Senior Associate, Community Engagement

Overview

CHAI is seeking a highly motivated individual to kickstart our work in community engagement in order to co-develop and measure community-based solutions to fight malaria with at-risk communities. In close collaboration with government partners, this role will lead and manage implementation of community-based interventions; monitor and evaluate the interventions; and advise on doing similar work elsewhere based on lessons learned. This individual will build partnerships with community-based organizations and develop a strong methodology for local community engagement in malaria prevention and control. The Associate will report to CHAI's global community health technical lead.

The main responsibilities of the position (approximately 75%) include typical project management tasks such as budget preparation and management; data collection, cleaning, analysis and review; close collaboration with government and external partners; and report preparation. With their remaining time (approximately 25%), the Associate is expected to explore community engagement opportunities with other CHAI country programs. This scoping will require close coordination with other CHAI country teams, external and government partners. Finally, the Associate may be called on to support content development related to malaria case management and community health more broadly, as indicated by project need.

The candidate must have excellent communications skills and cultural sensitivity, as they will be working closely with regional and country partners. The successful candidate will have strong technical, organizational and project management skills, and will be capable of conducting rapid quantitative/qualitative analysis and communicating such analysis on a regular basis in a clear and concise manner to colleagues and partners. The successful candidate will be a self-motivated individual able to function efficiently and constructively with teams/partners across countries, manage multiple tasks at once, make sound informed decisions independently when necessary and build strong relationships. CHAI places great value on relevant personal qualities including resourcefulness, tenacity, independence, patience, humility, and strong work ethic.

The role includes frequent travel (up to 80%) to rural and remote areas. The base location of this role will be Bohicon or Cotonou, Benin.

Responsibilities Oversee existing community co-creation portfolio in Benin (project management) Coordinate and supervise implementation of community-based solutions to fight malaria, co-developed together with select at-risk communities in Benin;Establish strong relationships with Benin’s National Malaria Control Program (NMCP), project implementing partner(s) and community partners, fostering a climate of trust and cooperation;Project Management: Lead project status update meetings with various project constituents to ensure project activities are implemented according to schedule with high fidelity, budgetary alignment, and meticulous reporting;Develop a continuous process to track progress of project activities, identify day-to-day issues through process monitoring, and provide timely information to stakeholders for informed decision-making and course-correction.Design and implement systematic tracking, analysis and mapping of quantitative and qualitative indicators on (i) coverage and quality of malaria prevention, treatment and surveillance and (ii) community perceptions in specified project communities;Support development of robust performance measurement systems and tools that are adapted to community-based approaches to data collection, analysis, and action.Develop strategies for ensuring that project communities remain at the center of project ideation, implementation, and iteration throughout the project’s course, mobilizing required technical expertise to support capacity building, and guiding remedial action when needed. Document and disseminate learnings from community co-creation work (evidence generation and knowledge management) Together with the implementing partner and the support of CHAI’s gender technical advisor, ensure quality reporting of project activities, inclusive of gender transformative outcomes, and disseminate learnings across the organizationProduce quality project narrative and financial reports for timely submission, collaborating closely with government, implementing and community partners;Generate Sex, Age, and Disability Disaggregated Data (SADDD) over the course of the project, documenting gender transformational change;Produce infographics on social and gender outcomes of the project and share with stakeholders at different levels;Conduct collaborative evaluations of community co-creation work to highlight key strengths and weaknesses;Work with key stakeholders to influence national policy where relevant, and develop strategies and plans to stimulate change (in the short-term, medium-term, and long-term);Share community engagement and gender transformative programming learnings within CHAI and beyond as appropriate.Lead and facilitate relevant knowledge sharing activities to document and exchange lessons learned across the project implementation area and beyond, serving as a trusted advisor to CHAI country teams and external stakeholders where relevant; Advise on community engagement and mobilization strategies in Benin and in other countries Represent CHAI’s community engagement work in convenings with the Benin NMCP and others, building and sharing organizational expertise;In collaboration with CHAI Benin’s Community Health Associate, help shape and improve other case management and community health efforts using data and evidence, to inform resource mobilization strategies, grant applications, and national government policies;Scope new opportunities to engage in meaningful community co-creation work beyond Benin – engaging with ministries and partner organizations; explore new funding opportunities (for implementation and research). Other responsibilities as directed by the supervisor. Qualifications Bachelor’s degree or equivalent with 5 years of experience in a relevant field (community health, community development, health education/promotion, gender studies, girls and women’s economic and social empowerment, male engagement, behavioral health, and public health informatics); or an advanced degree in social work, public health, or public policy with 4 years relevant work experience Demonstrated experience in successfully facilitating participatory learning and action tools and techniques to mobilize communities for social change Experience conceiving, planning and executing co-created community-based programs or projects with verifiable results and little external support Strong cross-cultural communication and diplomacy skills Demonstrated analytical, leadership, and problem solving skills Experience conducting gender analysis, evaluations and literature reviews Technical expertise in community health systems and community engagement Ability to set priorities and work both independently and with teams; ability to effectively handle multiple tasks simultaneously in high-pressure situations while remaining calm Strong work ethic, integrity, credibility, and dedication to CHAI’s mission High levels of proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, and Powerpoint Strong command of French (fluent verbal and written) and at least an intermediate level of English.

Advantages:

Fluency in at least one of the Benin project communities’ local languages Experience working and communicating with government officials and multisectoral stakeholders who work on domains linked to malaria (nutrition, environment, education, women’s empowerment, An MPH, MSc in public health, epidemiology, or experience working in community led change from a gender transformative perspective Familiarity with monitoring and evaluation of surveillance systems and/or public health programs Experience with research-action or programming on malaria or other infectious diseases Experience with case management, disease surveillance and/or supply chain management Practical experience in the provision of technical support to local civil society organizations Experience with participatory learning and action tools and techniques for disease control, disease prevention, or health promotion.

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