Qadam Ba Qadam Project – Karachi based.

Pathfinder Overview

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, ensure the availability of safe abortion services and post-abortion care, advocate for sound reproductive health policies, and, through all of our work, improve the rights and lives of the people we serve.

Project Overview

Pathfinder Pakistan with support from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) is providing technical assistance (TA) to the federal and provincial governments of Pakistan including Sindh, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Baluchistan, and providing support to key health system strengthening partners such as World Bank, Population Council and Acasus in scaling up of Postpartum Family Planning (PPFP) and Postabortion Family Planning (PAFP) within the investment case (IC) execution and National Health Support Project (NHSP) design and implementation. 

Through this initiative and based on the successes and learnings from Pathfinder’s Naya Qadam project, Pathfinder will support the integration and institutionalization of PPFP and PAFP in the overall provincial health systems, strengthening health system through building technical capacity of federal and provincial governments to implement results-based management framework, gender response social and behavior change communication (SBCC) strategies, enabling policy environment, and strengthen health information system strengthening to improve and better use of PPFP and PAFP data for decision making. 

Under this project, a total of four high-level outcomes and thirteen outputs will be achieved. The federal government and provincial Health Department and Population Welfare Department would be key partners, while Pathfinder will also collaborate and coordinate with World Bank, Population Council, and Acasus. 

Job Purpose

Pathfinder is seeking a Social Behavior Change Communication (SBCC) Officer for the anticipated Qadam-ba-Qadam activities in Sindh-Pakistan. This position will assist the Project Manager and SBCC Specialist of QBQ to oversee the design, implementation, and monitoring of SBCC interventions/ National Health Support Program (NHSP) across the province. S/he will lead SBC capacity building, partnership development, and integration of behavioral interventions across the project. S/he must have at least a master’s degree in a relevant discipline and at least 10 years of demonstrated experience in the design, implementation, and monitoring of development programs. Superior verbal and written communication skills and experience establishing robust partnerships with the private sector and local government organizations to support SBCC/ NHSP are required. Prior experience in strengthening the capacity of government health system staff and Civil Society Organizations is desired.

Key Performance Area

Strategic Leadership

Work with colleagues and consultants across the project to assist in designing Family Planning  SBCC strategy, support the development of the Family Planning  SBCC tool Kit, organize and conduct SBCC CoP meetings and relevant events, and implement SBCC interventions and behavior change that can be applied across the activity and that are solidly grounded on behavioral theory, research, and audience insights, besides support provided to provincial Governments in the implementation of NHSP.

Capacity Building and Partnership Development

Support and assist in the development of the expertise and capacity of internal staff, local NGOs and CSOs, and government partners on SBC/ NHSP; lead the establishment of partnerships with the private sector and local government organizations.

Strengthen evidence-based Programming

Working with the project’s Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning team to assist in designing and implementing strategies to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of SBC intervention. Together ensure knowledge sharing learning, and dissemination across the project of lessons learned, promoting their utilization.

Thought Leadership

Lead efforts to stay abreast of, as well as influence, the latest global thinking on SBC/ NHSP and health-seeking behaviors, capturing best practices that can be applied to the project’s interventions. Represent Pathfinder externally including giving presentations; and organizing and attending technical meetings and consultations; among others.

Education & Work Experience

• Social Behavior Change technical expert with an advanced degree (M.A., MHS, MPH) in public health, communications, social sciences, anthropology, behavioral economics, or a related area with significant public health and/or communication experience in family planning/sexual and reproductive health. 
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in developing, implementing, overseeing, and evaluating health-related Social Behavior Change programs. 
• Deep understanding and knowledge of SBC and Individual behavior and Social Change theories, including new and evolving theories and practices.
• Experience in Human-centered design and behavioral economics is Significant experience working across the complex. 
• Prior experience in SBC capacity strengthening.

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, 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.
• Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights Services: Advanced knowledge of family planning and reproductive health principles, practices and services of programs, including program strategies and indicators, and the latest professional developments in SRHR, including special challenges faced in the developing world, and related measurement issues.
• Passion for Sexual and Reproductive Health: Demonstrated commitment to family planning, reproductive health services, gender, maternal, and child health services, and eradication of harmful traditional practices. 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 detail-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.

Other information:

• Travel required (30% or less)
• Uses cellular and office phones, laptops, or desktop computers.
• Kindly apply through the below link before November 30, 2023:
• https://recruiting.ultipro.com/PAT1012PATH/OpportunityCreate?opportunityId=9922e36b-627d-4533-8283-878929118154
• 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.