in the design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of social and behavior change interventions that support improved health, nutrition, hygiene, and caregiving practices among target populations of Relief International. The postholder will ensure that project activities are informed by behavioral evidence and are responsive to the social, cultural, and environmental factors influencing individual and community behaviors.

Working closely with Relief International project teams, government counterparts, community stakeholders, and implementing partner/s, the SBCC Specialist will develop and implement strategies that increase community awareness, promote positive behaviors, strengthen demand for quality services, and contribute to sustainable health and nutrition outcomes.

The postholder will ensure that all SBCC interventions are aligned with national policies and guidelines, donor requirements, RI policies, and international best practices in health promotion and behavior change programming.

Key Responsibilities

Technical support

• Lead the development and implementation of the project's SBCC strategy, framework, and annual work plans.
• Conduct behavioral assessments, audience segmentation, and barrier analyses to identify determinants of priority health and nutrition behaviors.
• Provide technical guidance to project staff and partners on evidence-based behavior change approaches.
• Ensure integration of SBCC approaches across all project components and activities.

Grant and Donor Management

• Manage humanitarian grants in compliance with donor requirements and organizational policies.
• Develop and oversee project implementation plans, budgets, and reporting schedules.
• Coordinate the preparation and submission of high-quality narrative and financial reports.
• Monitor grant performance and identify corrective actions where necessary.
• Support proposal development, donor engagement, and resource mobilization efforts.

Communication Materials and Campaign Development

• Develop, adapt, and oversee the production of communication materials, including print, digital, interpersonal, and community-based tools.
• Ensure communication materials are technically accurate, culturally appropriate, gender-sensitive, and accessible to target audiences.
• Support the design and implementation of community awareness campaigns and advocacy initiatives.
• Coordinate pre-testing and validation of communication materials with target audiences and stakeholders.

Community Engagement and Capacity Strengthening

• Strengthen community participation and ownership of health and nutrition interventions.
• Support the establishment and capacity building of community health volunteers, peer educators, support groups, and local champions.
• Design and facilitate training, coaching, and mentoring activities on SBCC methodologies and interpersonal communication skills.
• Promote inclusive approaches that engage women, men, adolescents, caregivers, and marginalized groups.

Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL)

• Collaborate with the MEAL team to develop SBCC indicators and monitoring tools.
• Support baseline studies, formative research, knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) assessments, and other learning activities.
• Analyze data and evidence to inform adaptive programming and improve intervention effectiveness.
• Document lessons learned, success stories, case studies, and best practices for internal and external dissemination.

Coordination and Stakeholder Engagement

• Liaise with local government units, health and nutrition offices, community leaders, civil society organizations, and other stakeholders.
• Participate in relevant technical working groups and coordination mechanisms.
• Ensure alignment of project interventions with national health promotion and nutrition strategies.
• Contribute to technical reports, donor reports, presentations, and project documentation.

Safeguarding and Conduct 

• Will ensure the highest standards of behavior inside and outside of work promotes the values in RI’s code of conduct and safeguarding policies
• Will be a model for ethical conduct standards for other team members
• Will ensure own actions and the actions of the teams members they manage do not impact the safety of the RI team and the vulnerable communities we serve
• Will ensure external stakeholders are aware of RI conduct and reporting mechanisms
• Report any concerns

4.        Person Specification

Essential criteria

Education

• Bachelor's degree in Public Health, Nutrition, Health Promotion, Development Communication, Social and Behavioral Sciences, Community Development, Social Work, or a related field.

Experience

• At least five (5) years of professional experience in social and behavior change communication, health promotion, public health, nutrition, or community development programming.
• Demonstrated experience designing and implementing behavior change interventions in health and/or nutrition projects.
• Experience developing communication strategies, campaigns, and information, education, and communication (IEC) materials.
• Experience conducting formative research, audience analysis, and community engagement activities.
• Experience facilitating trainings and capacity-building initiatives for staff, volunteers, and community stakeholders.
• Experience working with local government units, health facilities, and community-based structures.
• Strong report-writing, documentation, and communication skills in English.

Knowledge and Skills

• Strong understanding of social and behavior change theories, frameworks, and methodologies.
• Knowledge of participatory community engagement approaches and adult learning principles.
• Ability to analyze qualitative and quantitative data and translate findings into practical program recommendations.
• Excellent interpersonal, facilitation, and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Strong organizational and project management abilities.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications and digital communication platforms.

Personal Attributes

• Commitment to humanitarian values and accountability to affected populations.
• Strong leadership and team management capabilities.
• Cultural sensitivity and ability to work in diverse environments.
• High level of integrity, professionalism, and adaptability.

RI Values

Guided by the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence, as well as “Do No Harm,” Relief International Values:

• Integrity
• Adaptability
• Collaboration
• Inclusivity
• Sustainability