Pathfinder International is a global leader in sexual and reproductive health. We place reproductive health care at the center of all that we do—believing that it is not only a fundamental human right, but is critical for expanding life opportunities for women, families, communities, and nations, and paving the way for transformations in environmental stewardship, decreases in population pressures, and innovations in poverty reduction. Pathfinder provides women, men, and adolescents with a range of quality health services—from contraception and maternal care to HIV prevention and AIDS care and treatment. Pathfinder strives to strengthen access to family planning, advocate for sound reproductive health policies, and, through all of our work, improve the rights and lives of the people we serve.

Project Overview:

The Building Healthy Families (BHF), funded by the US Agency for International Development, seeks to improve health outcomes in Pakistan by strengthening primary health care systems to encourage use of voluntary family planning (FP) and reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health (RMNCH) services. The project works closely with Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial governments and private-sector providers to assist the Government of Pakistan with achieving its FP2030 goals. BHF contributes to a higher-performing health system that is prepared to handle pandemics, and is more responsive to the needs of Pakistanis, especially women, children, and youth, disadvantaged and marginalized populations.

The project expands the delivery of FP/MNCH products and services through private and public community-based providers. It tests new and existing high-impact practices, working with the government to scale up those that are most effective. 

Beyond the project’s focus on women and girls, BHF reaches married men and youth so that they can knowledgably communicate about, demand, and use essential services. This includes working with health providers to test, refine, and scale up youth engagement and counselling models. Additionally, BHF applies innovative, evidence-based social and behaviour change interventions with young individuals and couples, and men. 

Job Purpose:

Building Healthy Families (BHF) seeks the services of a Senior Social Behavior Change (SBC) and Communications Advisor to support the project operations. The incumbent will lead Social Behavior Change (SBC) activities through evidence-based approaches and will implement key activities across the project operations areas. This is a full-time position based at Islamabad with regular visit to project districts as well as other locations that the project necessitates.

Key Job Outcomes:

Strategic Leadership

• Provide strategic direction for the design, implementation, and monitoring of SBC activities.
• Ensure alignment of SBC strategies with project goals and the FP2030 objectives.

Program Design and Implementation

• Develop and oversee SBC strategies and interventions targeting women, men, youth, and marginalized groups to promote FP and RMNCH services.
• Plan, design and implement key activities across mass, digital, community and interpersonal media.
• Create a brand narrative around FP and RMNCH that can address the key barriers in the uptake of FP services.
• Lead the testing and refinement of high-impact practices and youth engagement models with health providers.
• Collaborate with government and private-sector partners to scale up effective SBC interventions.

Capacity Building

• Build the capacity of project staff, government counterparts, and community-based providers in SBC approaches and techniques.
• Conduct training sessions and workshops to enhance the SBC skills of health providers and community workers.

Partnerships and Collaboration

• Build strong partnerships with provincial governments, private-sector providers, and other stakeholders specially media and journalists and community level influencers like religious leaders.
• Coordinate with provincial health departments to integrate SBC interventions into broader health initiatives.

Monitoring and Evaluation

• Develop and implement monitoring and evaluation frameworks to assess the impact of SBC interventions.
• Use data and feedback to refine and improve SBC strategies and activities continuously.
• Document case studies, best practices, lessons learnt as well as project successes and present it at various forums.
• Present key findings to donors, Pathfinder Headquarters and technical review committees.

Advocacy and Communication

• Advocate for the integration of SBC approaches in national and provincial health policies and programs.
• Develop communication materials and campaigns to raise awareness and promote the use of FP and RMNCH services.
• Document success, edit project documents and oversea design and production of various communications products.

Required Education and Work Experience:

• Advanced degree in communications, media, public health, social sciences, behavioral sciences, or a related field.
• At least 10 years of experience in designing and implementing SBC programs in the health sector, preferably in FP and RMNCH.
• At least 5 years experience of managing large communications and SBC programs in multiple projects.
• Proven experience of developing and implementing SBC strategies for government departments which were approved and implemented.
• Proven experience of partnerships and collaboration with media, religious institutions and academia for FP and RMNCH.
• Proven experience of working on strategic communications, SBC, advocacy and behavioral science at national or regional level.
• Demonstrated expertise in developing and scaling high-impact SBC interventions specially for USAID, FCDO and UN.
• Strong understanding of the cultural and social dynamics affecting health behaviors in Pakistan.
• Hands on experience of launching large scale media interventions including TV Commericals, Dramas, Short Films, Songs, Talk Shows etc.
• Hands on experience of working with influencers like religious leaders, journalists, academia on health and RMNCH interventions.
• Proven experience of training teams and partners on SBC.
• Proven experience of working on gender-sensitive and gender-inclusive interventions with solid understanding of exlcusion and its determinants.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Proven experience of financial and technical planning of SBC activities.
• Certifications and Trainings in Advocacy, SBC and Behavioral Science will be an advantage.
• Knowledge of USAID branding guidelines is mandatory.

Minimally Required Job-Specific and Organizational Competencies:

• Project Coordination and Execution: Advanced skills in project coordination, execution and follow-up to fulfill project aims/objectives, including the timely implementation, completion and dissemination of project resources among key stakeholders including government, donors, private sector, and development partners.
• Communication: Skills in the development of strategic communication/dissemination plans. Strong communication, and relationship-building skills
• Social Behavior Change: Mastery of knowledge creation and management in archiving project resources/materials.
• Team building: Be prepared to be flexible and very hands-on with a positive can-do attitude
• Software/tools: Proven ability to use MS Office package
• Country-Specific Public Health System: Knowledge of the countries’ public health systems.
• Communication and Influencing Skills: Proven ability to influence others, including donor agencies and local partners, through diplomacy and proven oral and written communication skills.
• Presentation Skills: Proven ability to make presentations on results to small and large groups.
• Community Relations: Mastery of skills in facilitating work relationships between partners, government officials, and communities.
• Languages: Proven writing and speaking skills using local languages (Urdu) and English language
• Self-Management and Teamwork: Ability to work independently or as a member of a team, ability to work with people from different cultures, ability to thrive in a matrix organization, ability to be detailed-oriented, and ability to manage stress effectively in a fast-paced environment.
• Matrix Management: Ability to thrive in a matrixed organization.
• Confidentiality: Proven ability to maintain confidentiality on work-related issues.

Preferrable Competencies:

• Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights Services: Foundational knowledge of family planning and reproductive health principles, practices, and services including strategies and indicators.
• Passion for Sexual and Reproductive Health: Commitment to family planning, reproductive health services, gender, maternal, child health services, and eradication of harmful traditional practices.

Other Information:

• Travel required (30% or less).
• Uses cellular and office phone, laptop or desktop computer.
• This job description format focuses on the main duties of the position and is not intended to list every potential task or assignment.
• Duties can and will change to meet the changing priorities of the department and organization.

Equal Employment Opportunity Employer Statement:

Pathfinder International provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

Safeguarding and Protection Statement:

Pathfinder is committed to the safeguarding and protection of the people we serve and our staff. We have zero tolerance for any type of behavior that inflicts harm on children, young people, adults, our staff, and partners including sexual abuse, harassment, bullying, and exploitation. We do everything possible to ensure that we recruit only those who are suitable to work with us. We expect that everyone we hire will abide by our safeguarding and related policies and will report any suspected or known violations. This job is subject to a range of vetting checks as legally permitted in the country where they are being hired. By applying, the job applicant acknowledges they understand our intent to verify suitability to work with us.