HIV/AIDS Technical Advisor – Nigeria

TITLE:  BCC HIV/AIDS TECHNICAL ADVISOR, NIGERIA

DEPARTMENT:  WEST AND CENTRAL AFRICA

DATE:  JULY 2008 (posted through October 4, 2008)

Population Services International (PSI) is the world’s leading non-profit social marketing organization, operating in more than 60 developing countries.  PSI creates demand for essential health products and services by using private sector marketing techniques and innovative communications campaigns to motivate positive changes in health behavior. On the supply side, PSI works with the commercial sector to increase the availability of these products and services at prices which are affordable to at-risk populations. With a bottom-line orientation that is rare among non-profits, PSI social markets products and services for family planning, maternal and child health, and the prevention of AIDS, malaria and other diseases.  For more information, please visit: www.psi.org.

PSI seeks entrepreneurial, dynamic candidates for the position of BCC HIV/AIDS Technical Advisor to the Society for Family Health (SFH), PSI’s partner agency in Nigeria. This management team-level position is based in Abuja and will report to the SFH Managing Director in Nigeria and to the PSI Regional Director, West & Central Africa in Washington, DC.

SFH is the largest social marketing organization and local non-profit organization in Nigeria, with sixteen regional offices across the country and over 250 staff members.  SFH implements diverse public health interventions in HIV/AIDS, reproductive health, and maternal and child health. SFH activities range from product sales and distribution to behavior change communication, advocacy, research, and community mobilization. SFH’s donor platform includes DFID, the Global Fund for HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, USAID, and numerous other donors.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Help lead the BCC team to develop high-quality evidence-based interventions that will produce measurable changes in the behavior of target populations, through the utilization of both mass media and interpersonal communications;
• Introduce SFH to cutting edge behaviour change and impact mitigation strategies that focus on creating and measuring health impact;
• Help develop strategies and plans for the continued growth of BCC work, in collaboration with donors and partners;
• Provide technical advice on behavior change theory and on HIV/AIDS to all parts of the organization;
• Work with the research team in the regular production of BCC materials (e.g., nationally-representative surveys of behaviors and of condom availability, formative research for new approaches and products);
• Prepare reports to suit different audiences and publish articles on the basis of research findings;
• Maintain excellent relationships with major local partners, including faith based organizations, other international NGOs, local partners, the United Nations, and other donors;
• Work closely with other departments to ensure that the quality and coverage of interventions are being monitored closely, accurately, and in ways that enable continuous improvement;
• Build the capacity of the staff in the BCC, HIV, and Corporate and Marketing Communication teams, by conducting regular performance appraisals, identifying development needs of direct reportees, and working with them to improve overall performance and the quality of outputs; and
• Reinforce the capacity in both the government and civil society to plan, develop and implement quality BCC interventions and programs.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Minimum of Master’s degree in health communication, public health, or relevant discipline (PhD preferred);
• Technical expertise in the area of HIV/AIDS;
• Experience managing HIV and/or infectious disease providers and programs in developing country settings;
• Proven track record of developing successful behavior change communications campaigns, preferably using social marketing approaches in the African context;
• Considerable understanding and application of quantitative and qualitative research findings in HIV programming;
• Experience with social marketing a plus;

• Proven experience leading and mentoring cross-cultural teams;
• Familiarity with international health (specifically HIV), development issues, and the international donor community;
• Experience in building capacity of government and civil society a plus;

• Minimum five years developing country work experience;
• Excellent organizational and multitasking capabilities;
• Fluency in English required; and
• Excellent written and verbal communications skills.

The successful candidate will exhibit creative, innovative, and strategic thinking ability; excellent oral and written communication, analytical, organizational interpersonal and cross-cultural skills; strong attention to detail; ability to work efficiently and quickly under pressure; and a strong interest in private sector approaches to development; and a proven ability to produce results and meet objectives under difficult circumstances.

* Please be advised that this position is tentative pending grant approval.

APPLY ONLINE at http://www.psi.org.  No calls or emails please.

PSI is an Equal Opportunity Employer and encourages applications from qualified individuals regardless of race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or disability.