Social & Behavior Change (SBC) Specialist

About the Organization

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children's lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do for as long as we are needed. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built: we offer our staff diverse opportunities for professional and personal development that will help them reinforce a sense of purpose while serving children and communities across the world. We welcome everyone who wants to belong and grow in a diverse and passionate culture, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

For every child, the right to a chance.

Social and Behavior Change in UNICEF is a cross-cutting programme strategy that addresses the cognitive, social and structural determinants of social change in both development and humanitarian contexts.

Job Summary

Under the supervision of the Chief of Health (P5), the Social and Behavior Change Specialist provides technical leadership in the design, implementation, monitoring and scale-up of evidence-based Health SBC and community engagement strategies to advance UNICEF Ethiopia's health programme results. The role generates and applies social and behavioral evidence, strengthens community engagement and accountability, and addresses barriers affecting access to and utilization of quality health services. Through strategic communication, behavioral insights, RCCE and multisectoral collaboration, the Specialist supports improved health-seeking behaviors, service uptake, immunization equity, emergency preparedness and community resilience.

Key Responsibilities

• Generate and use Health SBC evidence
• Design, plan and implement integrated Health SBC interventions
• Strengthen community engagement, accountability and demand for quality health services
• Support partnerships, coordination and resource mobilization for Health SBC
• Build capacity and systems for sustainable Health SBC

Required Qualifications

• Education: Master or equivalent (Advanced University Degree) in social and behavioral science, public health, health promotion, communication for development, social sciences, anthropology, sociology, psychology, development studies, international development, public policy, or another relevant field is required.
• Work Experience: At least 5 years of relevant work experience in social and behavior change, community engagement, risk communication and community engagement, health promotion, public health programme planning, communication for development, social mobilization, accountability to affected populations, or a related area is required.
• Language Requirements: Fluency in English is required.

Desirables:

• Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.
• Relevant experience in designing, implementing, monitoring or evaluating SBC and community engagement interventions for PHC, RMNCAH, immunization, health emergencies, outbreak response or community health systems is highly desirable.
• Experience working in humanitarian, fragile, pastoralist, hard-to-reach or underserved settings is considered an asset.
• Relevant experience in a UN system agency or organization is considered an asset.
• Relevant experience at country level, particularly in development, fragile settings and humanitarian contexts.

Required Skills and Competencies

• Designing and implementing Social and Behavior Change (SBC) programmes.
• Community engagement, participation and social accountability.
• Behavioral research, social listening and evidence generation.
• Public health programming, including PHC, RMNCAH and immunization.
• Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) in development and humanitarian settings.
• Monitoring, evaluation and data-driven programme management.

UNICEF's Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it.

UNICEF competencies required for this post are:

• Builds and maintains partnerships
• Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness
• Drive to achieve results for impact
• Innovates and embraces change
• Manages ambiguity and complexity
• Thinks and acts strategically
• Works collaboratively with others

How to Apply

Apply through the UNICEF careers portal using the link provided in this posting. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

UNICEF is committed to fostering an inclusive, representative, and welcoming workforce. For this position, eligible and suitable female applicants are encouraged to apply.

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants' bank account information.