Advisors Senior Manager Community Engagement Strategy

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About the Organization

At Evidence Action, we deliver data-driven interventions that transform lives at an unprecedented scale. We identify neglected global health issues and deploy proven solutions, forging healthier futures for generations.

Our model operationalizes leading academic research (including from Nobel-winning economists). We measure progress and outcomes at every stage to ensure we’re making a real impact for people living in poverty and suffering from preventable or treatable health issues. Operating across 9 countries, our team of 800+ has reached over 500 million people, working closely with governments to scale these interventions.

Job Description

We are looking for a Senior Manager, Community Engagement Strategy with excellent organizational, project management and with outstanding experience leading community-level work to join our India Safe Water team. You will be responsible for developing, planning and executing the community engagement and behaviour change communication strategy of the India Safe Water program.

To fulfill this role, you will lead the development and implementation of the strategy at the community level, establish the alignment of this strategy with other program activities, and coordinate with National, State and Field staff to monitor, refine and troubleshoot activities on the field. Furthermore, you will oversee the contract management enforcement of external agencies and consultants in charge of specific community engagement components.

You should have a background in program strategy with at least 8 years of experience, particularly in designing and implementing community engagement initiatives or related fields. The role requires a comprehensive understanding of institutional structures at the community level and their interaction with governmental systems at the local, block, and district levels.  You will also require to have strong relationship management, both internal and external, as well as outstanding project management skills that include coordinating geographically dispersed teams, prioritizing among competing tasks, and continuous iteration.

Job Responsibilities

Community Engagement Strategy Development & Implementation (50%)

• Lead the design and development of the community engagement strategy of the India Safe Water program, ensuring its correct implementation and team’s alignment with it, as well as its continuous refinement and optimization.
• Work with the Behaviour Change Specialist in the design and delivery of behavior change campaigns, including the creation of messaging frameworks, communication materials, and mass media strategies tailored to rural and semi-urban contexts.
• Support the EAII Communications team in working with external vendors and consultants specializing in BCC to innovate and refine approaches based on community feedback and program data.
• Ensure the proper adoption of the India Safe Water program at the community level through engagements and coordination with different governance structures, namely Gram Panchayat, frontline workers, Village Water and Sanitation Committees, and valve operators, among others.
• Optimize systems and processes built within the community engagement strategy through data collection and analysis, monitoring and testing.
• Oversee the content development process required for the proper implementation of the community engagement and BCC strategy. This includes Standard Operating Procedures (SoP), training and communication materials, guidelines, talking points, etc.

Contract Management and Enforcement  (25%)

• Ensure that the Implementation Support Agencies are performing as per contracts’ guidelines, supervise the team’s joint operations with both agencies, and enforce contractual obligations when required. This could include developing or amending existing statements of work to reflect new programmatic requirements.
• Establish and maintain monitoring and evaluation systems to assess the performance of the Implementation Support Agencies and other vendors, and take appropriate corrective measures when necessary.
• Manage external consultants in charge of specific deliverables and analysis of the community engagement strategy. This includes regular check ins, distribution and supervision of work, brainstorming sessions, and performance evaluation.
• Identify and work with additional external vendors that could bring in additional expertise in the areas of external communications, behavioral change campaigns, etc.

Team Coordination and Training (25%)

• Work with the Senior Manager, Safe Water Operations and the State teams to define required manpower for community engagement activities, contract management, and materials development.
• Identify and build systems to build the required community engagement capacities of other team members to support their daily activities. This could range from general alignment of the community engagement strategy to specific skills development for community engagement activities through workshops, courses or guidelines.
• Support government requests in the area of community engagement with materials development, participation in discussions, and incorporation of government feedback.
• Work with the National Project Management Unit Lead to engage with government stakeholders, ensuring the development and implementation of the community engagement and behavior change communication strategy for broader rollout.

Education Qualification/Required Skills & Experience

Essential

• Bachelor’s degree in social sciences, humanities, social work or a related field.
• Prior working experience in program management at the National level with exposure to Field operations activities.
• Willingness to travel to rural areas for up to 25% of the time.
• Minimum of 8 years of experience with increased responsibility in management, project handling, or consulting roles.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in community engagement in India at the rural/ village level, including both field experience and leading community engagement teams across multiple geographies;
• Strong project management and organizational skills; proven ability to manage multiple complex projects simultaneously requiring inputs from various stakeholders;
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to engage with internal and external stakeholders within India and globally;
• Willingness to take initiative, being a self-starter, and showing proactiveness.

Desirable

• Experience managing Implementation Support Agencies in charge of community engagement activities.
• Strong preference for candidates with experience in transferring or supporting sustainable community-owned programs.
• Experience in WASH or public health programs.
• Experience in procurement, contract management and enforcement.
• Fluency in Telugu is highly preferred.

For more information please check the Link

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