Family Health Services (FHS), formerly known as PSI Malawi, has partnered with the government of Malawi through the Ministry of Health (MoH) since 1994 in safeguarding the health of Malawians by using private sector approaches to reconfigure healthcare delivery – (i) through directly delivering innovative social and behaviour change communications, social marketing, and social franchising across a wide range of health areas including Reproductive Health, HIV, Malaria and water-borne disease prevention (ii) by playing a market facilitation role, approaching market challenges and opportunities with a system-wide lens that unlocks a self-sustaining market with multiple players that can prioritize, adapt and ultimately thrive without external assistance and funds.

While a local organisation with deep roots in Malawi, Family Health Services is globally connected; mainly through affiliation to Population Service International (PSI), a Washington DC-based non-governmental and non-profit making organization that boasts a global network of members across over 50 countries through which FHS continues to leverage capacities, learnings, and best practice to enhance activities in Malawi. To accomplish its mission, FHS is inviting applications from suitably qualified candidates to fill the following vacant position:

Demand Creation Officer Job Summary.

Responsible for day-to-day implementation of VMMC demand creation activities at community level 

Duties and responsibilities

• Develop a weekly work plan outlining demand creation activities.
• Identify and recruit community mobilizers and maintaining a minimum number of 15 mobilizers per given circle.
• Supervise and mentor a team of community mobilizers during implementation of demand creation activities for the VMMC program.
• Conduct catchment area mapping and allocate areas to mobilisers.
• Periodically conduct IPC training for mobilizers in assigned cluster.
• Continuously conduct community engagement activities such as community dialogues to ensure buy-in of activities from time to time.
• Collect mobilizers’ weekly data and compile and submit bi-weekly reports to the VMMC Demand Creation Supervisor.
• Explore various demand creation strategies while in the community to ensure more and proper reach to men aged 15+ years to increase VMMC uptake and maintain it within 60 to 70%.
• Closely monitor community mobilizers and conduct supportive supervision that includes constructive feedback for improvement.
• Identify places where older men gather within the communities and utilize appropriate VMMC mobilization and recruitment strategy.
• Identify potential sites as well as back-up sites and prepare the same 2 weeks prior to service delivery.
• Plan and organize periodic activities i.e. fun days, Blitz, football bonanzas to support IPC work of mobilizers.
• Respond to issues as and when they arise in the community to ensure continued support from community gate keepers as well as community members at large to avoid service disruption.
• In collaboration with mobilisers, conduct up to 3 follow-up visits to booked clients who do not come to the clinic 2 days after referral.
• Leading site level demand creation activities such as mobilizer recruitments and trainings.
• Conduct client verification in collaboration with clinic staff and update mobilizer booking sheets as appropriate.
• Collect and compile weekly data and submit the same to M&E for entry into demand creation data base as well as monthly analysis.

REQUIRED/RECRUITMENT QUALIFICATIONS

• Degree in Public/Environmental Health, Journalism/CommunityDevelopment, or relevant field from NCHE accredited university/college

Knowledge Skills and Abilities

• At least 2 years’ experience in community mobilization and engagement, behavior change communication programs or Communication for Development

Competencies

• Oral and written communication skills, facilitation & negotiation skills.
• Skills to analyze, interpret data to resolve complex and continuously evolving challenges within VMMC program.
• Creative, pro-active, self-starter and effective team player.
• Results oriented

Mode of Application

Qualified candidates with the specified qualifications and experience should submit their electronic application letters and updated CVs with names and contact details of three traceable referees, through jobs@fhs.org.mw. indicating the job title for the position you are applying for in the email subject line. All applications must be submitted by 6^thSeptember 2024 to The Head of Human Resources, Family Health Services, Box 30132, Lilongwe.

 Family Health Services is an Equal Opportunity Employer and encourages applications from qualified individuals regardless of religion, color, sex, age, disability, sexual orientation, marital status, personal appearance, political affiliation, family status or responsibilities, ger identity, or expression, pregnancy, or related medical conditions. Family Health Services maintains zero tolerance for child abuse, sexual abuse, or exploitative acts or threats by our employees, consultants, volunteers, contractors, or anyone associated with the delivery of our programs and services and takes seriously all complaints of misconduct brought to our attention.

Disclaimer!

Family Health Service has become aware of scams involving false job offers. Please be advised: Family Health Services will never ask for a fee during any stage of the recruitment process. All active jobs are advertised directly in the newspapers or on vetted career websites. Official FHS emails will always arrive from a @fhs.org email address.

 Please report any suspicious communications to safeguarding@fhs.org.mw If you are suspicious of anything, please report through  email to safeguarding@fhs.org.mw or  reportsqm@tip-offs.com;  or write a letter to Tip-Offs anonymous, P.O. Box 1726, Blantyre; or call/send SMS using Airtel/TNM/Access to 847