Social Mobilization Officer

International Medical Corps is a global, humanitarian, nonprofit organization dedicated to saving lives and relieving suffering through health care training and relief and development programs. Established in 1984 by volunteer doctors and Nurses, International Medical Corps is a private, voluntary, nonpolitical, nonsectarian organization. Its mission is to improve the quality of life through health interventions and related activities that build local capacity in underserved communities worldwide. By offering training and health care to local populations and medical assistance to people at highest risk, and with the flexibility to respond rapidly to emergency situations, International Medical Corps rehabilitates devastated health care systems and helps bring them back to self-reliance.

We are recruiting to fill the vacant position below:

Job Position: Social Mobilization Officer
Job Location: Kano

Program Background
In Kano and Borno, IMC is a consortium member of the Core Group Polio Project in Nigeria. This is a five year Polio Eradication program in covering 6 LGAs in Kano and 10 in Borno. IMC is implementing this project in partnership with CSADI and AHIF in Kano and Borno respectively

IMC is utilizing a three-pronged strategy to implement the Project to increase rates of routine immunization and supplementary immunization activities for children under 5 years of age, focusing especially on polio vaccination. The project 1) re-enforces the Ministry of Health’s routine immunization program to improve its performance, 2) strengthen supplemental polio immunization efforts, and 3) improves community mobilization in support of child immunization and acute flaccid paralysis surveillance. This is to improve the Expanded Program on Immunization services contributing to CGPP’s goal of polio eradication in hard-to-reach communities.

Job Summary

• The Social Mobilization Officer will be responsible for designing, planning and providing technical guidance on social mobilisation activities in the polio eradication project in Kano states.
• He/she will work closely with the local implementing partners, social mobilization working groups both at the states and also CGPP secretariat, to ensure efficient and effective social mobilisation in the implementation of the PEI activities in the two states.

Main Responsibilities

• Support implementation of social and community mobilization activities in collaboration with the local implementing partners’ staff (LGACs, VWS, VCMs), state social mobilization working groups
• Support advocacy with religious and community leaders to create an enabling environment to improve awareness on the benefits of polio and routine immunization and promote uptake of these services during immunization plus days campaigns and at the health facilities.
• Organize meetings with religious, traditional and community leaders, village heads, community groups and other relevant community stakeholders to improve awareness on polio, routine immunization, AFP surveillance.
• Support training and supervision of Voluntary Community Mobilizers and other social and or community mobilization agents working under the polio project.
• Support the M&E Officers and State Project Managers to effectively collect, collate and report social and community mobilization data as required.
• Collaborate with State Project Managers and State M&E Officers to ensure documentation of all community mobilization activities.
• Prepare and submit timely and quality activity reports, including field notes and success stories, to effectively capture lessons learnt on the ground from the projects.
• Provide administrative support as needed.
• Carry out other tasks to support the polio project activities as assigned.

Qualifications and Experience

• First degree or its equivalent in Social/ Behavioural Sciences (Development Studies, Anthropology, Psychology, and Health Education) or any other relevant discipline of study
• Master’s degree will be an added advantage.
• Proven experience on strategic communication planning for behaviour development, social mobilization, participatory communication, and research.
• Minimum of Three (3) years “Hands On” work experience in advocacy, social and or community mobilization in polio projects or any health programs.
• Excellent communication, and organizational skills; - and- ability to influence and facilitate advocacy agendas at LGA and State level.
• Understanding of local communities and cultures in the relevant states of operations and ability to communicate fluently in Hausa.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills in English.
• Ability to travel and work in difficult settings, including remote rural areas of Nigeria.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Word and PowerPoint, or similar software.
• Well-organized, with ability to track multiple activities and deadlines.
• Experience in providing administrative support to work teams.
• Ability to work successfully in cross-cultural, team-based environment.

Note

• The position is for Nigerian nationals only
• Only Short-listed candidates will be contacted.
• Candidates MUST state the position and location they are applying for as the subject of their email, application letter and curriculum vitae should be in a single Microsoft Word Document, otherwise applications will not be
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